DogTrainster.Com

Article Source: Azstarnet.com
By Jennifer Sterba

Local dog-training experts say that when a pet fails to learn a command or behavior, it’s often because the owner failed to communicate or train his or her dog. In other words, the fault lies with the owner, not the dog.

Thom McKinney, owner of Dog Day Adventures, started his business two years ago after learning everything he could about dog training and behavior.

“Some sources will tell you that some breeds are more malleable, trainable or designed to please the trainer more,” he said. “There is some merit to that. However, lots of people nowadays have mixed breeds.”

But any dog has the desire to please, and tapping into that desire is the key to motivating your dog to learn.
So we asked our experts to tell us, how can you tell if your dog — er, owner — is trainable?

Is your dog focused on you?

Steve Dell, owner of a Bark Busters franchise in Tucson, said that on an initial visit, he’ll put the dog in a sitting position and watch the dog’s eyes. If the dog is looking at the owner, he’s paying attention. If he’s looking all around, at the child down the street, he’s not focussed.

“If the dog is not focused, then we’re going to work on a variety of things to get the dog paying attention to the owner.”

Who’s the boss?

“All dogs are trainable,” Dell said. “They all want to follow a good, strong leader.” Dell said he interviews the owner on the dog’s living arrangements.

Where does the dog sleep? Does the owner put his food down and then pick it up later, or is the dog allowed to graze all day? How does the dog behave in the car?

“These things go a long way in helping me help the owner assume leader-of-the-pack status.”

Do you speak his language?

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in dog training occurs when the owner says, “No!”

The dog doesn’t understand the difference between “know” and “no” for starters, Dell said. So right off the bat, the owner is possibly confusing the dog.

Second, Dell teaches owners to read their dog’s body language and communication style.

The obvious growl translates to, “Hey, you’re out of line,” Dell said.

How quickly does your dog follow commands?

“It can be a verbal command, but oftentimes when I meet a new dog, I can just point to their rear area or on the ground and they often will sit,” McKinney said.

That’s why making eye contact with your dog is so important, he said.

Most dog trainers recommend interchanging verbal and nonverbal commands, even changing to just facial expressions, he said.

Does your dog know how to please you?

“If you’re only punishing your dog when they do something bad, they don’t know what to do to please you,” said Christopher Beeson, co-owner of Dawg House, a dog day care at 750 N. Stone Ave.

Beeson said it’s important that positive reinforcement and repetition go hand-in-hand. He suggests ignoring any bad behavior and focusing on praising and rewarding positive behavior.

“That’s what makes them look smart,” he said, “when they’re only doing something that pleases our species.”

Article Source: iconsclub.com
By Lee Dobbins

One of the most effective dog training techniques smaller dogs is reward training. Because choke collars and other aggressive forms of training are ineffective with small breeds like Poodles, Pugs and the Pomeranian due to their small physical stature, reward training has been commonly used as an alternative.

Reward training is one of the most common types of obedience training. It teaches dogs to help with police work and military work. This is also the method commonly used to train dogs used in films and advertisements. It is equally effective to help your own pet master basic instructions in obedience.

Reward training simply means a treat for your dog after a job well done. Treats may mean many things for your dog, may it be food or just a few pats on the head and an enthusiastic “good boy”.

You can train your dog to do nearly anything with reward based dog training techniques. In order to succeed with this training method, you just need to use a specific group of tactics to get your pet to do what you want him to do and then reward him right after he does what you want.

For example, the best and easy way to teach your dog to sit is by way of dangling the treat above his head and gradually moving it towards his back until he sits on his own. Do this process while saying the command “sit”, and then commend and reward him right after he sits. Your dog will easily relate the command “sit” to the action of sitting and the treat that goes with it.

If you want to train your dog without the use of voice commands, then you can take advantage of the reward training method known as clicker training. With this method, a clicker is used (usually along with hand signals) to communicate the desired task to the dog. Just like with a voice command, once the dog performs the task he is rewarded with the treat. Over time, the clicker is all that will be necessary for the dog to respond.

Reward training can do great wonders for your dog and will make your training a fast process. That key is to get your dog to perform the action on his own and then reward him consistently.

Training your pet should be a fulfilling tasks for both you and your animal. The use of reward based dog training techniques will allow you and your pet to achieve your goals without the use of aggressive techniques which may injure or scare your small dog.

