Most dog trainers believe that the best way to train any dog is using a method called positive reinforcement training. For those who are doing home dog obedience training this process simply entails using positive reinforcement for good behavior and ignoring bad behavior.
A dog’s natural instinct is to please her owner. Positive reinforcement uses this instinct and allows your dog to learn what it is you want her to do. This type of training has more meaning to your dog because she is able to learn what you want her to do using her own mental capacity.
Here are some quick tips you can use to implement this training method at home:
1. Pick good rewards. You need to keep your dog’s interest level up in what you are doing. A pat on the head or saying “good girl” will lose a dogs interest pretty quickly. Use tempting rewards such as food treats and physical affection to reinforce your dog’s good behavior. Dog trainers call these primary incentives and dogs are very responsive to these.
2. Timing is important. Good behavior and obedience needs to be rewarded the moment it happens. This way your dog begins to understand what behavior is being rewarded. This is where clicker training can be used. Using a small metal device that emits a click when pushed you click the clicker the moment your dog follows a command successfully. To reinforce the meaning of the clicker a treat should also be offered.
3. Use the same commands consistently. If you want your dog to sit don’t use “sit” one time, “sit down” the next, or “down” later on. This is confusing for a dog because they learn through repetition. Pick a command and stick with it for each behavior you desire.
If you are training your dog at home you will need to learn to reward your dog in a meaningful fashion. If you know what your dog likes as far as physical attention and treats you will know what works as far as rewards go. Some dogs prefer edible treats while others enjoy playing with a favorite toy.
If you are using food treats for your home dog training reinforcement you need to be aware that many dog trainers have found that dogs actually respond better if they receive treats in a more sporadic fashion. Apparently it keeps their attention better because they remain interested in what you are teaching them if rewards are given intermittently.
Positive reinforcement training is a great home dog obedience training process to use because it is relatively easy. Ignoring bad behavior is the cornerstone of this method because a dog being ignored is an unhappy dog. This can do more to motivate your dog to do what you ask more then just about anything else.
Narrowing down your choices of dog obedience schools can be challenging, especially if you are a new dog owner that doesn’t know what to look for in a dog training school.
Many new dog owners believe that dog obedience school is only suited for puppy obedience training and that their older dogs will not be accepted into the class. Although some schools focus on puppy training, most schools offer classes for dogs of all ages and all levels of training.
Remember that while dog obedience training is to help teach the basic commands, it can also be a great way to spend time with your dog and to help them bond with you. If you are having a specific problem with your pet, such as they are rolling in stinky stuff or running away every time you open the door, there are also classes that are specifically geared towards this type of obedience problems.
Once you decide that you are interested in attending dog obedience training with your pooch, it is best to take a few minutes to research exactly what to look for in an obedience school.
Types of Training:
Some dog owners might be looking for basic command training, while others will be looking for advanced training to use their dogs for agility challenges, fowl hunting and retrieving and even for training. As well, some schools will focus on a certain type of training, so it is important to consider whether their training matches your needs as a dog owner. It is also helpful to look for a dog training school that offers various levels of obedience training, in case you would like to continue on with your dog training to help remain consistent with your dog.
Methods of Training:
Before you rush into the nearest dog training school and sign up for classes, you should attend an orientation or another training class to get an idea of what type of training the instructor or instructors will be using. Remember that just as you might not agree with the method a fitness instructor uses for teaching a class, you also might not agree with the training methods an instructor uses for teaching a dog obedience class.
Instructor Experience:
One of the most important things to look for is the type of experience the instructor has working with dogs. Are they simply a dog lover that is really good with animals or have they actually received formal dog obedience training? Remember that not all states will require dog instructors to have formal training, so it is up to your discretion to determine whether the instructor is suited to teach classes.
References:
Because there are so many different schools to choose from, you really should select a school that offers references from satisfied customer. You may also want to verify these references by asking veterinarians or local dog owners that have completed dog obedience schools.
When Richard Livitski isn’t busy digging up information on Dog Obedience Schools, he’s working on his dog names website http://www.dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as other helpful dog related topics can be found.
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If you have a dog as a pet one of the best things you can do is get it trained. The training does not have to be intense, it just has to involve teaching your dog the basic obedience skills that include the sit, stay and heel commands. By having your dog trained even with the basic commands you will notice a remarkable improvement in your dogs behaviour and this will make life so much easier for you and your dog. You have two options in finding a way to train your dog. The first is to find a qualified trainer and the second is to look for on-line dog training classes.
Having a qualified trainer to train your dog is probably the most effective and fastest way to train your dog however, a good trainer comes at a cost. If the cost is prohibitive on-line dog training classes are definitely worth looking at. There are many on-line classes available to meet the demands of this huge market.
