The type of food is a conditioned stimulus or an unconditioned one. Unconditioned and conditioned stimuli
Theoretical foundations of training service dogs
Dogs are prepared for service use through training.
Training- this is the process of consistently developing and consolidating in a dog the actions needed by a person. The main goal of training is to change the dog’s behavior in the intended direction and achieve the desired actions from it, for example, searching for an intruder using the trace he left, protecting a home or some object, etc. Dog training always solves two main problems: -firstly, it ensures good obedience () of the dog and, secondly, it specializes the dog for use in a certain type of service (guard, search, protective guard, sled, etc.). In this regard, it is customary to distinguish general and special training.
During the training process, the human influence on the dog and its behavior are closely related. Behavior is the totality of all the actions of an animal, with the help of which the body adapts to environmental conditions and satisfies its vital needs. The dog's body has certain natural characteristics that influence its behavior and service use. Thus, most dogs have significant viciousness and are capable of not only actively defending themselves, but also attacking.
Dogs have well-developed sense organs. Their sense of smell allows them to accurately differentiate different odors and track an animal or person using the trail they leave. Thanks to their fine hearing, dogs perceive faint sounds and distant rustles better than humans. Despite the fact that the dog’s visual organs poorly distinguish colors, it perceives well the movement and shape of all kinds of objects. Dogs quickly navigate terrain and are well oriented in new surroundings.
The behavior of a trained dog is characterized by the fact that it largely depends on the trainer, who, through his influences, encourages the dog to perform certain actions (planting or laying down, guarding things, working on the scent, etc.).
The behavior of an untrained dog is determined only by its vital needs (hunger, self-defense, sexual desire, etc.) and stimuli acting from the environment.
To successfully conduct training, you must be able to correctly evaluate your actions in relation to the dog and have a good understanding of the peculiarities of its behavior. And for this you need to know the theoretical foundations of training, which determine the basic principles and rules of training.
The theoretical foundations of training are based on the teachings of the famous Russian physiologist Academician I.P. Pavlov (1849–1936) about higher nervous activity.
Academician Pavlov called the highest unequal activity the work of the cerebral hemispheres to establish a connection between the body and the environment. Knowledge of the fundamentals of Pavlov’s teaching on higher nervous activity as applied to training allows the trainer to build his work not, but consciously. A trainer with such knowledge understands well all the problems that arise before him and correctly selects the most suitable methods and techniques for influencing the dog to solve them.
Knowledge of the theoretical foundations of training allows the trainer to show reasonable initiative and creativity in training service dogs.
1. Unconditioned reflexes and instincts
A dog's behavior is determined by the activity of the central nervous system and environmental influences. Any impact on a living organism that causes a response - a reaction on the part of the latter - is called irritant. The central nervous system establishes a connection between the dog’s body and various environmental stimuli through reflexes. Reflex is the response of the central nervous system to a stimulus. If, for example, a piece of food enters the dog’s oral cavity, it will affect the perceptive endings of the sensory - centripetal, taste nerve, which are located in the dog’s oral cavity and form the taste receptor. Irritation from this receptor is transmitted to the central nervous system. The latter switches the perceived irritation to the executive - centrifugal nerve fibers, along which the irritation is directed to the working organs: salivary glands, swallowing muscles. As a result of this, reflexes arise: salivation and swallowing food.
The anatomical basis of any reflex is the reflex arc. Reflex arc called the nervous path along which irritation passes from the perceiving receptor organ, through the central nervous system to the executive working organs - muscles or glands (Fig. 22). The main receptor organs of a dog are the organs of smell, hearing, vision, touch, and taste. Depending on the number of reflex arcs involved in the implementation of the reflex, simple and complex reflexes are distinguished. Thus, a dog withdrawing its paw when pricked will be a simpler reflex than the reflex of a dog sitting down when the trainer presses on its croup, or than an attack by a dog.
Rice. 22. Reflex arc diagram1 - leather; 2 - skeletal muscles; 3 - sensory nerve; 4 - motor nerve; 5 - nerve cell of a sensitive neuron; 6 - motor neuron nerve cell; 7 - gray matter of the spinal cord; 8 - white matter of the spinal cord
Reflexes should also be distinguished by origin. Academician Pavlov divided the reflexes of dogs and other animals into unconditioned and conditioned. An unconditioned reflex is an innate reflex that is firmly inherited from parents to offspring. A striking example of such a reflex is the food or sexual reflex. Conditioned reflexes- these are reflexes acquired during the life of an animal. An example of such reflexes can be all the actions a dog performs during the training process. In this sense, training is the process of consistently developing persistent conditioned reflexes in a dog to perform various actions at the request of the trainer. Conditioned reflexes are developed on the basis of unconditioned innate ones, so the trainer must be well aware of the unconditioned reflexes inherent in dogs.
Academician Pavlov distinguished four main unconditioned reflexes in dogs: orientation-exploratory, food, defensive and sexual. These reflexes are the radiant nerve; form the innate basis of a dog’s behavior and belong to complex unconditioned reflexes. Such reflexes are usually designated by the term. Instinct is a complex unconditioned reflex, which is the hereditary basis of animal behavior and is aimed at satisfying a specific need of the body: food, self-defense, sexual, parental, etc. According to their biological significance, instincts are divided into two groups: instincts of self-preservation and instincts of preservation of the species. The first group includes instincts that ensure the existence of each dog or other animal separately. These instincts include food and defensive reflexes. The second group includes instincts aimed at obtaining and preserving offspring. This includes sexual and parental instincts.
The founder of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin, pointed out the great importance of instincts in animal behavior in his brilliant work. Complex unconditioned reflexes-instincts are also of great importance for training animals. The famous trainer V.L. Durov has repeatedly noted that one of the basic principles of training is. For example, in the process of working out a general training course, the so-called (landing, laying down, standing still, jumping, running, etc.) are widely used, which manifest themselves in all dogs as unconditioned reflexes even before training. The trainer’s task is to achieve the manifestation of these reflexes on demand - according to the trainer’s signals and to instill in the dog endurance in a certain position, adopted by one or another signal (for example, by a command or an appropriate gesture). Teaching a dog to present an object by sound signal is also based on the use of the reflex of grasping an object moving in front of the dog's muzzle. This unconditioned grasping reflex is well manifested in most dogs.
Complex unconditioned reflexes related to instincts are especially important for training service dogs. This - orientation-exploratory, food, defensive and sexual reflexes.
Orienting reflex occurs as a result of the action of various new stimuli on the dog. Thanks to this reflex, the dog becomes familiar with a new environment or an unfamiliar stimulus. As the dog's body adapts to the environment, as well as during training, this reflex becomes more complex. As a result, the dog exhibits complicated actions, for example, searching for a departed owner, searching for a criminal on the trail, etc.
Food reflex manifests itself in a hungry dog in searching and eating food. The manifestation of the food reflex is of great practical importance during training. Based on the use of this reflex, dogs are trained to carry loads and perform mine-search service.
Defensive reflex serves as protection from adverse influences or attacks and manifests itself in two forms: active-defensive and passive-defensive. The manifestation of an active defensive reflex (anger) ensures the use of dogs in guard, guard and search services. In contrast to the active-defensive reflex, a strong manifestation of the passive-defensive reflex (cowardice) negatively affects the training and work of dogs. A cowardly dog slowly gets used to the trainer and its performance decreases sharply under the influence of various extraneous stimuli (gunshot, noise, etc.).
Sexual reflex occurs during sexual arousal. This reflex is not used directly during training, but has great indirect significance. Special studies and practical experience show that females are somewhat easier to train than males, but males are more resilient than females. A strongly expressed sexual reflex (especially in males) has a negative impact on training, as it causes distractions.
Indicative, defensive, food and sexual reflexes manifest themselves in dogs in different ways. This depends on heredity, the general physiological state of the body and the influence of the environment (including upbringing).
Research has shown that the defensive reflex in active-defensive and passive-defensive forms is to a certain extent inherited in dogs. However, the nature of the manifestation of a defensive reaction (active or passive form) also depends on the environment, in particular on upbringing. It has been established, for example, that puppies raised in a cage exhibit characteristic cowardice, in contrast to puppies raised in freedom, under the condition of extensive communication with various stimuli. From this it is clear how important the education of puppies is for the subsequent behavior of an adult dog. The manifestation of complex reflexes - instincts also depends on the general physiological state of the dog (hunger, heat, illness, etc.). Thus, in a hungry dog, the food instinct will be more pronounced than in a well-fed one. In a puppy dog with puppies, the defensive complex reflex very often manifests itself in an active form, even if in this dog it did not manifest itself before whelping. In this case, this reflex is aimed at protecting puppies and has great biological significance.
A complex instinct-type reflex, which is most pronounced in a given dog and dominates its behavior, is called the prevailing reaction. Consistently and strongly expressed predominant reactions are of great importance for dog training. In this regard, dogs with a strongly expressed active-defensive reaction (anger) are best used for guard duty. If a dog has a predominant food reaction, which is usually accompanied by trust in people who give it food, then it is advisable to use such a dog for carrying light loads or for search and rescue service.
In addition to food and defensive reactions, indicative or sexual reactions may temporarily prevail. If the indicative reaction predominates, the dog peers and listens, as if looking for something, the slightest noise brings it out of its resting state. The predominance of the sexual reaction is usually observed in males if an empty female is nearby.
The indicative reaction should be well expressed in every dog intended for service use, however, a sharp predominance of such a reaction is undesirable, as it will distract the dog during training. A strongly expressed sexual reaction also negatively affects training, as it causes distraction. When training, it is necessary to take into account that in most dogs the sexual reaction prevails only at certain times of the year (especially in spring).
The occurrence and manifestation of the predominant reaction is based on the phenomenon of dominance. The essence of this phenomenon is that under certain conditions in the nerve centers that determine the manifestation of one or another reflex, persistent excitation can arise, prevailing over the excitation of other nerve centers. As a result, all reflexes that depend on the center with the greatest excitation acquire the greatest strength and persistence of manifestation and form the predominant reaction.
2. Conditioned reflexes
If unconditioned reflexes represent the innate basis of a dog’s behavior, then conditioned reflexes are acquired by the animal during its life.
In service dog breeding, various conditioned reflexes necessary for the service use of dogs are developed on the basis of unconditioned reflexes during the training process.
Conditioned reflexes are produced only under certain conditions, which is why Academician Pavlov gave them this name. The main condition is the coincidence in time of the action of two stimuli, one of which is unconditioned and causes a certain unconditioned reflex (for example, salivation), and the other - any stimulus from the external environment (sound, light) that is not important for this unconditioned reflex. The mechanism of formation of a conditioned reflex, according to the experiments of Academician Pavlov and his students, is as follows.
If, before giving the dog food, you ring a bell placed near it (Fig. 23), the following will happen. Food entering the dog’s oral cavity causes irritation, which is transmitted to the food center of the unconditioned reflex located in the medulla oblongata. A focus of excitation will arise in the food center, the irritation will be directed to the salivary gland, which will begin to secrete saliva. This will be the path of the reflex arc of the unconditioned reflex. At the same time, irritation from the medulla oblongata will go to the food center of the cerebral cortex, where a focus of excitation will also arise. Since before receiving food or simultaneously with it, the dog will be exposed to a sound stimulus (the ringing of a bell), a focus of excitation also appears in the auditory center located in the temporal part of the cerebral cortex. Consequently, three foci of excitation will exist simultaneously in the dog’s brain, and a certain neural connection (closure) will be established between them.
