Dog obedience training can be difficult if not impossible if you do not know what you are doing. However if done properly both you and your dog will be much happier. Your dog wants to please you but needs to have a firm understanding of the rules to do so. I am going to give you a few tips for training your dog but if you are really struggling or have a new puppy and do not know what to do I strongly suggest you purchase a Dog Obedience Training Program. There are some very good ones on the internet for under $40. That is less than the cost for one lost pair of shoes.
Dog Obedience Training Tip # 1 - If your dog is not properly socialized you will have a difficult time with your obedience training. They will not be accustomed to the distractions caused by other people and children and will not focus on the training.
Dog Obedience Training Tip # 2 - Positive reinforcement results in an increase in the frequency and intensity of a behavior. Negative reinforcement results in a decrease in the frequency and intensity of a behavior. ( Positive reinforcement is anything that the dog perceives as a good result. Negative reinforcement is any result that doesn't please him, including no result at all. ) In other words reward them when they are good and with hold attention when they are not.
Dog Obedience Training Tip # 3 - No matter which training method you use, leash, clicker or reward, you have to be consistent. Your dog is somewhat like a child and will test the rules you have set forth for him. It may be only once per month at first but if you don't react each and every time he will try some more. At this point you will have more difficulty getting your dog to behave.
I believe that anyone considering getting a dog for the first time or who is having behavior issues with their current pet do not try to wing it. Failures are very difficult to correct. Invest $40 in a training course, follow it, and you and your dog will be much happier.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dogs are such loving creatures (most of them), their greatest desire in life is to please their master. Training them with that thought in mind is not difficult, but will require some patience on your part. If you have the time and patience, and you've made the decision that training your puppies and dogs is something worthwhile, here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Although dogs love us, and some of them are very smart for their breed, they don't have the brain capacity of humans. And as much we treat them as our children (yes I'm guilty), we have to tailor our training to a dog and not a person. The first thing to do is to choose one person to do the training, usually the master (or alpha leader in dog speak), this is the person (most probably you) who will train your best friend. If you're asking why, it's simply to avoid confusion and help your puppy or dog learn to recognize your commands, inflections, and instructions.
All of us, both humans and dogs, enjoy positive reinforcement; with people it may be a word of encouragement, or a promotion at work. Obviously things are different in the dog world, but positive reinforcement works much the same, it might be a scratch behind the ear, a doggie treat, or simply using letting them know they are loved with a tummy rub.
CAUTIONARY NOTE: Never scold your dog should they not understand your instructions. While positive reinforcement works, negative reinforcement may have the opposite effect, and cause your dog to be fearful of training. This is not something you want and has been known to hinder properly training puppies and dogs.
Recognize that dogs, no matter how smart for their breed, are not as intelligent as humans. And while multitasking in today's environment is expected of homosapiens, such is not the case in the dog world. Teach them one thing (thing=command) at a time, otherwise your training session may be confusing and not achieve the results you're hoping for. Realize that even if you only teach one command at a time, it will very likely require multiple training sessions.
As humans, none of us desire to be spoken to disrespectfully, and can easily recognize an angry tone in someone's voice, often garnering more from an inflection than the actual word. This is the same for dogs, so keep your voice cheerful, let them know you're happy with them. Never shout or speak it mean when giving new commands.
Try not to isolate your dog when training, meaning as you move around town, to the degree possible, take your best friend with you. This will allow your dog to experience new places, people, dogs and things. While it may not seem necessary, this will allow your dog to become better-rounded (which is a people term) and better able to understand your instructions/commands, which is good for both of you.
When you take on the task of training puppies and dogs, sometimes the journey will be difficult, but well worth it when your dog becomes trained, and well behaved.
Although dogs love us, and some of them are very smart for their breed, they don't have the brain capacity of humans. And as much we treat them as our children (yes I'm guilty), we have to tailor our training to a dog and not a person. The first thing to do is to choose one person to do the training, usually the master (or alpha leader in dog speak), this is the person (most probably you) who will train your best friend. If you're asking why, it's simply to avoid confusion and help your puppy or dog learn to recognize your commands, inflections, and instructions.
All of us, both humans and dogs, enjoy positive reinforcement; with people it may be a word of encouragement, or a promotion at work. Obviously things are different in the dog world, but positive reinforcement works much the same, it might be a scratch behind the ear, a doggie treat, or simply using letting them know they are loved with a tummy rub.
CAUTIONARY NOTE: Never scold your dog should they not understand your instructions. While positive reinforcement works, negative reinforcement may have the opposite effect, and cause your dog to be fearful of training. This is not something you want and has been known to hinder properly training puppies and dogs.
Recognize that dogs, no matter how smart for their breed, are not as intelligent as humans. And while multitasking in today's environment is expected of homosapiens, such is not the case in the dog world. Teach them one thing (thing=command) at a time, otherwise your training session may be confusing and not achieve the results you're hoping for. Realize that even if you only teach one command at a time, it will very likely require multiple training sessions.
As humans, none of us desire to be spoken to disrespectfully, and can easily recognize an angry tone in someone's voice, often garnering more from an inflection than the actual word. This is the same for dogs, so keep your voice cheerful, let them know you're happy with them. Never shout or speak it mean when giving new commands.
Try not to isolate your dog when training, meaning as you move around town, to the degree possible, take your best friend with you. This will allow your dog to experience new places, people, dogs and things. While it may not seem necessary, this will allow your dog to become better-rounded (which is a people term) and better able to understand your instructions/commands, which is good for both of you.
When you take on the task of training puppies and dogs, sometimes the journey will be difficult, but well worth it when your dog becomes trained, and well behaved.
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