Many of the on-line classes can offer different training for specific breeds such as working dog training, hunting dog training or guard dog training. Most on-line classes will cover the basic obedience skills however, many can develop more thorough training programs that cover a wider list of disciplines. Other classes can offer more specialised training for specific breeds such as retrievers or German shepherds, while other on-line trainers focus solely on training puppies or younger dogs. Many of these courses are developed and managed by professional trainers and you should be able to find plenty of good advice and tips. As always, use your due diligence and check the feedback of previous customers before using any of their services.
On-line dog training classes are a convenient and cost effective way in helping you train your dog with the basic command skills however, if you need more complex training or your dog has behavioural problems then, the best option is to use a personal trainer. No matter how good and comprehensive on-line dog training classes are they can never replace the one to one attention that a qualified trainer can provide especially, when the dog requires serious training needs.
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I recently had some experiences with my dogs as well as a few with friends’ dogs which actually told me about Importance of Dog Obedience Training. Before these experiences I always thought Dog Obedience Training is something a dog owner can do without any expert knowledge or experience, but I was proved wrong
My friend Tania and her husband matt bought a Pug/Chihuahua from a pet store and they named him Jack. When I visited them one 1st weekend I literally envied them both because of jack. Jack was such a cute and cheerful pug he kept jumping all over the couple with joy and love he was very playful and friendly and got acquainted to me in no time as well. I spent that afternoon with them had dinner and went back home to find my Labrador Badger had not eaten is lunch and I had to feed him like I do every day. I involuntarily started comparing Badger and Jack and when I realized that I felt guilty to my bones. Immediately I realized that my dog had separation anxiety issue and I decided to train him to be more independent and vowed to myself I will get read of his separation anxiety issues. Besides separation anxiety my dog also had terrible obedience problem. I called a few friends who owned a dog and asked for tips about Obedience Training. Some of them told me some training commands and how to get train dog for those commands like
• “Heel” to walk on a loose leash
• Respond to “No!”
• “Sit”
• “Stay”
• “Down”
• Respond to “Release”
I tried to teach those to Badger over next week trying not to lose my temper and not to get frustrated. I was successful to some extent in it but I realized it’s not really giving me the results which I expected and I was losing my temper and time over it. Next weekend I had Tania and matt for lunch at my house and I was surprised when they walked in with their dog Jack with them. As we sat down and started talking they told me they are now calling him “Jack the Ripper” and can’t leave him home alone even for a minute. Because of he would rip of pillows and sofa. I smiled to myself and told them problem I am facing with my dog about Obedience Training is pretty similar to what they are facing and as we talked more about it we realized that We are not really equipped for training dogs we have not idea about Obedience Training. And as we though Obedience Training is not really a child’s play it’s a tough job.
We deliberated about solutions and decided we should call a professional dog trainer to get our dogs trained. We searched in yellow pages for dog trainers and called a few dog trainers just to find out that their fees were something we couldn’t afford. We were back to square one and finally we decided to buy some books and train dogs by ourselves. We searched on internet for books about Dog obedience training and found a couple of good ones and I learned a lot from them I would love to share my training experiences with my readers
Dog obedience training experience 1:
We used our dogs name to get his attention. To have good control of our dog we realized we must be able to get a good orientation response from the animal. [ Build attention by using your pet’s name when calling it for food, walks, and play.] we did this randomly 10 times a day. Most important thing we learned was to never punish our dogs for coming to you or by calling him.
Dog obedience training experience 2:
We Always enforced commands that we gave, and didn’t constantly repeat commands. If we were not serious about enforcing a command, we didn’t give it.
Dog obedience training experience 3:
We Used timing as a form of communication with our dogs. Timing is one of the key elements of canine education. It does not matter what teaching method we were using, we worked at developing the proper timing for each technique.
Dog obedience training experience 4:
We didn’t punish desirable behavior. Such as having your puppy eliminate outside and then immediately leaving the puppy. If the puppy wants to be with you, you will have just punished the pup for doing the right behavior.
Al Bullington keeps all kinds of pets including a dog, cats, quail, bantam chickens, standard chickens, guinea fowl and parakeets.
Shih Tzu puppy training can be done faster than you may think. Here are the tricks to get started right…
Shih Tzu puppy training is essential if you’re going to have a well-behaved adult Shih Tzu. It isn’t that an older dog cannot be trained, but it’s so much easier to start your dog off right. With just a few general training principles your puppy can get off to a great start.
Remember that what is cute behavior in a tiny little dog could be annoying at best in your adult pet. Remember too that no matter how much you love your new puppy, that puppy will grow to be an adult dog. Many times unacceptable behavior in an adult dog results in the dog leaving it’s home, not by choice either. So, you must not let behavior go that will endanger your long-term relationship with your pet.
