"Behavior is a difficult subject matter, not because it is inaccessible, but
because it is extremely complex. Since it is a process, rather than a thing,
it cannot be held still for observation. It is changing, fluid, evanescent,
and for this reason it makes great technical demands upon the ingenuity and
energy of the scientist." ~ B. F. Skinner

Good Things to Say to You Kids

1. I’m proud of you.
2. You really worked hard. (Be specific)
3. We all make mistakes.
4. That’s all right.
5. Thanks for helping.
6. I think you can be trusted to handle this!
7. Super work!
8. You’re right.
9. I love you.
10. Great try.
11. How thoughtful.
12. You figured that out.
13. I have faith in you.
14. You brighten my day!
15. I just like hanging out with you.
16. Outstanding!
17. Thanks for being honest.

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome. -Michael Jordan

"Each new day gives me another opportunity to grow stronger as a person, to meditate on the things I'm learning, and to use all that knowledge to benefit me." ~ Aree Flack-Mccrimmon

"To be a teacher does not mean simply to affirm that such a thing is so, or to deliver a lecture, etc. No, to be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. Instruction begins when you, the teacher, learn from the learner, put yourself in his place so that you may understand what he understands and the way he understands it." -- Kierkegaard

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default."
-- JK Rowling

"We actually have two opportunities to change behavior. You can manipulate the consequence so that behavior either increases or decreases, but you also have an opportunity to change behavior before it even happens. If we change or prevent the antecedent, we might be able to change the behavior. " - Crystal Thompson

"The training danger is adhering to the path instead of the goal; the danger is giving up on a dog who's quite capable, only needs a different approach. Eclecticism and humility are worth more than political correctness and moral purity." -- Geoff Stern

‎"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford

A dog training question (the handler has the problem.)

"A search and rescue handler and dog team that has been performing fairly well in training, even with some blind (they don't know where the subject/article is) problems is ready to do a formal evaluation. They feel ready, but they have test anxiety anyhow. Unfortunately now, so does their dog. The dog will literally start barfing because of stress (handler is working hard to control their own stress, but having a barfing dog doesn't help). No leashes are used, but we all know the leash doesn't matter that much anyhow as the invisible ones are just as taut as the actual leashes :). The test must be called off because the dog just shuts down. The handler does not use aversive training methods either. It seems to simply be test anxiety. I know the handler works hard to stay calm during an eval and even seems to be ok, but how do we make them calmer so the dog feels it too?"

My answer:

Can you teach Self- TAGging to the handler for relaxation?

Can the handler do a couple of mock tests running someone else's already certified dog?

In another life, I spent 20 years as a Junior Olympic boxing coach, judge and referee. "Choking" was a common problem with my young athletes so we put in a lot of time working on mental toughness.

Mental toughness, by definition, toughness is "to be strong and resilient; able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking. It is "between the ears" toughness. Mental toughness is skill.

Try the book "That Winning Feeling" by Jane Savoie which has helped lots of people who compete with their dogs. And even better book is "The New Toughness Training for Sports" by James E. Loehr.

Can you get the handler to learn to meditate? Various forms of meditation have been used for thousands of years for almost any purpose you can fathom, including reduction of stress, enhanced mental clarity, and simple relaxation.

Can you get the handler to learn to visualize?

Can you get the handler to over prepare? There should be nothing new on test day.

Can training days be varied, different, more stressful? Just as progression is an important part of training, applying any challenging stimulus to the handler's life will give the handler a greater ability to handle stress of all kinds. It would go a long way towards teaching the handler problem-solving skills and critical thinking, both of which can help the handler tough out any number of situations.

Can the handler teach the dog some stress relieving tricks to do as they warm up for the search?

Can you put a calming word into the dog and handler's training vocabulary? Get the handler to use it frequently at home when everything is relaxed and safe. The use it out and about, during trainings, until the dog realizes that it is the cue that everything is fine. (I sing happy birthday to my reactive GSD, Blue.) This can be a great tool when the handler is pushed to work a stressful area, as the dog can be reassured. (And I personally find it hard to be stressed while signing something as silly as happy birthday.)

Can the handler learn doggy calming signals and mimic them for the dog?

Can you find a way to turn the stress signals that the handler throws in to a cue for calm for the dog?

