The Complete Dog Training Glossary: 100+ Essential Terms
Understanding your dog starts with learning the language behind their behavior. For this reason, we created this glossary as a key part of the Camp Ruff Ruff education system. It reflects over 16 years of professional behavior consulting and humane training.
Because we believe in modern science, we explain each term using force-free principles. Furthermore, we use this exact practical framework with our clients every day. Whether you are a new owner or an experienced handler, these definitions will help you. As a result, you will gain clear, accurate, and easy-to-apply insight into how dogs learn and communicate.
The Complete Dog Training Glossary: 100+ Essential Terms
There are currently 5 names in this directory beginning with the letter P.
Positive Punishment
Use of aversive stimuli to decrease or change a behavior. The addition of an unpleasant stimulus in order to decrease the frequency of an unwanted behavior. P+ is commonly called “Avoidance Training” and is one of the four quadrants of Operant Conditioning.
Predatory Drift
“Predatory Drift” is a term that was coined either by Ian Dunbar and we believe first published by Jean Donaldson. This is when a large dogs acceptable behavior shifts to predatory behavior. This is known to happen with large and small dog interactions an example can be when a small dog squeals and runs away in fright. This is one of the biggest reasons dog parks and play groups are separated by size. This phenomenon can be very dangerous.
Premack's principle
''the more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors.'' Animals are willing to perform a less desirable (come) activity to get at the more desirable activity (etc. go play with other dogs). That is, if the animal gets to do a certain behavior right after doing a lower probability behavior, the lower probability behavior will be reinforced.
Prey Drive
More accurately referred to as “Predatory Instinct.” Dogs are carnivores and have a natural instinct to chase moving things and take them down "prey/nature". Many dogs are breed for controlling the natural orient, eye , stalk , chase , grab bite , kill bite , dissect. For example herding dogs are breed to stalk and chase therefore may not bite or engage in the take down sequence of predation.
NOTE: For most animal behaviorists, predatory behavior refers to those behaviors involved in the location, capture and consumption of prey. It is part of the feeding behavior system for those animals that capture and consume other animals for food, such as dogs, hyenas, snakes and dragonflies.
NOTE: For most animal behaviorists, predatory behavior refers to those behaviors involved in the location, capture and consumption of prey. It is part of the feeding behavior system for those animals that capture and consume other animals for food, such as dogs, hyenas, snakes and dragonflies.
Prompt
A prompt in dog training is a signal, cue, or command given to elicit a specific behavior from the dog. It serves as a communication tool between the trainer or owner and the dog, indicating the desired action. Prompts can be verbal, visual, or physical cues that help guide the dog in understanding what is expected of them. Consistent and clear prompts play a crucial role in effective training, as they help the dog associate the cue with the intended behavior and facilitate the learning process.
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