Molding
"Molding is a form of modeling in which we use props to manipulate the dog" (Sundance 48). Using molding to teach your dog certain tricks that otherwise may be difficult to. This method can be seen in tactics such as using guide wires to teach a dog to weave through poles or simply to cover their eyes with their paw using a piece of tape.
I wanted to try the molding method because it looked interesting and helpful for a trick I had no idea how to teach. The book also mentions that this technique uses props to urge the behavior of the trick, (Sundance 48). I took a liking to the approach when reading it because I thought my dog would click best with molding over the other ways I have tried so far.
Using this method, I tried to teach my dog the "Cover Your Eyes" trick. At first it was difficult for my dog to let me touch her paws, so I had to associate the action with a treat or reward. However, once I tackled that obstacle, she, (my dog), repeatedly refused to keep her paw in the position. She only kept her paw on her face a few times and for only a few seconds. It was difficult for her to realize what the trick was and the method just seemed distracting.
To conclude my experience with the Molding method, I would like to say that out of a lot of the tricks I tried and used during these trials, I was most unsuccessful with this one. My dog wasn't the most comfortable with me touching her paws and didn't understand the connection of the method and the trick.
Overall, this experience with trying different methods to train my dog helped me find out what methods my dog learns best with. I think she worked well with the clicker method and the luring method. I will definitely try implementing these two techniques into her training from now on. I'm really glad I chose to share and document my experience with this because I felt that it helped better my understanding about training my dog and helped me practice my patience.
Thank you for reading!
To end, my question is What method do you think would work best with your dog?
Sundance, Kyra. The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook: a Step-by-Step Interactive Curriculum to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog. Quayside Pub. Group, 2009.
To conclude my experience with the Molding method, I would like to say that out of a lot of the tricks I tried and used during these trials, I was most unsuccessful with this one. My dog wasn't the most comfortable with me touching her paws and didn't understand the connection of the method and the trick.
Overall, this experience with trying different methods to train my dog helped me find out what methods my dog learns best with. I think she worked well with the clicker method and the luring method. I will definitely try implementing these two techniques into her training from now on. I'm really glad I chose to share and document my experience with this because I felt that it helped better my understanding about training my dog and helped me practice my patience.
Thank you for reading!
To end, my question is What method do you think would work best with your dog?
Sundance, Kyra. The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook: a Step-by-Step Interactive Curriculum to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog. Quayside Pub. Group, 2009.
Emi Seaman this was great blog for me to read. I've been wanting a dog for all my life and finally I'm getting one real soon. This blog taught me so much about molding. I will also use this trick when I get a dog and then it will help me understand more about my dog.
ReplyDeleteHi, that's so exciting! I'm glad I could help.
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