Instructional Videos

Videos by American Sentinel K9

Classical & Operant Conditioning Explained

Classical Conditioning (aka, associative learning) as developed by Ivan Pavlov and Operant Conditioning as developed by B.F. Skinner are two fundamental components of psychology that impact training and behavioral modification in any intelligent being capable of learning. Here we explain the use of these methodologies to modify and train dogs...be it your pet or a serious working K9.

Classical & Operant Conditioning - Demo

Here we use ASC's Chewy to demonstrate the application of both Classical and Operant Conditioning. We will post periodic updates of her training as she progresses.

Working the dog in front of you

Not all dogs are equal. Some lack food drive, some lack prey drive, some are sensitive to correction, some are less energetic, some will challenge the handler with aggression, some are defensive, & some are insecure. Understand the dog in front of you, and then modify your approach to get the most out of that animal. Here we work a dog with low prey drive, which makes the training slower and more challenging.

Prey drive is beneficial in obedience training

In this video, it is easy to see how having a dog with multiple drives makes training easier and more enjoyable. Who wants to correct a dog all the time? Not me. Working with a dog that is motivated by multiple means gives us more tools to use when training and helps us keep things positive and fun for both you, the handler, as well as the dog.