Article Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com
By Deborah Wood

Behavior problems are the No. 1 reason animals are turned over to shelters, and the leading cause of death for dogs under 3 years of age.

The good news is that almost all these problems are preventable. Spending a little bit of time and effort today is relatively painless. And it can avert a sometimes sad, always difficult and usually expensive problem later.

Here are seven simple rules to observe if you want a dog that is a pleasure to live with:

Rule 1: Start early. Every Wednesday night, the puppies take over Dog Days Dog Training in Vancouver, Wash. There is equipment to play on, new friends to make during structured playtime, basic commands to learn and plenty of potty breaks.

“It’s important to get a puppy socialized in a safe, controlled environment,” explains Julie Wilcoxson, co-owner of Dog Days and trainer of the puppy kindergarten class. Puppies grow into calmer adult dogs if they’re exposed to noises, people of all ages and other dogs while they are still young.

In a good kindergarten class, the dogs have supervised play with other puppies that match up well for their size and temperament. They learn simple commands and learn to be still in their owners’ arms.

While socialization is important, it’s also vital to use common sense with puppies that are still getting their vaccinations. Don’t take puppies to places such as public parks where unvaccinated dogs are likely to be. Look for safe, clean environments where careful owners take their dogs.

Your veterinarian may be able to recommend a good puppy kindergarten class. Another place to look for puppy kindergarten and other dog training is the Web site of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers: www.apdt.com.

Rule 2: If you didn’t start early, train your dog now. One study showed one of the biggest differences between dogs that are given to shelters and those that aren’t was obedience classes. Dogs that know such simple skills as sit, come and walking on a leash are better companions than those that don’t. And dogs can learn at any age.

Rule 3: Exercise your dog. Barking, jumping and constantly nagging his owner to play ball are signs that a dog isn’t getting the exercise it needs. A tired dog is a good dog.

Walking your dog is a good start. Dogs bond with the people who walk them, and it’s great for both of you. For most dogs, all it takes is a pleasant daily walk to feel calm and bonded.

For other dogs, a long walk is just a warmup. Siberian huskies and border collies were bred to run hours a day. Riding your bicycle with your dog, playing fetch or taking your dog to doggie day care can all be alternatives for these high-energy dogs. Don’t let size fool you: Many little breeds, such as Jack Russell terriers and even some tiny papillons, may need more exercise than large dogs.

Exercise needs generally decline with age, but not always. Some dogs crave a high level of physical activity their whole lives.

Rule 4: Make your dog earn his dinner. Feeding your dog two meals a day — and making him work for his food when you feed him — may transform your dog. Ask him to do a simple command (such as “sit”) that he knows well before you put the bowl down. Wait patiently until he does what you ask before you feed him.

Ask your dog to do a command before giving treats, too, and even before petting him. If your dog doesn’t do what you ask, just turn away and don’t give the treat or the petting. Soon, your dog will do the simple command when you ask.

This is a gentle, calm way to show your dog that you are the kind and benevolent leader. You may be stunned at how much closer your relationship with your dog becomes just from this change.

Rule 5: Teach your dog impulse control. Lots of dogs know “sit” or “come” but become wild and crazy when something exciting happens. The star of the obedience class may jump on guests when they arrive at your door.

“A dog that has good impulse control learns that being polite is what gets him what he wants,” says Suzanne Malick, training director for Pup-A-Razzi in Beaverton, Ore.

She recommends selecting a behavior that comes naturally to the dog, such as sitting or lying down, and rewarding the behavior every time the dog does it. That behavior becomes a way for the dog to communicate back to you. When he wants something, he’ll begin to offer the default behavior — and you’ll have a dog that is calm, rather than excited, when he’s hoping for something fun.

Rule 6: Deal with little problems before they become big problems. If you have a puppy, don’t allow him to do anything now that you won’t allow when he’s full size. If you don’t want a 70-pound adult dog jumping up and licking at you, don’t let the 7-pound puppy do it.

Deal with irritating habits when they start, before they progress to dangerous behaviors over time. For most dogs, ignoring the bad behavior and rewarding the good behavior quickly shapes a happy, well-behaved dog.