Rice. 23. Scheme of formation of a conditioned reflex 1 - sensory nerve of the tongue; 2 - salivary gland; 3 - skull; 4 - food cortical center; 5 - auditory sensory nerve; 6 - auditory nerve center; 7 - connecting nerve pathway; 8 - unconditional food center; 9 - medulla oblongata; 10 - motor (secretory) nerve
After the formation of such a short circuit between the nerve centers, it will be enough to influence the dog with only one sound stimulation. Having reached the auditory center, it will go along the beaten path to the food cortical center, and from there to the food center of the medulla oblongata. Then it will pass along the motor-secretory nerve to the salivary gland and cause salivation in the absence of a food unconditioned stimulus. Consequently, as a result of the development of a conditioned reflex to any stimulus, the latter acquires the value of a signal for the manifestation of a certain reflex. Thanks to this, the body is prepared in advance for food intake (as was the case in the described case) and its adaptability to the environment increases.
According to the described scheme, conditioned reflexes are developed to any stimulus. The same principle underlies the training of a dog to perform any action on command during the training process. For example, in order to teach a dog to sit on command, you need to form a conditioned reflex to this command, using a stimulus that would evoke an unconditioned sitting reflex in the dog. To do this, the trainer, pronouncing the command, presses his hand firmly on the dog’s croup; showing a protective reflex, the dog lowers its butt and sits down. After a number of such repeated combinations of commands with pressing on the croup, the dog will develop a conditioned reflex to the command, and it will sit down according to one order from the trainer.
Most of the actions that a dog learns to perform during training based on conditioned signals from the trainer differ from ordinary conditioned reflexes (for example, the conditioned salivation reflex) in their complexity. Research has shown that these actions are complex motor reactions consisting of a system of reflexes. Such systems of reflexes are usually called skills. Skills are complex conditioned reflexes, in contrast to instincts, which are complex unconditioned reflexes.
Skills are developed through long-term exercise, which consists of a series of repeated actions. During the exercise, new temporary connections are formed, which are gradually differentiated and refined. The result is greater precision in the execution of the skills required to use the dog. Each skill is practiced during the training process.
A training technique is a set of sequential actions by the trainer aimed at developing a certain skill in the dog.
Each technique is practiced by the trainer in a certain sequence. First, the trainer develops an initial conditioned reflex in the dog to a command or gesture based on unconditioned stimuli. Then the initially developed conditioned reflex becomes more complex and becomes a skill. And finally, the skill developed by the dog is reinforced in the process of working in various conditions.
3. Unconditioned and conditioned stimuli used in dog training
When developing conditioned reflexes in dogs, they use unconditional And conditional irritants. The former cause the manifestation of the necessary unconditioned reflex, the latter are stimuli to which conditioned reflexes are developed.
By influencing the dog with an unconditioned stimulus, the trainer causes an unconditioned reflex (food, defensive, etc.). The use of a conditioned stimulus allows you to educate conditioned reflex.
Conditioned stimuli are, for example, commands, etc. Mechanical and food stimuli are used as the main unconditioned stimuli when training dogs according to the general course. They cause the manifestation of various reflexes that protect the animal from adverse influences (defensive reflex) or obtain food (food reflex). Mechanical and food stimuli encourage the dog to perform a certain action and reinforce the produced conditioned reflexes.
Let us dwell in some more detail on the characteristics of mechanical unconditioned stimuli, which include stroking, hand pressure, jerking with a leash, exposure to a strict collar and, as an exception, blows with a whip. The choice of the nature and strength of the mechanical stimulus during training depends on the characteristics of the technique being practiced and the characteristics of the dog’s nervous system. It is known, for example, that to reinforce the actions performed by a dog, a mechanical stimulus is used in the form of stroking. Stroking is accompanied by slight tactile irritations of the skin, causing a positive reaction in the dog (caressing, yelping, wagging the tail). But the same hand of the trainer can become an irritant that causes an unconditioned landing reflex. In this case, the trainer presses hard on the dog’s croup, which causes irritation not only of the skin, but also of the croup muscles and the occurrence of a musculocutaneous reflex. Here the mechanical stimulus has a different meaning and is associated with the manifestation of a positional reflex in the dog - sitting. Finally, the same hand of the trainer, striking the dog with a whip, causes not only musculocutaneous, but also painful irritations, which are accompanied by the manifestation of a defensive reflex in a passive form. Consequently, the nature of the impact of a mechanical stimulus is not the same in different cases, and the task of the trainer is to skillfully apply the appropriate stimulus.
It must be remembered that excessive use of high-power mechanical irritations during training causes in many dogs a long-term depressed state (state of inhibition), which is sometimes even accompanied by the manifestation of a passive-defensive reaction by the trainer. This should be avoided.
When training according to a special course (guard, protective guard, search and other services), mechanical stimuli are used to evoke an active defensive reflex in the dog (development of anger). For this purpose, a straw cord or flexible rod is recommended as an irritant, which will not cause the animal excessively painful irritation. Unconditioned food stimuli (treats) used in training include finely chopped boiled meat, bread, bread crackers, biscuits, etc. A food unconditioned stimulus, like a mechanical stimulus, is necessary in order to evoke in the dog what is initially desired by the trainer. action and reinforce the action that the dog performed at the request of the trainer. When a dog performs, for example, sitting or laying down under the influence of a food stimulus or while training it to approach on command, a treat not only causes the initial action of the dog, but also reinforces the action that it performed at the command of the trainer. In other cases, treats are used only to reinforce the dog’s actions performed under the influence of various mechanical stimuli.
When training, a treat must be given in such a way that the dog is willing to receive it, i.e., so that it shows food arousal to the treat. There are two ways to achieve this. Firstly, by conducting a lesson before feeding or two to four hours after it, and secondly, by giving treats in small pieces. In this case, you should first show the treat and, as it were, tease the dog. As a result, her food excitability will increase () and the strength of the influence of the food stimulus will increase. The treat should be given to the dog only after it has completed the required action.
The main conditioned stimuli to which certain conditioned reflexes are developed during the training process are commands and gestures. A command is a sound stimulus, which is a strictly defined word assigned to each training technique. For example, a command is used to call a dog to the trainer, a command is for boarding, a command is for protecting a thing, a command is for tracking, etc. As commands, you should choose short, clear-sounding words and avoid words that are similar to each other. Each command is a complex sound stimulus for the dog. A certain combination of sounds distinguishes one command from another.
When giving commands, intonation is also of great importance. In training, there are three intonations when using commands: commanding (usual), affectionate or encouraging, and threatening. A command in a normal or commanding intonation is pronounced quite loudly, with a touch of demand; a command in a threatening intonation is pronounced sharply, sternly and in a raised tone. It must be remembered that the importance of intonation in training is very high, since dogs have a finely developed auditory analyzer, thanks to which they can distinguish the slightest changes in tone. In accordance with this, they form conditioned reflexes to different intonations of a voice giving the same command. This allows the trainer, if necessary, to increase the impact of the command on the dog. To do this, the dog is taught to distinguish (differentiate) different intonations well. For example, when developing a conditioned reflex to a command given in a commanding intonation, the trainer pronounces the command in a normal tone and reinforces it with a gentle tug of the leash. After repeated repetition of this combination, the dog will establish a conditioned reflex and, on command, it will always walk at the trainer’s feet. If, after establishing a conditioned reflex to a command, the dog does not perform this action, then the command must be pronounced in a threatening intonation, accompanied by a stronger jerk of the leash. As a result of such reinforcement of the same command, pronounced with different intonations and accompanied by unconditioned stimuli of different strengths, the dog will learn to clearly distinguish the meaning of intonation.
An affectionate, encouraging intonation, in which an exclamation should always be uttered, is reinforced in the dog by exposure to food and tactile-skin stimuli.
The commands spoken in words and assigned to each of the training techniques cannot be changed under any circumstances. This cannot be done for two reasons. Firstly, each command is a sound stimulus, to which a certain conditioned reflex is established during the training process. The more constant and monotonous the command, the faster the necessary conditioned reflex is established on the command. Secondly, consistency and uniformity of commands is very important in cases where a trained dog is transferred to another trainer. If the dog's training was carried out correctly, then the new trainer only needs to accustom the dog to himself, and it will flawlessly follow commands.
Thus, the uniformity and consistency of commands greatly facilitates the use of dogs. Each command must be pronounced accurately, clearly, in a loud enough voice, with the correct emphasis.
When working with a dog whose conditioned reflexes to commands are sufficiently fixed, you should adhere to the following rules:
1. Initially, always use the command in an orderly, normal intonation.
2. If the dog does not perform the action, repeat the command in a threatening intonation. Secondary repetition of the command in a threatening intonation must be accompanied by the use of an unconditional stimulus (coercion). It should be remembered that repeated repetition of the same command (if the dog does not execute it), not reinforced by the corresponding unconditioned stimulus, leads to the extinction of the conditioned reflex to this command. Each action of the dog, performed at the command of the trainer, must be reinforced by giving a treat, stroking or exclamation.
As sound conditioned stimuli when training dogs, in addition to verbal commands, various sound signals are used, for example a whistle, etc. Sound signals can usually be used successfully to control your dog's actions from a distance, for example, to call a dog to the trainer.
As visual conditioned stimuli in dog training Gestures are used.
A gesture is a specific movement of the trainer’s hand, established for each technique. Most often, commands are replaced with gestures when controlling a dog from a distance, in reconnaissance or ambush, during group exercises, etc.
A gesture as a conditioned stimulus has the meaning of a command for a dog, only not of an auditory, but of a visual nature.
4. Coercion, encouragement and prohibition as the main factors of training
Coercion, encouragement and prohibition are the main training factors that ensure control of the dog’s behavior and trouble-free performance of all actions required of it.
By coercion it is customary to understand the totality of actions of the trainer, the dog to show certain reflexes. Reinforcement is a way to reinforce desired actions (conditioned reflexes - skills) in a dog. By prohibition we mean the dog stopping actions that are undesirable for the trainer.
The trainer must be able to use each of the listed factors correctly and in a timely manner.
Coercion can be used in the form of various influences on the dog's nervous system. This includes, first of all, the use of unconditioned stimuli that are more powerful than those usually used (a strong jerk with a leash, significant pressure on any part of the dog’s body, the impact of a strict collar, a blow with a whip, etc.). Using coercion as an unconditional stimulus, the trainer causes the dog to display various reflexes directly related to the instinct of self-defense.
Coercion should be used in cases where it is necessary to increase the pressure on the dog in order to achieve the desired action. For example, it must be used in the process of training most dogs of a highly excitable type when practicing a technique. In this case, coercion will be a jerk of the leash through a strict collar. Coercion is primarily one of the auxiliary influences of the trainer on the dog in cases where it is necessary to increase the influence on the dog.
