Is your dog barking at things? Alerting you to everything? Chasing wildlife or other pets? Training a positive interrupter is your solution.
Reactive behavior, barking and prey drive often need complex assessments and training methods to be addressed effectively.
Typically, you need to build prevention and management strategies and conduct a series of training sessions. For reactivity, you might use Grisha Stewart's Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT), and for prey drive and chase behaviors, Simone Mueller's Predation Substitute Training (PST) is highly effective. However, there is a simple communication tool you can use alongside these methods: the positive interrupter.
In the video, my 4-year-old Schipperke is stalking a crow. I use the word "cheese" to positively interrupt her predatory sequence before she barks at the crow. She cannot chase the crow because of the fence, so she has no room to run after it (prevention - physical barrier). She usually just taps her front paws to scare the crows off the rail. Sometimes, I even tell her "get it," and she is allowed to do that. She has practiced this over the years, so if there's no fence or we're somewhere else, she is able to walk off or on leash by any wildlife without issue.
Sometimes I allow her to scare the crows, who get very cheeky nowadays anyway. She merely makes them sit higher up. There's no reason to take all the fun away from my dog, who, being the world's tiniest herding dog and a ratter, is genetically predisposed to chase and hunt, being impulsive to movements. But I can give her rules, keep her behavior under control, and provide appropriate and fun outlets. I can also reinforce safe parts of her predatory sequence, like the stalking in the video, which causes the release of feel-good hormones in her brain, making it a self-rewarding behavior. All of these techniques can be taught to any dog, as I am a certified instructor of Simone Mueller's Predation Substitute Training.
What is a Positive Interrupter?
A positive interrupter is a word that prompts a behavior or cue and stops unwanted behavior without scaring, frustrating, or exciting your dog. This word needs to be taught in a very quiet and zero-distraction environment.
Training the Positive Interrupter
Initial Phase
Choose your word.
Have extremely high-value treats.
Say the word and give your dog 5 small treats.
Repeat the above sequence over 3 days, 1-3 times a day.
You can also choose a noise, like a whistle, shaking a treat bag, or shaking a box of treats. However, you want to use something always available in the situation where you need the interrupter.
Phase 1 - introducing the positive interrupter
Now you can add a cue after your interrupter, like "come" or "touch," but be consistent. You can add a chain of cues if you like, but that requires more training time and having the chain of cues trained first.
Phase 1 Sequence:
Interrupter → Cue → High-value reward
For at least two weeks, practice in no-distraction environments, indoors or in a quiet outdoor space, 1-5 times daily.
Phase 2 - Building distance and distraction
Over the next two weeks, start building distance in low-distraction environments. Simultaneously, at separate times, work on increasing distraction levels.
Phase 3 - Try it when your dog is barking or reactive
Take it to the road and use it in real-life situations. Make sure to reward well and occasionally repeat the initial phase.
When Do You Need to Repeat the Initial Phase?
If you used the interrupter without rewarding, especially if more than once.
If the interrupter stops working.
If you used it in an angry or negative context.
Important Notes to be successful when your dog is barking, chasing or reactive
It's important to use your high-value treat. The longer you use the highest value treat, the stronger your interrupter becomes. Do not use the interrupter until it is fully trained. After 4-6 weeks, you will have a strong interrupter. As you see in the video, I don't need to have the treat with me, but I went inside to get cheese for my dog to keep the interrupter strong for future use.
To properly use a positive interrupter, it is important that you stay calm. Your tone of voice conveys important messages to your dog. Try to keep your voice calm and reassuring or cheerful. However, avoid using a cheerful voice with highly excitable dogs, as it can push them into high arousal.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Dog does not eat outside.
Solution: You need to teach your dog to eat outside. Eating is a behavior, so it can be trained! You might need PST games.
Problem: Dog ignores you as soon as there is a distraction.
Solution: Go back to the initial phase and Phase 1 or 2. You might have increased the distraction or distance too much too soon.
Problem: Dog looks at you but won't do the cue you ask for.
Solution: Train the cue again in low-distraction environments and practice Phase 2. If it still doesn't work, go back to the initial phase and Phase 1.
While saying "no" can distract a dog, it teaches nothing.
With a properly trained positive interrupter, you will not escalate your dog's arousal or make them anxious or confused. You will interrupt and immediately transition to a chain of alternative behaviors to remove your dog from the situation, rather than just momentarily stopping the unwanted behavior like saying "no" does. This approach strengthens your relationship and communication with your dog, reducing anxiety because you are behaving in a predictable pattern. This, in turn, strengthens your dog's worldview and ensures growing confidence.
Final Notes
By using these techniques, you can effectively manage and redirect your dog's behavior without the need for negative commands. Positive interrupters can be a powerful tool in your training arsenal, helping to create a more harmonious relationship with your dog.
Sources
Simone Mueller Walking together https://predation-substitute-training.com/
Simone Mueller Hunting together
Simone Mueller Rocket Recall
Pippa Mattinson Total Recall http://pippamattinson.com/total-recall/
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