 
The dog obedience training professionals agree that the best way (and certainly the most humane) to train your dog is through the use of positive reinforcement training. This phrase refers to the use of positive reinforcement – rewarding good behavior and ignoring unwanted behavior.
This is unlike some of the once widely used dog training methods which included inflicting pain, intimidation and inhumane aversion training methods, including electric shock collars.
The fact is that positive reinforcements work with dogs. Your dog wants to make you happy, meaning that positive reinforcement works better with dogs and is better remembered.
Positive reinforcement training allows your dog to learn positive behavioral patterns at their own pace without being forced to exhibit these behaviors.
Here are some ways to make positive reinforcement training an easier process for you and your best friend:
- Meaningful rewards. While your dog does like being praised and getting a pat on the head, this will only go so far in training your dog to behave well.
To really keep your dog’s attention, you need to use food rewards. These are what dog trainers call “primary incentives” – and every dog owner knows how food-motivated a dog can be! While your dog will appreciate being patted on the head, it is the treats that will really get them remembering.
- Timing. When your dog obeys one of your commands, they have to be rewarded immediately. Remember that dogs do not have long memories and unless the reward comes immediately after the desirable behavior, they may not understand that the two are related.
Many people use a clicker when conducting obedience training for dogs. A clicker is a small metal device which makes a clicking sound. Click your clicker at the exact moment that your dog obeys a command, followed immediately by a treat. Your dog learns to associate the action, click and the treat.
You can also use your voice as a marker. Say “yes” in a happy, excited tone of voice when your dog performs a desirable behavior. Follow this immediately with a treat and use the same verbal cue every single time. You have to be consistent in order to teach your dog to follow these desirable behavioral patterns.
Decide ahead of time which command you'll use before you start your dog obedience training program
When you are trying to get your dog to learn a new command, decide beforehand which verbal cue you’ll be using when training your dog. Use this cue consistently throughout your training. For instance, if you want to teach your dog to quit jumping on you when you get home, stick with one command, such as “no jump” instead of a variety of phrases like “get off” get down” and so on.
Even if your dog is exceptionally smart, you need to keep in mind that your dog can only understand a few words. You can teach your old dog new tricks, but you have to be consistent with both markers and rewards in order to be successful in teaching your dog desirable behaviors. As long as you can stick with positive reinforcement training, your dog will learn and the both of you will come through the dog obedience training process unscathed.
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Who else wants to put a stop their dog's behavior problems?
Secrets to Dog Training presents an unusually detailed and thorough look at how to both prevent and deal with the more common problem behaviors exhibited by dogs.
Written by a seasoned dog trainer, you can relax in the knowledge that all the tips and advice included are tried and true, and come from Stevens’ real-life experiences as a professional dog trainer.
There is also a straight-talking, easy to follow 30-minute downloadable video which provides real-life examples of doggy bad behavior along with solutions and remedies to change them. Click here to check it out now! |
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