It is especially important to use coercion when controlling a dog’s behavior, during the period of consolidation of skills, when the dog learns to perform skills in increasingly difficult conditions. Naturally, at this time the dog can be easily and often distracted by strong stimuli. The failure-free performance of one or another skill may also be disrupted as a result of changes in the state of the dog’s body (hunger, sexual arousal, lethargy, absence, etc.). In all cases except those described, a command given in a threatening intonation (conditional coercion) can be successfully used as coercion.
The best results can be achieved when coercion is correctly combined with encouragement, which is the basis contrast training method. In this case, coercion is used as a factor forcing the dog to perform a certain action, and encouragement (giving a treat, smoothing, exclamation) - to secure correctly performed action.
Reinforcement is a set of actions by the trainer used to reinforce the action performed by the dog. In other words, encouragement is a way of reinforcing conditioned reflexes that make up a particular skill.
As a reward, they use a treat (unconditioned food stimulus), affection - stroking the dog (tactile-skin stimulus) and, finally, an exclamation (conditioned stimulus). When initially establishing a conditioned reflex to a command and practicing most general training techniques, giving treats and smoothing the dog, always accompanied by an exclamation, are of greatest importance. As a result, the exclamation quickly acquires the meaning of a conditioned stimulus to reward the dog.
After a persistent conditioned reflex to a sound stimulus has been established, the exclamation can be used as a conditioned reward, without accompanying it with giving treats and stroking. To avoid extinction of the conditioned reflex to an exclamation, this conditioned stimulus should be periodically accompanied by unconditioned reinforcement (treats, smoothing).
Reinforcement is not limited to the use of these unconditioned and conditioned stimuli. In some special training techniques, the reward will be the satisfaction of a specific biological need of the animal.
Thus, when practicing a technique that the dog accepts on command, the reward will be to satisfy the biological need of the dog’s body to move and to demonstrate the freedom reflex.
During the development of the dog's malice and the development of defensive skills, the role of encouragement takes on the role of anger (with the permission of the trainer, the dog grabs and thrashes the attacking helper). At the same time, it is recommended to use conditional reinforcement - an exclamation.
Reward can also be used as one of the factors that induces the dog to perform some action or causes an enhanced manifestation of an already established conditioned reflex. For example, when calling a dog that is in a free state, the trainer can enhance the effect of the command by combining this command with an exclamation. This use of exclamation is of particular importance in cases where the dog exhibits, when approaching the trainer, or is in a state of consistent inhibition, which arose under the influence of a previously given command, for example a command.
Inhibition as a training factor is intended to stop the dog's unwanted actions. As a prohibition, a strong mechanical stimulus is used (a strong jerk with a leash, a strict collar, a blow with a whip) in combination with a sound stimulus (command). As a result of repeated combinations, a strong reflex is established on the command and it acquires the value of a conditioned brake. In the process of developing a conditioned reflex to the command, the use of a strong mechanical stimulus must coincide with the moment the dog performs an undesirable action. In the future, the command is used not only to suppress unwanted actions of the dog, but also to prevent them. Under no circumstances should the command be abused. Being a strong inhibitory stimulus, it can cause the phenomenon of sequential inhibition. For example, a dog may experience inhibition in their approach skills, obstacle skills, etc. if they follow a command. In addition, with frequent repetition of a command that is not reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus, its effect on the dog gradually weakens (extinction of the conditioned reflex develops). Therefore, as a rule, if it is possible to use one or another basic command, enhancing its effect on the dog with a threatening intonation, then you should avoid using the command.
Imagine such a case. The trainer is at a distance from the dog and gives a command. At this moment, some distracting stimulus appeared in front of the dog. As a result, the dog, without leaving its place, is distracted (shows an indicative reaction). What should the trainer do? He must apply not the command, but command, but in a threatening intonation. If the dog, as a result of distraction, runs towards the distracting stimulus, then a command will need to be used here.
The command must take into account all unwanted distractions and actions of the dog causing the phenomenon external braking. In this case, the click is, as it were, knocked out by a wedge, that is, the action of one stimulus is inhibited by the action of another, stronger stimulus.
5. Basic methods and techniques of training
The main tasks of the trainer are to get the dog to perform the desired action (cause the manifestation of the corresponding unconditioned reflex), as well as to develop and consolidate a conditioned reflex to a certain stimulus (sound command or gesture). To achieve this, training uses certain methods and techniques to influence the dog.
There are four main methods of training: taste-reward, mechanical, contrast, imitative.
Taste-reward training method is that the stimulus that induces the dog to perform the desired action is a food stimulus. In this case, the sight and smell of a food stimulus is used to induce the dog to perform the desired action, and the giving of a treat is used to reinforce the action performed.
The taste-reward training method is used when practicing many general and special training techniques. An ardent supporter and promoter of this method was the famous Soviet trainer V.L. Durov, who believed that training should be based on the principle of satisfying a certain biological need of the animal and, above all, the need for food.
Indeed, the taste-reward training method has a number of positive aspects. With its help, the dog quickly develops most of its conditioned reflexes. A large dog is observed in performing the skills developed in this way, contact with the trainer is strengthened, and a large dog appears.
However, along with this taste-based training method, it also has certain disadvantages. It does not ensure trouble-free execution of techniques, especially in the presence of distracting stimuli; performance of necessary actions may weaken or disappear during the period of satiety of the animal; It is impossible to develop all the necessary skills using this method alone.
The essence of the mechanical training method consists in the fact that various mechanical stimuli are used as an unconditioned stimulus, causing a protective defensive reflex in the dog (for example, the sitting reflex when pressing a hand on the dog’s croup). In this case, the mechanical stimulus not only causes the initial action in the dog (unconditioned reflex), but is also used to reinforce the conditioned reflex (smoothing). A characteristic feature of the training method under consideration is that in this case the dog performs the actions desired by the trainer under compulsion.
The positive side of the mechanical training method is that all actions are firmly fixed and are performed reliably by the dog in familiar conditions.
The negative aspects of the mechanical training method include the fact that its frequent use causes in some dogs a depressed inhibitory state and the manifestation of a distrustful attitude towards the trainer (in dogs with a passive-defensive reaction this manifests itself in the form of fear and cowardice; angry dogs try to bite the trainer). It is impossible to develop all the necessary skills using this method alone.
The mechanical method is of great importance in the process of training for some special services. Thus, dog training for guard, protective guard and search services is mainly based on the use of mechanical stimuli (movements of an assistant teasing the dog, striking, etc.). In this case, the use of this method is designed to excite a defensive reaction in the dog in an active-defensive form.
Contrast method is the main method of training service dogs. The essence of this method is a certain combination of mechanical and rewarding effects on the dog (giving treats, stroking, command). In this case, mechanical stimuli are used to induce the dog to perform desired actions, and rewarding stimuli are used to reinforce these actions. For example, to teach a dog to perform a landing using the contrast method, the trainer proceeds as follows. Holding the dog on a short leash at his left leg in a standing position, the trainer gives a command. After this, with his left hand he presses on the dog’s croup, pressing it down, and with his right hand he jerks the leash upward. After such exposure to an unconditioned mechanical stimulus, the dog lands. The trainer reinforces this action by giving treats and smoothing, as a result the dog establishes a conditioned reflex to the command.
This method of training has the advantages of taste-reward and mechanical methods.
The advantage of the contrast method; quick and persistent consolidation of conditioned reflexes to certain commands; clear and willing execution by the dog of all actions practiced by this method due to the presence of (food arousal); maintaining and strengthening contact between the trainer and the dog; failure-free execution by the dog of practiced actions in difficult conditions (in the presence of distractions, etc.).
Experience has shown that the contrast method speeds up the training process and ensures trouble-free operation of the dog in various environmental conditions. This is the main value of the contrast method.
Imitative method used in dog training as an auxiliary method. For example, with the development of viciousness and the consolidation of barking in a guard dog, the use of an angry, good-barking dog can stimulate the manifestation of viciousness in a less excitable and poor-barking dog. Practicing overcoming obstacles can also be done by imitation. This method can be especially widely used in the practice of raising puppies.
6. Processes of excitation and inhibition
Nervous activity is based on two processes - excitation and inhibition.
Excitation of certain areas of the nerve centers of the central nervous system is manifested in the corresponding actions (reflexes) of the dog. For example, when exposed to a sound stimulus, the dog listens, when a smell appears, it sniffs, etc. Most conditioned reflexes are developed in the dog during the training process based on the excitation process. These reflexes are called positive conditioned reflexes.
Inhibition is an active process of nervous activity, opposite to excitation and causing a delay in reflexes. Conditioned reflexes that are developed in a dog based on the use of the inhibitory process are called inhibitory, or negative. A striking example of such a reflex is the prohibition of unwanted actions of a dog on command.
Academician Pavlov established certain patterns in the manifestation of these processes, which are of great importance for training. These patterns are as follows. If a focus of excitation or inhibition arises in any part of the cerebral cortex, then excitation or inhibition will certainly first spread from the point of its origin, capturing neighboring areas of the cortex ( irradiation process). For example, in order to get a dog to bark, the trainer may tie it up and walk away. The departure of the trainer will greatly excite the dog (irradiation of excitement) and it will begin to bark.
Concentration The opposite phenomenon is called when excitation or inhibition, on the contrary, is concentrated in a certain area of the nervous system. Thanks to this, for example, after several repetitions, the dog learns to vocalize only on command, without side effects and general excitement.
The occurrence in the cerebral cortex of a process that is opposite in its meaning to the one that initially arose is called by induction (positive induction). For example, after a dog has been teased strongly, causing the activation of an active-defensive reflex, it can eat food more greedily, etc. But the opposite phenomenon is also possible, when the stimulation of one reflex causes inhibition of another ( negative induction). Thus, when the orienting reflex appears, the dog often stops responding to the trainer’s commands.
The trainer must always take into account the phenomenon of inhibition in the dog’s nervous activity. Braking manifests itself in a delay of one or another reflex and may be conditional, or active, and unconditional, or passive. Active inhibition occurs in dogs during the training process. The appearance of this type of inhibition primarily depends on the actions of the trainer.
The following types of active inhibition are distinguished: extinction, differentiation and delay (Fig. 24).
Rice. 24. Scheme of types of braking Extinction inhibition must be taken into account by the trainer from the very beginning of training. As already indicated, for the formation of a conditioned reflex it is necessary to reinforce the conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned one. If such reinforcement is absent or applied irregularly, then the conditioned reflex to a command or gesture may weaken and disappear. This phenomenon is called extinction of the conditioned reflex, and the inhibition itself is extinct. From here it is clear why, in order to strengthen conditioned reflexes, it is always necessary to reward the dog for correctly performed actions, and when the conditioned reflex weakens, again use the influence of the unconditioned stimulus, on the basis of which this conditioned reflex was formed.
Extinction of conditioned reflexes can occur if practical training with a dog is not carried out regularly, and also in the case when there are no training sessions with already trained dogs.