We are talking about discipline here. You must first do some thinking about what is acceptable behavior to you. You as the pet owner must make decisions. And start early to set boundaries for your pet. What do you expect from your pet? What are your responsibilities? Do not let behavior problems go unchecked. Caring for a Shi Tzu puppy is a major responsibility, but a fun one too!
If you see a behavior problem developing and you do not know what to do, get some help. Training resources are widely available either with a local trainer or on the Internet plus books and videos. See, your pet is looking to you for guidance. You must not fail your pet. It may be you that really needs the training and not your pet.
But it is a large mistake to expect too much from a tiny puppy. Little Shih Tzu puppies are very easily distracted and have tiny small attention spans. Your little puppy can learn quickly, but do not push too hard and fast with training. Be patient, very patient with puppies.
To be successful with Shih Tzu puppy training, try to link rewards with desired behavior. Link a less desired outcome with undesired behavior. Please don’t think violence is necessary. Firm but gentle is the way to head off problems.
One of the first training steps is housebreaking your puppy. Don’t start too early. Check with your dog’s breeder for a suggested time to start training. Housebreaking is a task that must be done or else your pet will probably not stay at your house.
One way to handle this is to monitor your pup closely and scoop the pup up and get to the proper place for elimination before it happens. There are several methods plus several different products to help. Products to help include dog litter boxes, doggie diapers and potty pads.
House training is just the start. You can move on to obedience training and even on to teaching tricks to your puppy.
Your puppy can grow to be a fun and important part of your family with just a little guidance from you.
Dogs play an interesting role in our society these days. Dog obedience training is now expected of our furry friends. They live in our houses, walk our sidewalks beside us, play with our children in the front yard and visit their doggie buddies at the dog park. They are expected to be on their best behavior at all times. This is a lot to ask of an animal!
Many years ago, dogs held a different role. Most likely, our parents grew up with dogs who didn’t know what a leash was! There was always the scary dog who lived in the neighborhood and children knew to petal quickly by that house on their bicycle! Dogs may have lived outside – all the time. Tell that to today’s dog who attends doggie daycare 3 times a week and wears designer collars!
Today, the role dogs play in our lives and societies has changed (that scary dog in the neighborhood is no longer accepted as “just being a dog”, now the owner would have to deal with neighbor complaints, city fines and legal issues if the dog ever bit someone). It is the dog owner’s responsibility to make sure their pup has the skills to be a good fit in our homes and communities.
Situations Where You Want Good Dog Behavior
There are some activities that you and your dog participate in where having a certain level of dog obedience training is not only convenient, but expected. Such situations are:
Daily life; walking a dog, having him or her in your house, interacting with family members and people who come over to your house.
Competition sports such as: agility, dog shows and flyball.
Volunteer programs such as visiting nursing homes, hospitals or schools.
Emergency situations, such as when outside and the dog’s collar comes off or their leash breaks or gets dropped.
Why Getting Obedience Is Sometimes Difficult
The primary reason dogs and people misunderstand each other or have trouble communicating is because we are two very different species and we do not speak the same language. The one thing we do have in our favor, however, is that we both seem to have an affinity for each other. Basing our relationship on the fact that we enjoy each other’s company means that we need to find an effective way to “talk” to each other. Because we are the people in the relationship (unless of course your dog can read and is the one reading this!) it is OUR responsibility to ensure we are being clear when we communicate with our dogs.
Before starting out dog obedience training, it is important that we recognize the difficulty involved in this for our dogs.
easons why training may be difficult for our dogs:
They are trying to read us and figure us out. As a human, we can make their job a little easier by being as consistent and clear in our instruction as possible. Reward good behavior, ignore or redirect incorrect behavior.
Dogs are under exercised and under stimulated. Asking a puppy, who has been in their kennel for a few hours while you were at work, to be calm once they are let out is an impossible task for them. It is not physically possible for the dog, therefore we can not expect it. If we want a calm dog, we need to give them exercise and energy outlets.
They may never have been taught training. Dogs become more savvy to training the more practice they get. Be patient with a dog who is a novice. If your training is clear, your dog will make progress.
Dogs do have minds of their own and we have to respect and understand that. If a dog is showing signs that training is difficult for them, analyze what may be the cause. Sometimes the dog is in physical discomfort; therefore the “sit” behavior may hurt them. Other times there are distractions such as kids, good smells, or other dogs. Imagine if you were trying to concentrate on your teacher, but someone kept waving a piece of chocolate cake or plane tickets to Hawaii in your face… it would be hard to remain focused on the teacher!
Every dog can learn. It is up to us, as the human who has specific expectations of our dog’s behavior, to help them understand what we want. We need to be patient, clear and understanding.