Rule 7: Ask for help if you need it. Even in the best families, sometimes there are troubled kids. The same thing happens with dogs. If your dog is aggressive or has other behavior you don’t know how to deal with, ask for help now. The longer a dog practices bad behavior, the harder it is to change. Talk with your veterinarian about whether your dog might need a referral to medical intervention by a behavior specialist.

Article Source: cooldoghalloffame.com

One of the most popular and basic dog training commands is the sit command. This is the kind of command that is commonly used among novice and professional dog trainers.

Before learning other basic dog training commands it is important to learn all the fundamentals before emerging your dog to acquire the most complex orders. The sit command is considered a sign of obedience that should be taught as soon as your dog becomes acquainted and comfortable with the name given to him.

There are a lot of ways in giving out this command yet, what an owner should know is the value of proper timing. Proper timing is very vital; though practicing frequently few dog training commands without having to consider other circumstances is not a bad idea after all, however, proper timing alongside your dog’s frame of mind is very salient factors to consider when you want your dog to catch up easily with your teachings.

It is also imperative to be knowledgeable of moments when dogs are gleaned at their best. A dog is considered responsive to training methods and instructions usually before meals or when a dog is starving and is yearning for something. Knowing this will help you focus on the appropriate ways to make them be in their utmost attention in the course of the training.

Afterwards, make certain to reward your dogs for a good deed or for something they’ve done that is considerably appropriate. Avoid making them hang around for a longer period of time for this will only propel confusing points to your dogs. This will greatly affect his behavior and would result to disobedience in the long run.

Once you are able to get fully aware of all the information you need to know, it is now time to begin with the actual training. Before doing so, have yourself fully equipped with the treats especially when your dog performs well. You should also start in a quiet place so as to avoid any disturbance and distraction from outside sources. Then, try to gradually move the treats above your dog’s head, take notice that while doing this kind of trick; your dog would logically fall back into a sitting position by means of bending their legs when they try to aim for the treat or the target above his head.

When you get satisfactory results upon accomplishing a task, give your dogs some reward. This task might probably take several days or even weeks to be completed yet, it can be perfected as you try to instill those dog training commands regularly. If your dog refuses to stay in one place while doing the exercises, it is best to try using other disciplinary procedures that can be accessible on the net.

It is important therefore, to take note of appropriate dog training commands whenever you employ different tips and techniques. A general understanding of different dog commands as well as their basic needs will greatly help in ensuring an amenable and submissive dog.

Have a great dog training day,

Dr. Alfonso

Article Source: avexco.com

Dog training does not have to be an excruciating painful task, it can actually be quite enjoyable, if it is done appropriately. It is always very important for a dog owner to understand that dog training is not going to happen overnight, it will in fact take a little bit of time, which means patience is an absolute must.

With the right amount of knowledge and a really good attitude, your dog could eventually be the best and most trained dog around in your area, which could really give you something to brag about right. Everyone that owns a dog really does want their dog to be well behaved and for their dog to listen to their commands, but nobody seems to want to put in any amount of work in order to really make this happen. It is so funny, it seems that most people just expect that their dog will just automatically listen to their commands, maybe if they scream it at them or whip their behinds.

It is so important to realize that it just does not really work this way people. In order to have a well trained dog that does listen to your commands, you will absolutely have to gather up some correct information on different dog training tips that can help you throughout this process, or else it probably will not happen for you.

Instead of looking at this as a dreaded task, look at it as an opportunity for you and your dog to become closer and while this is happening both of you will begin trusting one another much more and a special bond will begin being created as well. Dog training will be a time when you and your dog will be spending a great deal of time with one another, which is always a great thing. One reason for so many different kinds of dog behavior problems is because they are lonely, nobody to play with, not getting enough attention, which is why spending time with your dog is so very important.

Let your dog know how very proud of him you are anytime that he does something worth rewarding, even if it is just something small really. The more you praise them, the more likely they will be to continue their good behavior for you. Have fun with your pooch, try throwing a ball for him and letting him go and get it and bring it back to you. Each time that he brings it back to you and lets you have it, really brag on him. This quickly turns into a new little game for you to play with one another and is really a fun way for you and your dog to pass some time.

You could be using dog training techniques on your dog and not even realize it, that is always a great thing right. You and your dog will be much happier in the end thanks to you giving him the attention that he requires and applying dog training techniques on him every single chance that you do get with him.