For dog training, the so-called differentiation, or discriminative, inhibition, which ensures that the dog clearly distinguishes individual conditioned stimuli and clearly performs the required actions according to commands, gestures and other signals. Just like extinction inhibition, differentiation inhibition does not arise immediately, but develops gradually. The manifestation of this type of inhibition primarily depends on the correct actions of the trainer. It is known that during the initial development of a conditioned reflex to any command (conditioned stimulus) in the dog’s nervous center (for example, in the auditory center), the excitation process predominates, which easily spreads throughout the cerebral cortex ( irradiation) and causes increased excitability. As a result, the dog's central nervous system develops process so-called generalization- generalizations of various similar stimuli, and the dog mixes these stimuli. Therefore, during initial training, many dogs make erroneous actions and confuse commands and gestures: they sit down on command, approach the trainer using a laying down gesture, etc.
To stop this phenomenon, it is necessary to use differential inhibition. To do this, all the dog’s actions that correspond to the given command must be reinforced by giving treats and exclamations, and actions that do not correspond to the given command must be left without reinforcement. As a result of such actions by the trainer, the dog will develop inhibition to all stimuli that are not directly related to this skill. The conditioned reflex to the corresponding command will become more and more strong and the dog will begin to clearly distinguish the meaning of all kinds of commands and gestures. This will be possible because in the dog’s nervous system there will be a process of concentration (concentration) of excitation to those nerve cells of the cerebral cortex that are directly related to this conditioned reflex.
It should be remembered that the speed of development of differentiation (discrimination) of various conditioned stimuli (commands) depends during training and on their correct reinforcement with such unconditioned stimuli that cause the dog to display a certain unconditioned reflex. For example, a command is reinforced by a jerk of the leash, returning the dog to the trainer’s leg, a command by excitation of an active-defensive reflex, etc. As a result, each command will be associated with a specific reflex and will acquire the meaning of a signal for the dog to perform a certain action. As a result, the dog will clearly distinguish (differentiate) the meaning of commands.
The third type of conditioned inhibition is delayed braking, which is also successfully used in dog training. This type of inhibition occurs in cases where the effect of a conditioned stimulus on a dog is not immediately accompanied by the action of an unconditioned stimulus and the latter is used for reinforcement after a certain period of time (from several seconds to several minutes). As a result of such reinforcement, the manifestation of the conditioned reflex is delayed and coincides with the onset of the unconditioned stimulus.
Delayed inhibition is the basis for developing endurance in a dog in various techniques of the general training course. The dog's self-control is an inhibitory conditioned reflex. This reflex is developed under such conditions. First, the trainer establishes a positive reflex to some command, for example, to a command in which the dog must take a certain position. As soon as this conditioned reflex is developed and the dog, at the command of the trainer, takes the required position, reinforced by encouragement, the trainer proceeds to practicing endurance. This is done as follows. The trainer pronounces a command and, after executing the command, gives the dog a treat, but not immediately, but after a few seconds, thereby forcing the sitting dog to expect to receive a treat. As a result, delayed inhibition begins to develop in the dog’s nervous system, which delays the manifestation of the food reflex for several seconds after the command is given.
Gradually, the giving of a treat or other encouragement (smoothing, exclamation) is increasingly delayed after the command is given and the endurance is increased to several minutes.
From what has been said it is clear that skillful use active braking in the process of training dogs is a very important condition that ensures stability and clarity in the development of the necessary skills.
In contrast to conditioned active inhibition, unconditional - passive inhibition does not require development, as it occurs when the dog’s nervous system is exposed to certain irritants. For example, a dog that heard a shot for the first time may experience inhibition of all motor conditioned reflexes that were set to commands and gestures. This type of braking is called external braking. The trainer most often encounters this type of inhibition in the initial period of training.
Typically, the cause of external inhibition in dogs is the orienting reflex. While exhibiting an orienting reflex, the dog is distracted (listens to an extraneous sound, sniffs intensely at an unfamiliar smell, or looks towards a new object) and does not perform the actions required of it. In most cases, the external inhibition associated with the orienting reaction is temporary and stops at the moment when the dog gets used to the new stimulus. The orienting reflex is characterized not only by the fact that it very easily arises when the dog is exposed to various stimuli that are new to it. It is also capable of easily disappearing (fading away) as soon as the dog becomes familiar with this stimulus and approaches it.
But it happens that external inhibition turns out to be more persistent. This is possible in cases where it occurs in a dog as a result of the manifestation of a passive defensive reflex. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in those young dogs that still have signs of the primary natural caution reflex (puppy cowardice). In such cases, the best way to deal with external inhibition would be to consistently and systematically familiarize the dog with surrounding stimuli, switching it to the easily fading indicative reflex.
In dogs that have reached puberty, the cause of the manifestation of external inhibition is often the sexual reflex (especially in males near an empty bitch). In this case, the bitch is a distracting stimulus that causes inhibition in the male of all reactions and reflexes that are not related to the manifestation of the sexual reflex. Here you can apply only one way of fighting: to promptly identify the empty bitch and isolate her.
Research by Academician Pavlov and his students showed that the phenomenon of external inhibition is based on the process negative induction.
External inhibition and distraction can also occur in dogs under the influence of internal stimuli. So, if the dog’s bladder is full, inhibition of all motor reflexes that are not related to the nervous center of urination may occur, and it will stop following commands. Therefore, it is very important to walk your dogs before starting practical classes.
External inhibition occurs in all cases when the dog is exposed to a stimulus of greater force than the trainer and his commands or gestures. Therefore, the trainer should always strive to have a greater impact on the dog than distracting stimuli. This is achieved not only by establishing the correct relationship between the trainer and the dog, but also by developing persistent conditioned reflexes to commands and gestures that provide control of the dog’s behavior in conditions of varying complexity.
Given this, initial training should be carried out in an environment that excludes the presence of distracting stimuli. After sufficient consolidation of all the commands necessary to control the dog’s behavior, you need to gradually complicate the training conditions by introducing stimuli. If necessary, you should skillfully use the prohibit command.
The main reason for the occurrence extreme braking is when training too much irritation of the dog’s nervous system. Such irritation can arise as a result of the action of a very strong stimulus (most often a sound one, such as a shot), as well as through the abuse of mechanical stimuli, without taking into account the individual characteristics of the animal. In this case, the dog does not comply with commands and gestures associated not only with the skill, during the development of which the trainer abused coercion, but also with other commands and gestures. This occurs as a result of irradiation - the spread of the inhibitory process from the center of its occurrence to other nerve centers.
As a result, the dog becomes depressed, lethargic, and sometimes shows distrust of the trainer and fear of him.
Excessive inhibition can also occur as a result of overstrain of the dog’s nervous system. For example, extreme inhibition often occurs during the process of practicing the technique of sampling things, if the trainer abuses the number of times the dog is sent to retrieve things during one lesson.
Extreme inhibition can also occur after prolonged training with a dog using the same training techniques. The dog will begin to show lethargy and then completely refuse to perform this action.
This point must be taken into account during the training process and be sure to diversify the skills being practiced.
Thus, in order to prevent the occurrence of excessive inhibition, you should avoid overstraining the dog’s nervous system, do not set unbearable tasks for it, and diversify the skills being practiced. If excessive inhibition occurs, you need to interrupt training with the dog for several days. During the break, its nervous system will be freed from extreme inhibition and the animal’s conditioned reflex activity will be restored.
7. Typical behavioral features of dogs
The processes of excitation and inhibition manifest themselves differently in the nervous system of dogs.
Academician Pavlov proved through his numerous studies that the difference in the behavior of dogs is determined primarily by a certain combination of the basic properties of the processes of excitation and inhibition: the strength of irritable and inhibitory nervous processes, which constantly constitute integral nervous activity; the balance of these processes; their mobility.
I. P. Pavlov established four main types of higher nervous activity (HNA): excitable - unbalanced (choleric); balanced - mobile (sanguine); balanced - calm (phlegmatic); weak (melancholic).
Excitable dogs have a strong excitation process and weakened inhibition. There is no equilibrium between these two processes and the excitation process is predominant. Dogs of this type are distinguished by great physical activity.
However, the type of higher nervous activity cannot be determined by motor activity alone. The main significance for characterizing the type of type of dogs is their conditioned reflex activity.
In dogs of the excitable type, positive conditioned reflexes are quickly formed, while inhibitory ones, on the contrary, are developed very slowly. Therefore, dogs of this type perform well all commands associated with actions based on the process of excitation, and poorly perform commands associated with the process of inhibition (for example, a prohibiting command, holding in various positions, etc.).
In dogs of the excitable type, differentiation inhibition is weakly expressed and is difficult to train. During the initial period of training, these dogs often value various commands. But it is especially difficult to achieve differentiation from them, which requires a lot of tension in the inhibitory process, for example, when selecting a thing by smell from other things, when selecting a person from a thing, when selecting the desired trace from other traces, etc. Therefore, dogs of this type are especially difficult to train for services in which good and clear differentiation is necessary (investigative, guard, minor investigative services), which should be taken into account during selection. For services where clear differentiation is not required (guard, protective guard), dogs of the excitable type are quite suitable. Moreover, in the process of training, it is possible to achieve an increase in their inhibitory process. This is achieved by regular and systematic exercises. In dogs of excitable type, endurance should be worked out gradually, as if training and accumulating - the process of inhibition. It is recommended to start exposure from 3–5 seconds, gradually increasing it to several minutes. During initial training for sampling a thing, sampling a person from a scent, etc., you should not send the dog to sample more than one or two times; the number of sends must be increased very slowly. It is possible to complicate the track by introducing extraneous tracks and angles only after the dog clearly works on a simple track. The dog's behavior is very excitable, practicing such skills as walking next to the trainer, prohibiting on command, staying in various positions.
Balanced - agile dogs type have equal strength processes of excitation and inhibition. These processes in such dogs are very mobile (excitation is easily replaced by inhibition and vice versa), depending on the stimuli acting on the dog.
Dogs of this type are distinguished by significant motor activity. They develop positive and negative conditioned reflexes easily and are quite strong; they have good differential inhibition. Dogs of the balanced - active type are the easiest to train. Their positive and negative skills are well consolidated, they are quite active in their work, and easily switch from one action to another. When training such dogs, the contrast training method gives good results. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of consistent transition from simple to complex.
In dogs of a balanced - calm type, just like in a balanced - mobile type, the processes of excitation and inhibition manifest themselves with equal force. However, unlike dogs of the previous type, the process of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system of these dogs is inactive (one nervous process is slowly replaced by another and vice versa). These dogs have reduced motor activity; positive and negative conditioned reflexes are developed slowly, but are highly persistent; Differential inhibition arises and develops gradually and always reaches great clarity. In terms of behavior, many dogs of this type seem sedentary and lethargic. They are not easy to train, but the acquired skills turn out to be very persistent. In special work, such dogs are somewhat lethargic, but they flawlessly follow commands and are very resilient. When training dogs of this type, as well as when training dogs of the excitable type, great persistence and patience are required from the trainer.
Phlegmatic dogs It is difficult to tolerate rapid changes in the processes of excitation and inhibition. Therefore, during initial training according to the general course, you should not abuse the frequent issuance of commands. It must be remembered that for such dogs it is difficult to quickly transition from one action to another and they often need to repeat the command. During the initial period of training, you should strive to ensure that there is a sufficient interval between the moment the command is pronounced and the moment when the dog begins to perform the action. Increasing the frequency of commands to perform various actions is possible only after the dog has established a strong conditioned reflex to the commands used by the trainer. Developing endurance in different positions proceeds without difficulty. They tolerate the effects of strong mechanical stimuli quite easily, so when training, the mechanical method can be successfully used. But here, too, coercion should not be abused; It is recommended to use it only in cases where the contrast method of exposure is insufficient.