How to Achieve Good Behavior
If you are having trouble with dog obedience training, you will likely find that seeking the help of a professional dog trainer not only provides some great tips and suggestions, but provides a lot of fun for you and your dog! Dog training is actually a highly developed skill that involves deep understanding and the study of psychology. Just like bankers are good with numbers and plumbers are good with pipes, dog trainers are good with dogs. It is commendable that if you don’t have the knowledge to train your dog that you seek the help of someone who does. You certainly wouldn’t try to work on your water pipes if you knew nothing about plumbing! The same goes for our dogs and the way they learn.
A dog trainer who uses positive training techniques will encourage their clients to utilize treats and praise when teaching the dog good behavior. Because the behaviors being learned are brand new behaviors, it is important to give the dog rewards for doing them until the behaviors are very consistent. Once the desired behaviors are known very well by the dog, the use of treats can be used intermittently. Using positive training techniques is good for our dogs, good for us as people (the traditional ways of training where we used physical force to intimidate our dogs into acting a certain way doesn’t reflect very kindly on us!) and good for the bond we share.
Just remember, the saying that “an old dog can’t learn new tricks” simply isn’t true! Every dog can learn dog obedience training that will help them become better members of our homes and societies.
Dog obedience training should always be short, simple and fun. Get dog training tips to help your puppies and dogs develop desirable and excellent behavior.
For a solid and trustful relationship between dog and owner, a common language needs to be created. This can only be achieved by dog obedience training that opens the way to learning and understanding your pet and its needs. By dog obedience training you make sure that the animal always responds in a positive ways to your commands without losing calm and developing unsocial behavior. Exercises will help your pet create the best responses to stimuli and therefore, dog obedience training works for the benefit of both animal and adoptive family. Specific centres meet the requirements of dog owners who seek professional help in training their dogs.
There are several types of dog obedience training; let’s have a look at the very basic ones. The most common and easy to put into practice are the reward-based and the leash training types. The latter is considered to belong to the traditional dog obedience training used at first in military facilities. For such practical purposes, the leash dog obedience training has more advantages than the food reward, since it finds better adaptation to the task or mission the animal has to face. The collars bring mild or even hard correction, yet, make sure that you don’t use it ineffectively.
The leash dog obedience training teaches the animal to obey to collar control. You will need to remember that the leash is just the first step into developing the skills to get the dog obey under no matter what circumstances and relying on other tools as well. This type of dog obedience training establishes the hierarchy or the leadership in the dog’s life and the relation you develop with the dog very much depends on this aspect. Now, let’s see how the reward dog obedience training system works. Commands given to the animal and properly executed are rewarded.
Thus, the pet associates a specific positive behavior with certain rewards, caresses, a toy or usually food. Behavior patterns develop along these lines as dog obedience training pursues a mutual understanding between pet and owner. Basically teaching a trick means achieving a dog obedience training goal, lots of skills may be developed according to the matter: scent detection, fetch commands and even criminal apprehension. You may hire a professional in dog obedience training, but you have to be an active part in the process since you are the one to spend most time with the pet.
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If there is one thing all dogs respond to no matter what they are doing or how well trained they are its receiving a treat of some sort. This reward based dog training also seems to be a constant theme for the majority of dog trainers everywhere. A reward does not necessarily have to be a food treat either. The type of training may also dictate the type of rewards given.
For instance there are some forms of training, such as police or guard dog training, that commonly use playtime after the training session to reinforce what was taught. For the majority of people who are more interested in just basic obedience training small treats work best as a reward when the dog is responding positively to the training. Of course the oldest form of rewards training involves lots of spoken praise and petting to let the dog know they are doing what they are supposed to.
One thing that all good dog trainers know and understand is the negative impact yelling and losing ones temper can do during dog training. This type of behavior on the part of the owner generally will lead to less then desirable results. Maintaining control with a firm, yet calm demeanor will have any dog learning and responding much quicker then using any heavy handed method.
Dogs have been a part of the human world for thousands of years. In that time they have evolved simply to please those who take care of them. Once they know that what they are doing pleases their owner they will continue to exhibit that good behavior. A dog will respond positively to positive reinforcement and the challenge of obedience training is getting the dog to understand what you want him to do. By having him do the same thing repeatedly and rewarding him each time for a job well done you create an understanding and bond that is hard to break.
Reward based dog training should be fun for the dog and his owner. By creating a positive atmosphere for each and every training session your dog will look forward to doing his best to please you. If you create a negative environment with harsh treatment your dog will be less then happy to attempt to learn anything. His fear of being punished will far outweigh his desire to please you.
Consistency in training and the rewards used will create a well behaved, obedient dog that will be a great companion and friend no matter where you go.