"Think about these two basic laws of learning: 1) all animals (including humans) learn by the immediate — not delayed — consequences of their behavior, and 2) behaviors that meet with rewarding consequences will happen more often." -- Unknown

"It's not the Will to Win that helps you succeed, it's the Will to TRAIN to Win that makes the difference.

"Anyone can want it, but only a few will truly take the time to TRAIN to
achieve it!" - Troy Bassham

"We need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins." - Jim Stovall

Tagteach study group questions

I posted on a local home school list that I'd like to start a Tagteach study group. I received several positive emails from people wanting to learn more about the methods, a few hostile ones wanting to know why I'd use "dog training" on children and a couple of questions.

I am not looking for more "research" subjects to tag. I am looking for adults interested in learning to use positive reinforcement to teach their children. I am looking for people interested in learning to do task analysis and teach their children to do things step by step without nagging.

The tagger or clicker, positive reinforcement, shaping, and rehearsal are all components of both TAGteach for human and Clicker Training for non humans. TAGteach also uses TAG phraseology, personalized tagpoints, debriefing, instructions, feedback, modeling, and focus points. Both methods use positive reinforcement, shaping, and rehearsal.

Here are some studies to read if you are interested:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33974647/Morien-ABAI-2010s
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33977977/LLSmr2010LLoar
http://tagteach.blogspot.com

Here is a playlist of You Tube Videos
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AEA42891825AD74F

Here is some research for using the methods with autistic children:
http://www.tagteach.com/autism/

TAGteach is a focused, positive method that yields immediate results that are clearly evident to the teacher and the learner. TAG stands for "Teaching with Acoustical Guidance." The method relies on a distinctive sound made to mark or "TAG" a moment in time. This sound becomes an acoustical binary message, a sort of "snapshot" that is quickly processed by the brain. Regardless of age or application, the TAG trained student learns when they are correct while building muscle memory and confidence.

A tag point is a response, action, or position that when accomplished wins a reward. The reward for performing a tag point correctly is an audible signal, often made by a handheld clicker. The click, or tag, marks the exact moment the tag point is executed correctly and gives immediate and clear feedback to the student or athlete. TAGteach works on the principle of identifying correct behavior and making it stronger while ignoring mistakes and allowing them to disappear.

The tag becomes a positive reinforcer through pairing with tangible rewards (a sticker for example) or as a result of good feelings of success. Younger students trade their tags for other prizes. Older students and higher level athletes often do not require a tangible primary reinforcer, since they are reinforced just by receiving the immediate and clear feedback from the tag.

Clarity and simplicity are key aspects of TAGteach. A tag point is defined so that the teacher can easily judge whether the tag point is achieved and can mark it with a tag. For example, a teacher might say to a student who is being taught to draw the letter O, “The tag point is placing your pencil tip at the place where the top of the letter will be.”

Once this has been done correctly several times the teacher can move on; “The tag point is movement of the pencil tip to the left to start the letter.” If there is any difficulty and the student does not succeed after three tries, the teacher will break the skill down into smaller parts and go back to a previous point of success.

With some students it may be necessary to place a dot at the place where the letter should start, or to trace letters or to use other prompts to help the student succeed at first. These prompts can be gradually faded out as the student improves.

There is no scolding or negativity associated with TAGteach. If the student hears the tag he knows that the tag point was achieved. If he doesn’t hear the tag he knows to try again. There is no “better, but…” in TAGteach. If the tag point is “point your toes during the handstand” and the student points her toes, but her legs were apart, the student receives the tag and the teacher does not say “That was better, but next time try to keep your legs together.”

Instead, the teacher awards the tag for pointed toes and after a few repetitions says to the student, “Now the tag point is legs together at the top of the handstand.” The student may forget to point her toes while thinking about keeping her legs straight. In this case the pointed toes tag point can be revisited a few times and eventually the student will achieve a toe point with straight legs without ever being told that something was wrong. The student learns to self-assess and think for herself without relying on corrections from the teacher.

THINK GOOD THOUGHTS
Words become actions.
Actions become habits.
Habits become character.
Character becomes destiny.

"Before their minds have been marinated in the culture of television,
consumerism, shopping malls, computers and freeways, children can find magic
in trees, water, animals, landscapes, and their own places." ~ David W. Orr

A Girl and Her Dog

They are best friends.

Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination. - Fitzhugh Dodson