For a weak type dog characterized by weakness of nervous processes of excitation and inhibition. In this regard, dogs of this type cannot tolerate high stress on the nervous system, and their nervous activity is easily disrupted.
Among this group, one should distinguish dogs in which both nervous processes, despite weakness, are distinguished by relative mobility. Conditioned reflexes in these dogs are not consistently developed, but the dogs have a fairly clear and relatively easily occurring differential inhibition.
There are dogs in which both nervous processes are not only weak, but also inactive. Conditioned reflexes in these dogs are developed slowly and unstable, and their differential inhibition is insufficient.
It should be noted that in weak-type dogs a passive defensive reaction is often observed, but it is not considered the main sign of weakness of the nervous system, since it can also manifest itself in dogs of other types of higher nervous activity. A weak type of dog is not very suitable for training and use. Given this, it is not recommended to take them into training. If such dogs are identified during the training process, they must be culled.
8. Neuroses
The relationship between the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system of dogs of various types can be pathologically disturbed. As a result, functional disturbances in the nervous activity of animals will occur, not accompanied by visible damage to the nervous system. These are the so-called neuroses.
The external manifestation of neurosis in the behavior of dogs can be different. Some dogs in a state of neurosis are characterized by increased excitability, irritability, lose self-control, do not differentiate stimuli well, and easily become aggressive even towards the trainer. Others, on the contrary, are characterized by a depressed state, accompanied by fearfulness and distrust. Even increased intonation or a sharp call from the trainer immediately causes a prolonged state of inhibition in such dogs. In some dogs, neuroses cause a tendency to be inactive and, as a result, they almost do not perceive commands and other influences from the trainer.
Neuroses can occur in dogs as a result of overstrain of the nervous system. Overstrain of the excitation process most often occurs when the dog’s nervous system is exposed to super-strong stimuli, for example, strong sound stimuli (gunshots, explosions), if the dog has not been previously and consistently accustomed to them; as a result of abuse of coercion, etc.
Overstrain of the inhibitory process easily occurs after difficult subtle differentiations, in cases where the dog is sent to select things from many other things with a similar odor, or after working on a scent in the presence of a large number of intersecting tracks.
Neuroses can also arise as a result of a sharp change in the processes of excitation and inhibition. An example of this would be the case when the trainer forces the dog to either detain the runaway and grab him, or stop gripping. The rapid replacement of a strong inhibitory stimulus by an equally strong stimulus in this situation seems to pit the processes of inhibition and excitation against each other. A dog that is not sufficiently prepared for this may experience a breakdown in nervous activity.
In some dogs, neuroses occur frequently, in others they can hardly be induced even in an experimental setting. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the statement of I.P. Pavlov, who proved that the occurrence of neuroses depends on what type of higher nervous activity a given animal belongs to. Indeed, neuroses easily arise in dogs of extreme types - excitable and weak, and are more persistent in them. Dogs of a balanced type are resistant to neuroses.
To cure neurosis, it is recommended to temporarily stop exercising with the dog. Sometimes, for the same purpose, it is useful to transfer a sick dog to another trainer, change the conditions and place of training, and use medicinal agents (bromine, caffeine).
9. External factors that make working with a dog easier and more difficult
Dogs are trained and used in a variety of environmental conditions; Some of them make working with a dog easier, others make it more difficult. Environmental conditions include time of day, temperature, wind, soil cover, terrain, humidity, etc.
The most favorable time of day for working with a dog is early in the morning, when the dog is full of energy after a night's rest. In addition, early in the morning the number of distracting stimuli (strangers, animals, etc.) is not so large. The freshness of the atmosphere is also of certain importance. It is also recommended to train your dog in the evening. During the daytime hours in the hot summer, you can only work with a dog that has been gradually accustomed to working in such conditions.
Initially, training and training dogs should be done during daylight hours. This provides good control over the dog. An exception is the training of guard and guard dogs, since the dog’s alertness and protective reflexes always increase in the dark.
High and low temperatures have a great influence on the dog's body, and heat has a more negative effect on the dog's body than cold (without drafts and wind). The dog's body must be gradually adapted to high and low temperatures. Therefore, training and training dogs should begin at a temperature of 12–15° warm and not lower than 10° cold. Gradually you can move on to training at higher and lower temperatures (at 25° heat and 20° cold).
Working with a dog is significantly influenced by the direction of the wind (tailwind, headwind, side, corner) and the strength of the wind. For example, when there is a headwind, you need to quietly pronounce sound commands. This wind is favorable for the work of guard and guard dogs, as it makes it easier for them to perceive sounds and smells.
The direction and strength of the wind are extremely important for the dog's work on the scent, since the time during which the scent remains on the scent is inversely proportional to the strength of the wind. In strong winds, odor molecules quickly evaporate from the trail. With a crosswind, the odor molecules move away from the track, which leads the dog astray. A headwind forces the animal to switch to the upper sense, which also reduces the quality of work. Therefore, a tailwind is most favorable for tracking: it shifts the scent only towards the trail, which encourages the dog to use its lower sense.
It is best for a dog to follow a trail that is laid on meadow soil, especially if it is covered with dew. It will be most difficult for her to work during the day on a dusty road.
Flat terrain makes it easier to control and work the dog; strongly crossed - complicates the dog’s work.
The presence of vegetation in some cases favors the dog’s work, in others it hinders it. Odor molecules last longer on well-developed low grass cover. This makes it easier for the dog to follow the scent. Too thick tall grass and thick bushes make it difficult for the dog to move and cause it to tire more quickly. In addition, in the grass there are plants with an intoxicating odor (ledum, etc.), and, as is known, this negatively affects the higher nervous activity of the dog. Small, sparse bushes, on the contrary, contribute to the development of the dog’s search activity.
Working on very rough terrain helps develop the dog's activity, but quickly causes fatigue. Therefore, the first stages of training for the search service and the service of carrying light loads are best carried out on level ground.
Conducting dog training in populated areas always makes the work more difficult due to the presence of a large number of distracting stimuli. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually accustom the dog to such difficult conditions.
High humidity and high saturation of the air or soil with water vapor (water) contribute to the long-term preservation of the scent, and this makes the dog’s tracking work easier. Excessive humidity and rain negatively affect dogs' performance; heavy rain, for example, immediately washes away the scent of the trail.
Tracking work, the movement of a dog carrying light loads and a dog towing a skier are difficult in the presence of deep snow or thin ice crust.
The most favorable time of year for training dogs in the northern and middle regions of the USSR is the period from late April to October. However, training can be done at any time of the year; You should only avoid starting exercise in the heat.
In order to avoid the negative influence of unfavorably acting external factors, during the training process you must strictly adhere to the principle of sequential introduction of complications. For example, start classes on general techniques in a familiar environment for the dog or in conditions that provide the least amount of distracting stimuli; Work on the trail should first be carried out over a short distance, always under favorable conditions (flat terrain, tailwind, etc.). As the dog is trained, the conditions in which it works must be gradually and consistently complicated by introducing distracting stimuli and complicating the skills being practiced (increasing the running distance for a dog that carries light loads, increasing the duration of the trail and its length for a search dog, etc. ). If the dog refuses to work in difficult conditions, it is necessary to ease them somewhat.
In addition to external factors, the training of a dog is also influenced by biological factors operating in the animal’s body itself. Therefore, the general condition of the dog is very important. Any deviation from normal behavior is characterized as an abnormal condition that complicates and complicates the dog’s work.
Deviations from normal behavior can be expressed in a decrease or increase in excitability. In the first case, the dog becomes lethargic, inactive, and does not perceive commands and gestures well. The cause of this is most often some kind of disease. With general increased excitability, dogs show anxiety, excessive fussiness, and do not clearly follow commands (impaired differentiation). This phenomenon is especially often observed in females during estrus, in males during sexual arousal, and also in very hungry dogs. Having noticed abnormalities in the behavior of an animal, the trainer must find out the reasons that caused them and eliminate them. A trainer who knows his dog well will easily notice the slightest deviations from its normal state and take the necessary measures in a timely manner.
10. The trainer and his influence on the dog
During the training process, the main factor influencing the dog’s behavior is the trainer himself, who selects and applies in the right order certain stimuli that evoke the desired reflexes in the animal. From this it is clear that the dog’s success mainly depends on how the trainer behaves with it and on the level of his training.
First of all, the trainer must have a certain theoretical background - know the basic provisions and principles of training. This will allow you to quickly solve problems that arise in your work, take into account the individual characteristics of the dog, correctly select the desired training method and methods for developing individual skills, correctly apply coercion, encouragement, prohibitions, etc. Only a theoretically trained trainer will be able to avoid patterns in work.
The actions of the trainer must always be based on practical experience: for a novice trainer - based on the experience of instructors and the best trainers, for a trainer who has already worked with dogs - based on his own practice. Imitation of novice trainers by more experienced ones is an important factor in which technical training skills are well acquired. This is why one of the effective ways to teach dog training is through demonstration.
While working with a dog, the trainer must understand its behavior well, and for this he needs to be aware of all his actions, think through their nature and sequence in advance. The slightest changes in decisions made during the training process must be strictly justified. As a rule, it is necessary to steadfastly and persistently adhere to the decision made, ensuring that the animal completes the intended task. Throughout the training with the dog, the trainer must constantly be aware of the successes achieved and mistakes made, in order to further use the positive experience and successfully eliminate shortcomings.
For training, the so-called “interest” of the dog in work is very important - its active reaction to human influences (willing execution of commands, quick reaction to any stimuli). a dog is a very favorable factor for working with it. Therefore, maintaining this condition should be a matter of special concern for the trainer. In order for the dog not to lose weight, the trainer must constantly diversify his working methods and choose a method that does not overtire the animal.
Each trainer should strive to cultivate certain character traits that contribute to successful work. First of all, he must be observant, always see how the dog perceives his influences, how he relates to him and various phenomena in the environment.
The trainer needs endurance. Without this quality, he will not be able to cope with work that requires great patience and self-control. Haste or lack of restraint can easily ruin the results of many days’ work in this case.
Such qualities as love for animals and courage are also very important for a trainer. If the trainer does not like the dog, then training with it will seem uninteresting and boring to him. A sensitive and attentive attitude towards the dog, the desire to monitor its every action will turn the trainer’s work into a very exciting activity. After all, training is not a craft, but an art that requires great love.
One of the decisive conditions for the success of training is the correct relationship between the trainer and the dog. Such relationships develop throughout the entire practical training course, during the development of the entire system of conditioned reflexes in the dog. In this case, the general training course is of particular importance, during which the dog develops skills that subordinate its behavior to the trainer.
The correct attitude of a dog towards the trainer is characterized by its good obedience, trusting attitude towards the trainer, and lack of fear of the trainer.
The trainer is a complex, complex stimulus for the dog. He influences her primarily with his appearance (shape of clothing, height, character of movements, voice, facial expression and, finally, individual smell). All the qualitative characteristics of its trainer, which distinguish it from other people, are well and firmly established by the dog even during the period of its training.
