Why are criteria so important?

When training animals, establishing criteria is one of the essential steps in the process. It is the foundation for successful animal training, setting the parameters for the behaviors you will reward and reinforcing consistency, clarity, and boundaries. Establishing criteria helps to ensure that the animal is learning the desired behavior. Criteria can be defined as the criteria for a behavior to be successful so that it is rewarded when the animal performs that behavior.

 

This is important because animals, like humans, will change their behavior because of the consequences. By using positive reinforcement and by rewarding the animal when it performs the desired behavior, the animal will be more likely to continue performing that behavior.

 

Humans often have difficulty setting and holding on to criteria in animal training because they lack the ability to communicate effectively with animals.
Humans must rely on body language, vocalizations, and other nonverbal cues to communicate, while animals communicate through instinct and smell. Therefore, it can be difficult for humans to understand the needs and wants of an animal and to set criteria that are both understandable and achievable for them. Additionally, it can be challenging for humans to remain consistent with their training criteria, as they may become distracted or bored with the process or be influenced by emotions.

 

When establishing criteria, it is crucial to be specific. For example, if you teach a dog to stay, specify that you expect the dog to remain in place for 10 seconds. This
specificity helps ensure that the animal understands exactly what it is supposed to do and will be more likely to perform the behavior correctly. Ten seconds needs to be 10 seconds, not 8 and not 11. And what about the performance for the stay? Does the animal need to stand, lie down or sit? Establishing criteria also helps to create consistency. By having consistent criteria, the animal will be able to understand more quickly and accurately what it needs to do to receive a reward. This consistency also helps to reinforce the behavior by providing a clear set of parameters that the animal can understand and adhere to. In addition to helping to create consistency, establishing criteria also helps to clarify expectations. This is especially important when training animals, as animals can often misinterpret cues or behaviors if they need to be more precise and concise. By having well-defined criteria, the animal can better understand the expected behavior and will be more likely to perform the behavior correctly.

 

Finally, establishing criteria helps to create boundaries. This is important because it helps to ensure that the animal is not performing behaviors that are not desired or outside of the desired parameters. This helps to ensure safety and can also help to prevent any unwanted behaviors from becoming reinforced and, therefore, more difficult to change. Narcotic dogs are reinforced when they find narcotics, but they are not allowed to bite into it because contact with, for example, fentanyl can be deadly for the dog.

 

Overall, establishing criteria in animal training is incredibly important. It helps to ensure that the animal is learning the desired behavior, creates consistency, clarifies expectations, and creates boundaries. With well-defined criteria, animal training can be more successful, as the animal may find it easier to understand what is expected of them and, therefore, be less likely to perform the desired behaviors. This can lead to frustration not only for the animal but also for the trainer. Keep training exciting, keep the animal and the trainer happy, and keep them engaged. Therefore, establishing criteria is an essential part of successful animal training.

 

In addition to establishing criteria, I like using place boards, targets, protocols, and data because these are incredibly helpful and important in animal training. Place boards are boards that are designed to help teach an animal to position and learn a specific behavior or trick. The place board can become a target that the animal is supposed to touch to receive a reward. This training is incredibly helpful because it allows the animal to learn the desired behavior more quickly and accurately by having a clear visual cue of what it needs to do, where to start, or where to go.

 

Different sorts of targets can also be incredibly helpful in animal training. Targets are objects the animal is supposed to touch, look at, stick its nose in, or move to receive a reward. This type of training is helpful because it allows the animal to learn the desired behavior more quickly and accurately by having a clear visual cue of what it needs to do. And if you choose the right, then targets will provide clear criteria for the animal and the trainer!

 

Data can also be beneficial and important in animal training. Data allows the trainer to track the animal’s progress and measure success. It is vital to track data because it can help identify areas where the animal is struggling and areas that need improvement. It can also help to identify areas in which the animal is excelling and can help to reinforce successful behaviors. Data can also give us more information about the trainer or the handler. What is easy for them? What is difficult for them? How can we help them? Data is information that is collected during a training session. Data can be collected in various ways, such as through video recording, written notes, or observations. Data can help trainers evaluate their techniques and change their training programs.

 

Finally, the bridge is an incredibly important tool when describing criteria in animal training. The bridge is a sound or signal used to indicate to the animal that it has performed the desired behavior successfully and will now receive a reward. The bridge is usually a sound like a clicker, a whistle, or a word, such as “yes” or “good.” By using the bridge, trainers can let their animals know that they are doing the correct behavior and that a reward is imminent. This training is helpful because it allows the animal to understand more quickly and accurately whether or not it has performed the desired behavior correctly and will be more likely to continue to perform that behavior correctly in the future. Overall, establishing criteria and using place boards, targets, protocols, data, and bridge signals are all essential and helpful tools in animal training. They help to ensure that the animal is learning the desired behavior, provide consistency and clarity, and reinforce successful behaviors. Therefore, these are all essential tools in successful animal training and should be used whenever possible.

 

Consistency in animal training is vital to being successful. Animals need to know that the same criteria will be applied each time they are asked to perform a behavior. This helps to ensure that the animal learns the behavior quickly and accurately and that their performance improves over time.

 

Criteria are essential to work towards your goal(s). Criteria establish clear and measurable subgoals for animals to reach to obtain reinforcement and allow trainers to guide the behavior of their animals consistently and effectively. There are several tools trainers can use to set criteria for their animals, including place boards, targets, and data. When used properly, these tools can help trainers to create a thriving learning environment for their animals.

 

We can ‘push’ for more behavior by raising criteria in small steps. For example, let’s look at some steps of the place board training. The first criteria is one paw on the platform. A bridge and a reinforcement will follow this. After a few repetitions, we raise the criteria, and now we only reinforce two paws on the platform. We raise criteria even more when we have reinforced this behavior a few times. From this moment, the criteria are four paws on the platform. Only then is the bridge given, followed by the reinforcer. In this way, we can ‘push’ for more behavior by raising the criteria step by step. Or what about ‘pushing’ a radio directional dog to do more directional changes? The dog is working on 20 targets with approximately 80 different changes in this photo. 

 

By applying the same criteria each time and using the same signals, trainers can help their animals learn quickly and accurately. The bridge signal lets the animal precisely know that they are performing the correct behavior and that reinforcement is coming. By setting clear and measurable goals with place boards, targets, and data, trainers can create an effective learning environment for their animals. A clear protocol is important because this will be your guideline on what to do now and what to do next. My protocols are designed so that when the dog scores 80% or more in a specific session I will move on to the next session. And that the next session will be more difficult. Like a bit more distance, more duration, less odor, more distraction, or whatever will challenge the animal. And by being consistent, you, as a trainer, can get the best out of the training sessions.

 

Enjoy training!