Many owners ask me what are the basics of Dog training. The answer is the ABC’s. Awareness of ABC’s is going to exponentially increase dog training success for anyone, and grow the understanding of why a dog is behaving a certain way. Keep reading to learn about the ABC’s of Dog training.
Antecedent
What happens immediately before (trigger, cue, distraction, etc.)
When we lure a dog with a treat to the nose to teach sit, that lure is the antecedent. The thing that comes before the behavior.
Behavior
What does the dog do that we can describe.
When the dog sits that is the behavior.
Consequence
What happened to the dog immediately after, but not in a negative way. In this case it is just the outcome of a behavior. Such as treats, praise or a toy the dog gets for listening.
Training is a carefully-planned use of the A-B-Cs. Arranging the antecedents such that it produces the desired behavior and is reinforced as a consequence.