11. Possible mistakes of the trainer
The trainer's mistakes while working with the dog may be due to his poor theoretical training, lack of practical experience and lack of analysis of the work process.
The most common mistake is misunderstanding the dog’s behavior and its actions. As a result, the trainer attributes to the dog the ability to consciously understand human speech, be conscious of his actions, etc. Such a trainer, along with using commands, begins to talk to the dog, persuades it to perform this or that technique, and even threatens it.
Such actions make it difficult to develop conditioned reflexes to the corresponding command, since the sounds of the command are mixed with other sounds (words). In addition, extraneous sound stimuli cause distraction (orienting reaction) in the dog, which inhibits the implementation of training techniques.
Another error often occurs. Let’s say that while walking without a leash, the dog was distracted by an extraneous irritant (cat, bird, another dog) and did not immediately come to the trainer’s call. To punish the dog, the trainer strikes it several times with a leash: at the moment when the dog approaches him. In the future, the dog’s approach to such a trainer will not improve, but will worsen. This will happen because the trainer has violated the basic principle of developing a conditioned reflex. The development of a conditioned reflex to a command is based, as is known, on the food reflex. Receiving a treat when approaching the trainer, the dog willingly follows this command. If, when the dog approaches, the trainer hits it, this will cause a defensive reflex, and in the future the dog will approach the trainer. In addition, she forms an unwanted connection with the leash: when she sees the leash in the hands of the trainer, she will take it.
To avoid mistakes, the trainer must study the behavior of his dog on a daily basis, find out the conditions that affect him and disrupt his work; know exactly the type of its higher nervous activity and the predominant reaction. Only with such an individual approach will training bring good results. Otherwise, it will not only have no effect, but may also spoil the dog.
As is known, the main condition for the development of a conditioned reflex is the sequential combination of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. In this case, the conditioned stimulus (commands) must precede the action of the unconditioned stimulus or act simultaneously with it.
The use of a conditioned stimulus after an unconditioned stimulus makes it very difficult to develop a conditioned reflex. If, for example, when practicing the movement of a dog at the trainer’s foot, a jerk of the leash is used before the command is given, then a conditioned reflex to the command is not developed.
A very serious mistake by a trainer is the abuse of one or another command. Having not developed a strong conditioned reflex to the command, the trainer repeats it many times without using the necessary unconditioned stimulus. This causes the dog to gradually weaken (extinct) the conditioned reflex to the command and does not allow him to achieve trouble-free and precise execution of the skill.
Unfortunately, it also happens that trainers underestimate the meaning of intonation and give all commands in the same intonation. Because of this, they lose the opportunity to use voice intonation as a very important auxiliary stimulus that enhances the effect of the command. A command, as a rule, should be given in a commanding intonation, and a threatening intonation should be used only to enhance the effect of the command. In no case should you overuse the frequent use of threatening intonation, as the dog will stop responding to it. But you should not allow an overly affectionate, undemanding attitude towards the dog: this will lead it out of subordination to the trainer.
When using treats to reward the dog for actions performed on command, one should not forget to stroke and exclamation in a gentle intonation. This will allow you to gradually limit the giving of treats and increasingly use encouragement in the form of stroking and exclamation.
A very significant mistake is the abuse of the prohibit command. It must be remembered that the command should be the most powerful conditioned inhibitory stimulus for the dog, stopping any unwanted actions. Frequent use of a command without reinforcement by an unconditioned stimulus will lead to a weakening (extinction) of the conditioned reflex to this command. Excessively frequent use of a command reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus (a strong jerk of the leash, a tight collar, a blow with a whip) will cause the inhibition process to irradiate in the dog’s nervous system. As a result, the dog will develop a long-term depressed state, which will inhibit the manifestation of all skills and disrupt the correct contact between the trainer and the dog.
Therefore, where possible, it is recommended to use any other appropriate command in place of the command. Let's illustrate this with an example. Let’s assume that during a general training course, a dog, distracted by an extraneous stimulus, tries to independently change its body position (stand up from a sitting or laying position, run towards the stimulus that attracts it). What should the trainer do in these cases? He must use a command that corresponds to the action the dog is trying to avoid or change.
One of the biggest mistakes of a trainer is excessive haste in training and, as a result, unclear practice and consolidation of skills. As a result, the dog does not develop stable conditioned reflexes to the command and the trainer is not able to control its behavior (especially in difficult conditions) and successfully carry out further work.
Experience shows that skills learned in a dog cannot be repeated in the same sequence. Otherwise, the dog will form a strong conditioned reflex connection to a certain system of actions (stereotype) and the dog will no longer obey the trainer.
If, for example, you constantly let a dog overcome obstacles in the same sequence, then it will firmly follow this sequence and will overcome all the obstacles one after another, without stopping in front of each of them.
As a result of erroneous actions of the trainer and his incorrect approach to the dog, its higher nervous activity may be disrupted. During the training process, these disorders most often manifest themselves in dogs in the form of neuroses and unwanted relationships (see previous text).
Unlike the neuroses described in the book, an unwanted relationship cannot be considered as a pathological state of nervous activity. Unwanted communication- this is a conditioned reflex that arose in the dog, in addition to the desire of the trainer, as a result of mistakes he made. Unwanted connections have a very harmful effect on working with a dog: they make training difficult, and in the future create great obstacles during the service use of dogs.
Let's look at the causes of the most common unwanted relationships in dogs.
When training according to the general course, it is necessary to accustom the dog to clearly perform all actions separately according to commands and gestures. Accustoming to gestures is most often carried out on the basis of previously established sound commands. But such a combination of commands and gestures should only happen at the beginning of training. Then sound commands and gestures should be used separately. However, many novice trainers have been combining gestures with sound commands for a long time. Naturally, later, when the command and gesture need to be used separately, the dog will refuse to carry them out. This will happen because she forms an unwanted connection to perform actions only in response to a complex stimulus (sound command plus gesture).
If, with the development of viciousness in dogs, helpers are always dressed in training robes, then the dog will develop an unwanted connection to robes: it will only attack people wearing training robes and chase only them.
In cases where practical training is carried out for a long time in the same environment, the dog develops an unwanted connection to the environment. As a result, in a different environment, in a new place for it, the dog will refuse to comply with the trainer’s demands.
To avoid the occurrence of unwanted connections in a dog, the trainer must carefully analyze all the techniques and influences used; change the classroom environment in which the unwanted connection arose and eliminate the irritants that caused it; stop practical training with the dog using certain techniques until the conditioned reflex to the unwanted connection fades.
Biology test Higher nervous activity of humans for 8th grade students with answers. The test consists of 2 options. In the first version there are 21 tasks, in the second - 20 tasks.
1 option
1. Which of the following reflexes is unconditioned?
2. If in a room where a dog develops a salivary reflex to the light bulb turning on, the receiver suddenly turns on, then its sound...
3. A conditioned reflex will be strong if the conditioned stimulus...
A. Constantly reinforce unconditionally
B. Reinforce unconditionally irregularly
B. Do not reinforce unconditionally
D. Either reinforce unconditionally, or not reinforce for a long time
4. What sign is characteristic of an unconditioned reflex?
B. Not inherited
D. Produced in each individual of the species
5. Higher nervous activity includes
A. Mental, speech activity and memory
B. Group of orientation reflexes
B. Instincts
D. Reflexes that provide organic needs (hunger, thirst, etc.)
6. What is a need?
A. A complex complex of adaptive motor acts aimed at satisfying the body’s needs
B. The need for something necessary to maintain the life and development of the organism
B. The inner world of man
D. The main form of activity of the nervous system
7. What form of higher nervous activity is characteristic of humans?
A. Conditioned reflexes
B. Unconditioned reflexes
B. Thinking
D. Elementary rationality
8. Made a great contribution to the doctrine of higher nervous activity
A.I.I. Mechnikov
B.I.P. Pavlov
V. Louis Pasteur
G.N.A. Semashko
9.
B. Doesn’t change at all
10. Instinct is
A. Genetically fixed behavior
B. Lifetime experience
B. Behavior resulting from goal-directed learning
11. What, according to I.P. Pavlov, is an extraordinary addition to the mechanisms of brain function?
A. Rational activity
B. Emotions
B. Speech
12. First signaling system
13. The most important function of speech is
A. Generalization and abstract thinking
B. Identification of specific examples
B. Expressing emotions
14.
A. NREM sleep
B. REM sleep
B. In both cases
15. Cat grooming kittens is
A. Conditioned reflex
B. Complex chain of unconditioned reflexes
B. Combination of skills and unconditioned reflexes
16. Concentration of consciousness on a particular type of activity or object
A. Emotions
B. Attention
B. Memory
17. Which form of inhibition is inherited?
A. External
B. Internal
B. There are no such things
18. What can't be seen in dreams?
A. Past
B. Present
To the future
19. How does a conditioned reflex differ from an unconditioned reflex?
20. What importance does sleep have for the body?
21. How does human thinking differ from the rational activity of animals?
Option 2
1. Which of the following reflexes is conditioned?
A. Salivation when showing food
B. The dog's reaction to the owner's voice
B. Pulling your hand away from a hot object
2. If a dog develops a conditioned salivary reflex to the lighting of an electric light bulb, then food in this case...
A. Is a conditioned stimulus
B. Is an indifferent stimulus
B. Is an unconditioned stimulus
D. Causes inhibition of the reflex
3. What forms of higher nervous activity are observed in animals?
A. Only unconditioned and conditioned reflexes
B. Unconditioned and conditioned reflexes and elementary rational activity
B. Thinking
D. Only elementary rational activity
4. Conditioned reflex…
A. Characteristic of all individuals of a given species
B. Acquired during life
B. Passed on by inheritance
D. Is congenital
5. Which form of higher nervous activity correlates with the ability to solve mathematical problems?
A. Conditioned reflexes
B. Unconditioned reflexes
B. Abstract thinking
D. Elementary rational activity
6. In the room where the dog develops a salivary reflex to the light bulb, the radio is constantly on. In this case, the radio acts as...
