Eleven Laws of Behavior Shaping

1. PROGRESSIVE LEARNING DOES NOT OCCUR IF EITHER YOUR DOG OR YOU ARE NOT HAVING FUN!
   
2. Train only ONE BEHAVIOR and only ONE ASPECT of that behavior at a time.
   
3. Raise your expectations and demands in such small increments that the dog has a real and easily achievable chance for rewarding reinforcement.
   
4. During training, put your level of response - stimulating or offensive - onto a variable schedule of reinforcement before adding or raising any requirements.
   
5. When introducing a new aspect of a behavior or a new command, relax temporarily your requirements for already trained behaviors.
   
6. THINK AHEAD! Plan your training steps completely to the end before you start. So that even if your subject changes their direction or makes progress, you are aware of what to do with it -how to reinforce that event and where to go next.
   
7. Do not let other people intervene with shaping a particular behavior. Many trainers could participate in training a dog, but only one person per behavior should be responsible for shaping this new behavior.
   
8. If a procedure you are using to bring out a behavior in your dog is not working, try another way! There are as many ways to get to a behavior as there are dogs in the city of Louisville.
   
9. If a once shaped behavior deteriorates, go back to basics. Reduce requirements for your dog back to stage prior training this behavior, and reshape it as if it were the first time. Quickly and easily remind the dog of already learned reinforcers.
   
10. Don't interrupt a training session without a marking cause or a need. This in itself is a strong punishment for your dog.
    
11. End each session of a very positive note of success and accomplishment! If not possible, still do not quit until you're ahead. Accomplish an improvement every time you train.