Meet Bea PludowSince 1969, Bea Pludow, Canine Behavior Specialist, has built her knowledge of animals over the years as: a vet assistant, movie industry animal trainer, an animal health technician, an exotic bird tamer, one of California's first pet sitters, and now, as canine behavior specialist/dog trainer. In the early years, under the tutelage of pros like Frank Inn ("Benji's" owner/trainer), Daryl Keener (chimpanzee trainer "Tarzan"), and Moe DeSesso (rat trainer, movies "Ben" and "Willard"), she learned to train a variety of critters with a variety of positive reinforcement methods including what is now called "Clicker Training" ("we used kids Cricket toys back then!"). She learned that the bottom line was a successful animal training depends on trust and humane techniques. She has readily adapted her dog training to emphasize these reward-based methods. Bea returned to Santa Barbara in 1997 after 6 years in Montana, to work for friend John Sorosky, owner of Animal Inn and Camp Canine, Inc. in Santa Barbara. The experience there heightened her desire to spread the education of non-force communication and training of animals. Her education in the art and science of canine behavior has been ongoing. Bea attends seminars to further her knowledge of cutting edge technologies on the subject of dog behavior. Bea is well known throughout the community for her positive methods. Her pursuit of NON-FORCE methods is committed and creative. Bea moved to San Diego County in October of 2005 to be closer to her parents and has continued to serve those in need of an education in dog behavior modification. |
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MOTIVATING YOUR DOG TO LISTEN
Acquisition and avoidance are a motivation for all actions.
Only if a person is important to you will you be concerned with what she says. Your dog will listen to you only if you have become important to her. I know of only two reasons why you might be important to your dog. First, you are capable of giving her something she wants, which she can’t get enough of by herself. Second, you are important because you sometimes give her something she would like to avoid!
Reward increases affinity.
Your dog acts (behaves) to increase the likelihood that she will get the things she wants. If you can manipulate the situation so that she gets the things she likes by doing the things you want her to do first, then both of you will be happy. When you do this she is drawn more to you. To do this, you must be in control of the things that she wants before you can reward her for a selected behavior. If she has a free access to all of the things that she wants, then why does she need you? Most of us are not very good at this, and that is why we find ourselves left with the only other option, force.
Force decreases affinity.
The problem with force is that if the dog can avoid it, she will. Now, instead of the dog working with you to get the things she likes, she is avoiding you. The more she avoids you, the more frustrated you become, and the more you look like someone to avoid.
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