A. Conditioned stimulus
B. Indifferent stimulus
B. Unconditioned stimulus
D. Factor that causes inhibition of the reflex
7. During REM sleep
A. Temperature decreases
B. Breathing slows down
B. There is movement of the eyeballs under closed eyelids
D. Blood pressure decreases
8. The body's response to irritation of receptors with the participation and control of the nervous system is called
A. Humoral regulation
B. Reflex
B. Automaticity
D. Conscious activity
9. Brain activity during sleep
A. Stops for the entire duration of sleep
B. Stops during slow-wave sleep
B. Doesn’t change at all
D. Rebuilds, changing cyclically throughout sleep
10. A car suddenly drove by at high speed right in front of the student. He stopped dead in his tracks. Why?
A. External braking activated
B. The conditioned reflex worked
B. Internal braking has activated
11. Second signaling system
A. Analyzes sign signals coming in the form of symbols (words, signs, images)
B. Analyzes signals coming from the external environment
B. Analyzes both types of signals
12. Reasonable activity is...
A. The highest form of adaptation to environmental conditions
B. Ability to speak
B. Ability to use tools
13. Dreams occur during
A. NREM sleep
B. REM sleep
B. In both cases
14. A person falls asleep
A. Only reflexively
B. Under the influence of humoral processes
B. Under the influence of humoral and reflex processes
15. Who was the first to explain the reflex principle of the brain?
A.I.P. Pavlov
B.A.A. Ukhtomsky
V.I.M. Sechenov
G.P.I. Anokhin
16. What I.P. What did Pavlov mean by the name “signals of signals”?
A. First signaling system
B. Second signaling system
B. Reflex
17. Experiences in which people's relationships to the world around them and to themselves are manifested are called
A. Training
B. Memory
B. Emotions
18. What is the biological significance of inhibition of conditioned reflexes?
19. What is more difficult to develop: knowledge, skills or abilities?
20. What is another name for a chain of conditioned reflexes?
Answers to the test in biology Higher nervous activity of man
1 option
1-B
2-G
3-A
4-A
5-A
6-B
7-B
8-B
9-G
10-A
11-B
12-V
13-A
14-A
15-B
16-B
17-B
18-B
19. Unconditioned reflexes are inherited, and conditioned reflexes are developed after birth during life
20. Rest of the brain, active restructuring of its work, necessary for organizing the information received during wakefulness
21. Thinking is a way, based on known knowledge, to obtain new information and generalize known facts. Rational activity is the highest form of adaptation to environmental conditions
Option 2
1-B
2-B
3-B
4-B
5-V
6-G
7-B
8-B
9-G
10-A
11-A
12-A
13-B
14-V
15-V
16-B
17-B
18. Allows you to adapt to specific living conditions
19. Skill
20. Dynamic stereotype
Conditional (signal) are called stimuli that cause the manifestation of a conditioned reflex. When training dogs, auditory (commands), visual (gestures), olfactory, etc. stimuli are used as conditioned stimuli.
A conditioned stimulus can be time, the dog's posture, a certain environment, etc. For example, if you constantly train a dog to follow scent trails early in the morning, then it will work worse during the day. Another example. If the trainer reinforces commands and gestures with treats at the beginning of classes, and stops doing this towards the end of classes, then a conditioned connection is formed for a while. At the beginning of the training, the dog will work actively, and as soon as the trainer stops giving treats, the activity in the work will sharply decrease. One more example. Usually the dog is taught to bark at the “Voice” command in a sitting position. Subsequently, when such a reflex is developed, the dog, hearing the command “Voice”, first sits down and then barks. For her, the pose, along with the command, also became a conditioned stimulus. If the skill of giving voice is developed only in one particular room or place, then the dog will not carry out this command in another room. In this case, the situation became a conditioned stimulus. At the same time, facial expressions, voice intonation, posture and pace of movements of the trainer can become conditioned stimuli. A person's knitted eyebrows, his cry, or a sharp tilt of the body lead the dog into confusion, since these signals are associated with painful effects.
Rice. 53. Diagram of the main features of a verbal command
The trainer also uses conditioned stimuli to control the dog’s actions at a distance, which is sometimes necessary when using the dog for service.
Teams. They are used as conditioned stimuli. A command is a complex of sounds; The dog distinguishes one command from another by a different combination of sounds and their different numbers. Changed or distorted commands do not cause a response from the dog. For example, if a dog is trained to approach the trainer on the command “Come to me,” then it will not respond to the command “Come here.” If a trainer, when training a dog, distorts the command, talks idle talk, or persuades the dog, then this only distracts it and harms the training.
For a dog, a word is a complex of sounds, a sound stimulus. For a person, a word is a concept.
The command is not a simple one, but a complex stimulus, since the dog is able to distinguish not only combinations of sounds, but also the intonation of the command. If the command in a normal tone is not reinforced with a treat, but reinforced in an order tone, then the reflex will manifest itself only in response to an order tone.
The trainer, depending on the purpose and working conditions, uses commands in commanding, threatening and ordinary intonations (Fig. 53).
Command intonation is used when developing a wide variety of skills in a dog. The command is pronounced persistently, confidently and is reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus (food, jerk of the leash). The command volume is average.
Threatening intonation is used to enhance the action of a command in cases of coercion and prohibition, as well as in cases where the dog does not respond to a command pronounced in a commanding intonation and for which a conditioned reflex has already been developed. The command is pronounced sharply, in a raised tone and is reinforced by a stronger painful effect than with command intonation (sharp jerk, strong pressure, etc.). The basis for developing a conditioned reflex to a command in a threatening intonation is a painful stimulus. The prohibiting command “Fu” is used in a threatening intonation. It is given loudly, sharply and reinforced by a blow from a rod, a sharp jerk, pressure, etc. This command stops any action of the dog that is undesirable for the trainer. But you should not overuse threatening intonations, as this often leads to the development of cowardice in the dog and makes it difficult to train.
Normal intonation is used for very sensitive dogs or in order to approve her actions. The encouragement “Good” is pronounced in an approving intonation. The word is pronounced quietly, affectionately.
Commands should be short, clear, and standard. They cannot be changed (“Fetch”, but not “Bring an item”). You should also take into account the behavior of the dog at various intonations. For example, in some dogs, threatening intonation causes a passive defensive reaction, which makes it difficult to develop conditioned reflexes. In such cases, a slightly elevated tone of command intonation will serve as a threatening intonation.
Gestures. They are used to develop skills for silent control of a dog when used in service. Using gestures, the trainer influences the dog at a distance, indicates to it the direction of movement when searching for and bringing objects, when searching premises, terrain, etc. Skills for a gesture (visual signal) are usually developed after firmly mastering this skill for a verbal command.
Gestures, like commands, should be given in a standard and clear manner.
Odor irritants. A dog's sense of smell plays an extremely important role. With its help, the dog recognizes its owner, searches for food, tracks game, and escapes from enemies. The sense of smell plays an important role in sexual instincts and in assessing the quality of food. The high sensitivity of the sense of smell makes it possible to use a trained dog to search for a person using invisible scent tracks of a long time ago, in difficult conditions and over long distances. This property is due to the animal’s ability to retain a perceived specific odor in memory and, in case of loss, to find it by comparing the immediate sensation with the remembered odor. Each person has an individual smell, by which a dog can easily distinguish him from another. The smell of sweat, sebum and epidermis forms a complex called the individual smell of a person.
In addition to the individual, a person is a source of other odors: shoes, soap, tobacco, perfumes, housing, odors associated with the profession, etc. But in this complex complex, the most persistent is the individual odor. By moving, a person scatters odor particles that make up an odor trail. It is accompanied by the smells of soil cover, plants, crushed small insects, etc.
The smell given to the dog to search is a signal for it to find the source of the smell. Therefore, during training for the search service, the dog must complete the search by attacking and fighting the wanted person.
The degree of sensitivity of a dog’s sense of smell can vary depending on a number of reasons (fatigue, illness, prolonged exposure to odors, etc.).
Searching for criminals using scent trails, searching premises and areas of the area, selecting a person based on a given smell and other tasks can only be successfully performed by a dog with a well-trained sense of smell during the process of raising and training.
The sense of smell in dogs serves not only to search for food, but also to navigate the environment and communicate with their own kind. To excite the olfactory receptor, it is enough for a few molecules of an odorous substance to act on it.
DOG TRAINING METHODS
Dog training is carried out using various methods. A training method is understood as a set of methods and techniques by which the trained dog develops conditioned reflexes.
When training dogs, four main methods are used: mechanical, taste reward, contrast and imitative.
Mechanical method. With this method, the conditioned stimulus is reinforced mechanically (pressure, tugging on the leash, hitting with a rod). For example, the command “Sit” is accompanied by hand pressure in the dog’s sacral area and a slight pull of the leash up and back.
Many, but not all, reflexes can be developed using the mechanical method. For example, it is impossible to develop the skills of selecting objects by smell using this method. In addition, mechanical influences often cause the dog to fear the trainer and become depressed. Therefore, the trainer must skillfully use the mechanical method, avoid frequent and prolonged painful effects, and take into account the individual characteristics of the dog’s behavior.
Taste-encouraging method. With this method, the conditioned stimulus is reinforced by giving the dog a treat. For example, the command “Come to me” is accompanied by showing the dog a treat, and when the dog approaches, the trainer gives it to the dog. The taste reward method is used to develop general and special skills in dogs.
Understanding the root cause of any animal behavior means answering the question: what need caused it. For example, a hungry animal will have a different attitude towards food than a well-fed one.
Reinforcement is used regularly or occasionally (probable reinforcement). To maintain an already developed skill (behavior) at a certain level of reliability, you should stop regular reinforcements and switch to episodic, random reinforcements in an unpredictable order, but with a certain probability. With probable reinforcement (50 percent), some conditioned reflexes are developed faster than with 100 percent reinforcement, which is associated with emotional arousal, which reaches its maximum in this particular situation.
Anything that affects a dog’s sense organs (receptors) and causes sensations is called irritants.
Environmental conditions act on the dog’s body primarily as irritants. Changes in external conditions (new illumination, humidity and air temperature, new surroundings, etc.) cause certain divisions within the body, which, in turn, lead to changes in the external behavior of the animal.
The action of conditioned stimuli can influence not only external behavior, appearance and the state of internal organs, for example, the command “Face!” the dog becomes excited, the work of its heart, lungs, muscles, etc. increases.
Internal stimuli also have a strong influence on the dog’s behavior: lack of nutrients and muzzle causes the dog to reflexes to search for food and water. Sexual arousal makes her fussy and restless.
Strong or unusual new stimuli that cause a change in the dog's behavior and distract him from working on signals from the trainer are called distracting stimuli. For example, a dog following a person's scent trail, seeing a hare, can rush after him, leaving work on the trail. This distraction (inhibition) occurred due to the emergence of a stronger new reflex.
External distractions - these are, first of all, animals, birds, the noise and roar of transport, people strangers to the dog, etc. It is necessary to teach the dog not to react to them. The better a dog’s skills are developed, the less distracted he is by external stimuli. Internal distracting stimuli include pain as a result of illness, severe fatigue, fullness of the bladder and rectum, etc. These stimuli will always slow down (unquenchable inhibition) the dog’s normal work. Therefore, the trainer needs to remember their influence and take timely measures to eliminate them.
During training, the dog is exposed to the following external stimuli:
1) sound (verbal commands, whistle, sound of a shot, etc.);
2) light or visual (hand gestures, trainer’s posture, shape and size of objects, clothing, etc.);
3) food (meat, sugar, bread, cheese, etc.);
4) mechanical (jerk jerk, hand pressure, blow with a rod, etc.);
5) olfactory (individual human smell, food smell, etc.).
Along with this, the trainer and his assistant are complex stimuli for the dog. During the training process, the dog is also exposed to stimuli from the environment in which the trainer works with the dog: various noises, objects, movement of other animals, vehicles, etc.
Stimuli used in training can be conditioned and unconditioned.
Unconditioned stimuli:
Unconditioned stimuli are those that cause the manifestation of an unconditioned reflex. When training dogs, among the unconditioned ones, food and mechanical stimuli are most often used.
