I purchased the said "Training Discs" yesterday after being recomended them by my vet, who is also a dog behavourist. Mine came with an instruction booklet and a 15min video showing how to condition the dog using the titbits and then how they could be used to prevent a dog from shooting out of an open door. Mine also were produced under the name of Mikki. I am using them to help with my 8/9 mth old staffy X, who is a rescue dog. He was picked up by the NCDL as a stray when he was only 3mths old. He stayed in kennels for another 2mths, until we saw him and decided he was the dog for us and our other rescued GSD X. Due to kennels and know previous training whats so ever, he is a bit of a wilfull pup. I have used clicker training with my GSD X and also proper training classes. I will use the discs to deter unwanted behavour from my staffy X and will use the clicker/classes, when he appears ready to move onto these. Slow and steady wins the race.

Nicolinena

Hi Isobel

I suppose you could use a tin full of pebbles to use as sound averion but a set of discs in your pocket is a lot more convenient to cart around! I have at one time tried to use a can of pebbles but when they hit the ground the lid burst off so were totally useless!

The difference between a "non-rewarding experience" and "no reward". Now there's a subject!

If you train your dog using positive reinforcement it means that the experience was pleasurable for the dog therefore its likely to be repeated. Walking on a slack lead next to the owner is probably a very comfortable walk for the dog and owner and that's a 'rewarding experience' with or without you giving a 'reward' - a pat, a treat etc. A dog that pulls on the lead and gets a 'check', 'jerk', 'snap' 'pop' on the lead whenever it does so is learning that to be way ahead of its owner is going to get mighty uncomfortable ie 'non-rewarding' and so hopefully it comes back to heel where its nice and pleasant, slack lead etc. That's learning by negative reinforcement - its unpleasant for the dog it wants to avoid it, so hopefully it won't repeat it. It doesn't mean 'no reward'.

If you had a dog suffering from separation anxiety and every time you went out it chewed up the carpet or tore holes in the chairs I dare say when you came home you would not reward it (hopefully you wouldn't punish it either!!) but to the dog chewing the place up was not a 'non-rewarding experience'. It would have been extremely rewarding for the dog because a dog in a high state of stress finds chewing very comforting - ask anyone under stress of exams why they bite their nails, or smoke like a chimney, or comfort eat. So you can have a 'non-rewarding experience' with 'no-reward' and you can have a'rewarding experience' with 'no reward' but a non-rewarding experience does not mean the same as 'no reward'.

Using the discs means that the dog's thougth process was interupted by the sound of the discs. Therefore, what the dog was planning and wanting to do eg chase cats, barge through doors etc was frustrated by the discs and prevented - a 'non-rewarding' experience for the dog.

Hope this makes things clearer but if not, then please excuse me, I've just spent several hours finalising a paper on wolves and I'm trying not to get my wolves and dogs mixed up!!

Hi Isobel

I suppose you could use a tin full of pebbles to use as sound averion but a set of discs in your pocket is a lot more convenient to cart around! I have at one time tried to use a can of pebbles but when they hit the ground the lid burst off so were totally useless!

The difference between a "non-rewarding experience" and "no reward". Now there's a subject!

If you train your dog using positive reinforcement it means that the experience was pleasurable for the dog therefore its likely to be repeated. Walking on a slack lead next to the owner is probably a very comfortable walk for the dog and owner and that's a 'rewarding experience' with or without you giving a 'reward' - a pat, a treat etc. A dog that pulls on the lead and gets a 'check', 'jerk', 'snap' 'pop' on the lead whenever it does so is learning that to be way ahead of its owner is going to get mighty uncomfortable ie 'non-rewarding' and so hopefully it comes back to heel where its nice and pleasant, slack lead etc. That's learning by negative reinforcement - its unpleasant for the dog it wants to avoid it, so hopefully it won't repeat it. It doesn't mean 'no reward'.

If you had a dog suffering from separation anxiety and every time you went out it chewed up the carpet or tore holes in the chairs I dare say when you came home you would not reward it (hopefully you wouldn't punish it either!!) but to the dog chewing the place up was not a 'non-rewarding experience'. It would have been extremely rewarding for the dog because a dog in a high state of stress finds chewing very comforting - ask anyone under stress of exams why they bite their nails, or smoke like a chimney, or comfort eat. So you can have a 'non-rewarding experience' with 'no-reward' and you can have a'rewarding experience' with 'no reward' but a non-rewarding experience does not mean the same as 'no reward'.

Using the discs means that the dog's thougth process was interupted by the sound of the discs. Therefore, what the dog was planning and wanting to do eg chase cats, barge through doors etc was frustrated - a 'non-rewarding' experience for the dog.

Hope this makes things clearer but if not, then please excuse me, I've just spent several hours finalising a paper on wolves and I'm trying not to get my wolves and dogs mixed up!!

The thing with stones or peas in a tin (so Ive been told), is that they are difficult to move without making any noise at all and so prehaps may give of an unwanted signal to your dog when you pick them up or carry them in your pocket. Also the "Traning Discs" are specially shaped to fit up to the other and are joined on a ring so they fit into your pocket or hand more easily.