Why do we need Fisher discs in dog training?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Fischer discs are a simple device consisting of five small diameter metal plates strung on a ring, which are used to train dogs, model and correct their behavior. The discs were first described by trainer John Fisher, who studied animal psychology and described his observations in the popular book What Your Dog Is Thinking About. The author explains to owners the perception of the world around them from the point of view of their pets, and also provides various non-violent methods of raising and training dogs, obtained from personal experience. Fischer disk training has received some very mixed reviews in discussions on the Internet regarding its effectiveness. So is it worth buying a device, and how to use it in order to avoid mistakes and get the expected effect?

Operation principle

In his long practice, John Fisher noticed that during training, animals are best affected by sound, with which you can attract attention, interrupt the dog’s unwanted intentions for the owner, or stopobjectionable behavior. The sound of the disks by itself and supported by a verbal command helps not only to train, but also to control the actions of the animal. This small object can be kept compactly in your pocket, extract a characteristic sound at the right moment, or throw Fisher discs at the dog, but not as a punishment, but as a manifestation of a reaction to the objectionable behavior of the animal. Unlike sticks, chains and other heavy things, a rather light device will not hurt the animal, but its sharp sound will make it obey the command, even if the dog has not previously reacted to it.

The prerequisite for using the device is the circumstances under which the dog hears the sound of the discs for the first time. It will not be similar to another familiar sound, which means that it is associated with other conditions. And it is especially important that the characteristic clanging occurs only with a specific action of the dog or its immediate intention to perform an unwanted trick.

How does it work?

Sound technique using Fisher's disks is based on the formation of a conditioned reflex in a dog, which must be triggered before the animal decides to perform an action that is undesirable for the owner. Fisher calls this method negative reinforcement, which is much gentler, but more effective than a sensitive jerk on the leash, a spanking on the scruff of the neck, a slap with a newspaper and other physical punishments. In the case of using the sound method, it is not a scolding after a forbidden action, but its warning. The training is divided into two stages: familiarization with the disks andenhancing their effect.

First stage

To more accurately state the conditions of how to use Fisher's discs, it is better to give the recommendations of the author himself. The initial introduction goes like this:

“…I call the dog to me and offer it a treat, saying: “Take it”. I repeat this procedure three or four times. Then, without saying anything to the dog, I move to place the treat on the floor. When the dog reaches for my hand, I first tinkle the discs and then drop them tangentially on the floor where I put the food and immediately remove the discs and food. All this is done very quickly. Most dogs at this stage are oblivious to the sound of discs, many of them continue to sniff the floor, trying to find food that they think is still there.”

This action is repeated several times, and its purpose is to suggest to the animal that it can take the offered food only with the permission of the owner. The light jingle of Fisher discs warns the dog to stop and not take the food. The loud noise, appearance and throwing of the discs is a strong reaction if the dog continues to try to take the treat.

Like any training technique, this method is not suitable for every dog. Most dogs ignore the sound of the disks the first time, and the fourth time they move away from the treat lying on the floor and lie down at the owner's feet. Some dogs learn fast, some don't learn at all, but there aren't many.”

Second stage

The effectiveness of Fisher discs for dogs should be strengthened by an additional exercise based on the instinctive submission of animals to the leader, that is, a creature of the highest status with special privileges. To become such a higher being for a dog, one must lay claim to the position of leader and force the pet to obey these requirements. For example: "I allow you to take the food that I give, but do not dare to touch my food and the one that is near me." Or: "Do not try to crawl past me into the lair when I occupy its entrance." The main task is not to allow the dog to take food or go through the door without the permission of the owner.

Fischer's next exercise is described as follows:

"I get up, walk to the door, while saying to the dog in a very dull voice without intonations of threat or coercion: "Stay where you are." At the same time, one must somehow avoid the meaningful silence, which for most dogs means that all attention should be directed to me. So I wait until the dog is distracted and then do what I want. Opening the door, I talk to the owners of the dog, out of the corner of my eye watching what their dog is going to do. The half step of the animal towards the door means that it does not intend to stay still. I toss the discs at the open door and immediately slam it shut. My conversation with the owners of the dog continues, but I do not say anything more to the dog. It is very difficult to focus on a topic of conversation when attention is absorbedsomething more important, but you should not show it to the dog and you can just carry some kind of gibberish, imitating a conversation. After several repetitions of the exercise, the dog takes half a step back from the door, sits down or lies down. Any of these actions are immediately rewarded.”

According to the author, after that the dog will make a choice: he will either try to go through the door ahead of the owner, but each time the “leader” will convince the dog with the help of disks that this is not a worthwhile business. Or the animal will quickly learn the lesson and make it clear by sitting down or lying down somewhere nearby that it will not pass through the door while the owner is there. Such behavior should certainly be rewarded.

When to use?

It is generally accepted that discs are used primarily to wean the pet to eat everything that he can find on the street during a walk. But with the help of the device, not only this problem is solved. Reviews of Fisher discs testify in favor of a wider range of their use. When training, it is successfully possible to wean off the endless barking, the never-silent dogs. Another example is effective help in combating a pet's habit of jumping with its front paws at people. Other owners get their animals to perform various commands, positive results in the fight against attempts to "hunt" for cats, and in many other cases.

However, there are often complaints on the Internet that the technique works at home, but in practice duringwhile walking all science is rendered useless. What's the matter here?

Source and instructions

Fischer does not at all claim that the discs he invented are a panacea for all problems during dog training. Before you start using them, you still need to read the original source, and not the brief instructions that come with the discs or posted on the Internet. You don't have to read Fischer's entire book for this. Training discs are the focus of Chapter 6, The Negative Reinforcement Technique, where the author explains why the idea of this simple device came about, and how and in what situations he uses them, combining them with positive reinforcement, the method outlined in Chapter 5.

“…the criteria here are exactly the same as those discussed in the chapter “Positive Reinforcement Methodology”. As long as the dog responds as expected, the principles of negative/positive reinforcement can be applied to almost all behavioral problems that cannot be addressed by other intervention methods.”

In addition to the sound method, in the sixth chapter, Fisher gives some simple tricks on how to wean a dog from chewing wires or other objects, and a few more practical recommendations. Training and education of dogs can absolutely do without disks. They will only make it easier to overcome individual problems and tasks. You can find out whether they are necessary for a particular owner of the animal by carefully studying the fifth and sixth chapters of Fisher's work. After reading these partsit becomes clear why discs are needed, why the dog reacts to them and how to work with them.