Food irritants. They can be pieces of meat, sometimes sugar, bread, cheese. A food stimulus is used to reinforce the action of the conditioned stimulus. For example, they pronounce the dog’s name and immediately give it a piece of meat, or say the command “Sit!”, press with your hand in the lumbar region and, as soon as the dog sits down, give it a piece of meat. In the same way, food is used to train dogs to overcome obstacles, to approach the trainer, to evoke a vocal reaction (for), etc.
In order for the food stimulus to act strongly enough, the dog must be trained before feeding, or 3-4 hours after it. Pieces of meat (delicacy) should be “the same size, medium in size. Small pieces are a mild irritant, but large pieces quickly saturate the dog, and he begins to work sluggishly. Usually giving a treat is combined with the exclamation “Good!” and stroking the dog, which leads to the formation of a conditioned reflex to these stimuli. When the dog’s skills have been developed, the treat is given less frequently and is replaced with the reward “Good!” and stroking.
Mechanical irritants. The trainer carries out mechanical effects on the dog’s skin in various ways: strikes with a rod or whip; presses with his hand on certain parts of the body (lower back, withers, etc.) or strokes the dog; influences with a strict collar; influences with a leash (jerk, pull).
The trainer, using mechanical stimuli, causes the necessary movements in the dog, thereby subordinating its behavior to his goals. But you should take into account the strength of the stimulus and the characteristics of the dog so that it is not afraid of the trainer and does not try to bite him.
If an assistant trainer uses mechanical stimuli, he should strive to evoke only an active defensive reaction in the dog. In all cases, the dog must advance and the assistant trainer must retreat. Only under these conditions will she develop anger, courage and a distrustful attitude towards strangers. A mechanical stimulus such as stroking a dog in combination with giving a treat is useful for training, since it not only leads to the formation of a conditioned food reflex, but also strengthens the dog’s attachment to the trainer.
Mechanical defensive stimuli should be used less frequently than food ones.
Conditioned stimuli:
Conditional (signal) are stimuli that cause the manifestation of a conditioned reflex. When training dogs, auditory (commands), visual (gestures), olfactory, etc. stimuli are used as conditioned stimuli.
Conditioned stimulus
it may be time, the dog’s posture, a certain environment, etc. For example, if you constantly train a dog to work on scent trails early in the morning, then it will work worse during the daytime. Another example. If the trainer reinforces commands and gestures with treats at the beginning of classes, and stops doing this towards the end of classes, then a conditioned connection is formed for a while. At the beginning of the training, the dog will work actively, and as soon as the trainer stops giving treats, the activity in the work will sharply decrease. One more example. Usually the dog is trained to bark at the command “Voice!” in a sitting position. Subsequently, when such a reflex is developed, the dog, hearing the command “Voice!”, first sits down and then barks. For her, the pose, along with the command, also became a conditioned stimulus. If the skill of giving voice is developed only in one particular room or place, then the dog will not carry out this command in another room. In this case, the situation became a conditioned stimulus. Along with this, facial expressions, voice intonation, posture and pace of movements of the trainer can become conditioned stimuli. The furrowed eyebrows of a person, his cry, or a sharp tilt of the body lead the dog into confusion, since these signals are associated with pain.
influences.
Teams. They are used as conditioned stimuli. A command is a complex of sounds; The dog distinguishes one command from another by a different combination of sounds and their different numbers. Changed or distorted commands do not cause a response from the dog. For example, if a dog is trained to approach the trainer on the command “Come to me!”, then to the command “Come here!” she won't fit. If a trainer, when training a dog, distorts commands, talks idle talk, and persuades the dog, then this only distracts the dog and interferes with training.
The command is not a simple one, but a complex stimulus, since the dog is able to distinguish not only a combination of sounds, but also the intonation of the command. If the command in a normal tone is not reinforced with a treat, but reinforced in an order tone, then the reflex will manifest itself only in response to an order tone.
The trainer, depending on the purpose and working conditions, uses commands in commanding, threatening and normal intonation:
Command - complex sound stimulus (conditioned)
Intonation(orderly, confident, threatening)
1. Persistent and confident.
2. Affectionate, approving.
3. Coercive, prohibitive.
Command intonation It is used to develop a wide variety of skills in dogs. The command is pronounced persistently, confidently and is reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus (food, jerk of the leash). The command volume is average.
Threatening intonation used to enhance the action of a command, in cases of coercion and prohibition, as well as in cases where the dog does not respond to a command pronounced in a commanding intonation and for which a conditioned reflex has already been developed. The command is pronounced sharply, in a raised tone, and is supported by a stronger painful effect than with command intonation (sharp jerk, strong pressure, etc.). The basis for developing a conditioned reflex to a command in a threatening intonation is a painful stimulus.
In a threatening intonation, the prohibiting command “Fu!” is used. It is given loudly, sharply and reinforced by a blow of the whip, a sharp jerk, pressure, etc. This command stops any action of the dog that is undesirable for the trainer. But you should not overuse threatening intonations, as this often leads to the development of cowardice in the dog and makes it difficult to train.
Normal intonation used for very sensitive dogs or in order to approve its actions. The encouragement “Good!” is pronounced in an approving intonation. The word is pronounced quietly, affectionately.
Commands should be short, clear, and standard. They cannot be changed (“Fetch!” but not “Bring the object!”) The peculiarities of the dog’s behavior to various intonations should also be taken into account. For example, in some dogs, threatening intonation causes a passive defensive reaction, which makes it difficult to develop conditioned reflexes. In such cases, a slightly elevated tone of command intonation will serve as a threatening intonation.
Gestures. They are used to develop skills for silent control of a dog when used in service. Using gestures, the trainer influences the dog at a distance, indicates to it the direction of movement when searching for and bringing objects, when searching premises, terrain, etc. Skills for a gesture (visual signal) are usually developed after firmly mastering this skill for a verbal command.
Gestures, like commands, should be given in a standard and clear manner.
Odor irritants. A dog's sense of smell plays an extremely important role. With its help, the dog recognizes its owner, searches for food, tracks game, and escapes from enemies. The sense of smell plays an important role in sexual instincts and in assessing the quality of food. The high sensitivity of the sense of smell makes it possible to use a trained dog to search for a person using invisible scent tracks of a long time ago, in difficult conditions and over long distances. This property is due to the animal’s ability to retain a perceived specific odor in memory and, in case of loss, to find it by comparing the immediate sensation with the remembered odor. Each person has an individual smell, by which a dog can easily distinguish him from another. The smell of sweat, sebum and epidermis forms a complex called the individual smell of a person. In addition to the individual, a person is a source of other odors: shoes, soap, tobacco, perfumes, housing, odors associated with the profession, etc. But in this complex complex, the most persistent is the individual odor. By moving, a person scatters odor particles, which leave an odor trail. It is accompanied by the smells of soil cover, plants, crushed small insects, etc.
Smell, given to a dog to search, is a signal for it to find the source of the smell. Therefore, during training, the dog must complete the search by attacking and fighting the wanted person.
The degree of sensitivity of a dog’s sense of smell can vary depending on a number of reasons (fatigue, illness, prolonged exposure to odors, etc.).
Searching for criminals using scent trails, searching premises and areas of the area, selecting a person based on a given smell and other tasks can only be successfully performed by a dog with a well-trained sense of smell during the process of raising and training.
The influence of the trainer and his assistant on the dog
The most important irritant for a dog is the trainer. Trainer- complex irritant. It influences the dog with its individual scent, voice, gestures, facial expressions, posture, form of clothing, pace of movement, etc. (Fig. 29). The dog is most affected by his voice, movements, and individual smell. The dog distinguishes well the features of his voice (pitch, strength, timbre, intonation), clearly responds to commands given by him and does not react to commands coming from another person. The dog easily finds the owner by his scent trail.
The person who raises, educates, and then trains the dog has the greatest impact on the dog. Systematic care and feeding of the dog strengthens contact. But the trainer must be restrained and strict in handling the dog. Excessive affection and frequent play have a negative impact on the dog’s discipline.
When training a dog, the participation of an assistant trainer (a person stranger to the dog) and sometimes several assistants is often necessary. An assistant plays a particularly important role in developing special skills in a dog, such as detaining a fleeing person, selecting a person by the smell of a thing, searching premises and areas of the area, searching for a person using scent trails.
The assistant trainer, like the trainer himself, is also a complex irritant for the dog (he influences the dog with his appearance, smell, hits the dog, etc.). The quality of training and development of the dog’s necessary actions largely depends on the actions of the assistant. Therefore, his actions must be thought out in advance, taking into account the nature of the behavior of the dog being trained. The trainer must assign a specific task to the assistant and indicate the sequence and order of actions. The assistant must act clearly, showing dexterity and resourcefulness. The helper must not be afraid of dogs. A person who knows the rules of training best copes with the duties of an assistant.
). It can be any irritation of the external or internal environment of the body, which is perceived by the senses and causes stimulation in the cerebral cortex. U.r. precedes or coincides with the unconditioned stimulus. Natural U. r. – integral signs of unconditional reinforcement, such as the sight and smell of food. Artificial U. r. are more diverse, are not directly related to the properties of the unconditioned stimulus and acquire the qualities of a positive or negative conditioned signal only in the process of developing a conditioned reflex. Urals, being indirect signals of food, defensive, sexual or other reflexes, are important in the adaptive behavior of animals.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .
See what a “Conditioned stimulus” is in other dictionaries:
CONDITIONAL STIMULUS- an initially neutral stimulus, which, due to repeated coincidence with the unconditioned stimulus, enters into a temporary connection with the latter, as a result of which it begins to cause the same reaction, thus turning into a U. r ... Psychomotorics: dictionary-reference book
conditioned reflex- a reflex formed when any initially indifferent stimulus approaches in time, followed by the action of a stimulus that causes an unconditioned reflex. The term U. r. proposed by I.P... Great psychological encyclopedia
Conditioned reflex- – a temporary connection developed by combining conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. The conditioned reflex is carried out by the higher parts of the brain and is based on temporary connections formed between certain nervous structures in the individual... Dictionary-reference book for social work
CONDITIONED REFLEX- (English: conditional reflex). A reflex, as a result of the formation of which a stimulus that previously did not cause a corresponding reaction begins to cause it, becoming a signal (conditional, i.e., detected under certain conditions) ... ... New dictionary of methodological terms and concepts (theory and practice of language teaching)
A term that was first used by Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov to describe an acquired reflex, i.e. which is not (unlike an unconditioned reflex) innate, and therefore characteristic of an individual, and not of everyone... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
See Conditioned stimulus... Large medical dictionary
Conditioned reflex- a reflex formed when any initially indifferent stimulus approaches in time, followed by the action of a stimulus that causes an unconditioned reflex. The term U. r. proposed by I. P. Pavlov. As a result of the formation of U. r.... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy
- (syn. R. signal) P., causing the occurrence of a conditioned reflex ... Large medical dictionary
An indifferent agent of the external or internal environment of the body, connected by temporary relations with an unconditioned reflex (See Unconditioned reflexes), on the basis of which a conditioned reflex is developed (See Conditioned reflexes); the same as... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Indifferent stimulus- (indifferent, neutral) – a stimulus that is not related to this unconditional reflex reaction. As a rule, I. r. presented to the animal for the purpose of transforming it into a conditioned stimulus, while the own physiological effect of i.r. By… … Trainer's Dictionary