Article Source: cbc.ca
By Liz Brown

If you’re a fitness buff and dog owner, chances are you’ve toyed with the idea of taking Rover for a run. Most likely it was after watching an uber-fit marathoner jaunt past with a loyal Labrador (sans leash) at his side. Perhaps you’ve even attempted a run with your dog.

But if your canine companion is less than co-operative, the workout can quickly turn into an exercise in futility.

Running with an improperly trained or ill-suited dog can be frustrating and even downright dangerous for both animal and owner. Here a dog trainer, veterinarian and owner offer tips for choosing, training and maintaining the health of a four-legged running partner.
Lapdog or lap-runner?

Before setting out, take an honest look at your dog. Is he a high-energy mutt who would love to run, or is he a breed more suited to snuggling at your feet?

Sporting and working breeds are the best choice for running partners, says Ben Moradian, a dog trainer and owner of K9PRO, which has locations in Montreal and Calgary. Moradian suggests retrievers, pointers, German shepherds and Dobermans are generally good breeds to look at if you are planning to run with your dog.

“But there are always exceptions to the rule,” he warns.

Rottweilers, for example, appear to be a dog suited for running because of their build, but this is not the case, according to Moradian. Their body structure makes it difficult for them to cool down once they are overheated.

“So a five- to 10-minute jog would be OK, but 30 to 40 minutes would not be,” says Moradian.
Heel!

After type of dog, obedience is key. After all, a run will be no fun if your dog stops to sniff every tree, or races in front of you and trips you up. Your dog should learn to heel, and a good obedience class can teach this skill.

Moradian trumpets running with your dog as a way to deal with obedience problems as well.

“When running you can establish a hierarchy and have a dog that is more calm, confident and secure,” he says. “Most dogs I deal with are under-exercised. and lots of times walking is not sufficient on its own.”
Dogs unleashed

Shelagh Macdonald, program director at the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies in Ottawa, has two Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers she runs with regularly. “If you’re an active person, it’s easy to combine your run with [the dog’s] walk,” she says. “It’s one of my favourite things to do.”

Macdonald takes her pair to areas where dogs are allowed to roam off-leash for 40- to 60-minute runs.

“It’s more fun for the dog and person,” she says.

Dr. Stacie Akins, a veterinarian at the Marda Loop veterinary clinic in Calgary, agrees that running with an off-leash dog is a better option.

“Ideally, you should jog with your dog in off-leash areas so that he or she can got at his or her own pace and has the option to speed up or rest if needed,” she says. “You and your dog may not have the same ideal pace, and it may be difficult for your dog to match your stride comfortably or even safely.”
Clean bill of health

Before embarking on a running program, Dr. Akins recommends getting the “all clear” from the dog’s vet.

And both Dr. Akins and Moradian say that dogs, just like humans, need to be conditioned for jogging.

“Start with short distances and build up endurance over time, do not force your dog if he or she is lagging behind and wishes to rest,” says Dr. Akins.

Moradian recommends beginning with 10-minute sessions, twice daily, and then combining them.
Keep cool

Even if your dog is “running fit,” it’s important to recognize that dogs don’t have as efficient cooling systems as humans do and are more susceptible to heat stroke. Especially in warmer weather, runners need to be alert to signs of exhaustion and overheating.

“Dogs will go farther than they should,” says Macdonald.

“Make sure you and your dog are acclimatized to current temperatures before attempting your regular jog,” warns Dr. Akins. “Even moderate temperatures can be dangerous if you and your dog are not used to them yet.”

Signs of heat stroke include excessive panting, increased heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea and depression.

“Since the earliest sign of heat stroke is excessive panting, which may look a lot like normal panting, it’s always best to avoid running in hot weather and choose cooler times of the day for your jog,” says Dr. Akins, adding that jogging should be avoided in temperatures above 25 Celsius.

And like humans, dogs need to hydrate regularly while exercising, so bringing along water, or running near a body of water like a river, is a good idea.

A final caveat — even if Fido is bred for running, and is healthy to run, it doesn’t mean he’s going to enjoy it. Like humans, dogs have their own personalities, and you may need to find a human running partner if your canine isn’t keen.

“Remember, each dog is an individual and may not share your love of running,” says Dr. Akins.

Article Source: examiner.com
By Jeff Millman

Having a baby and getting ready for the big day? Don’t forget about the importance of planning ahead and making sure your dog is ready for the arrival of your new baby.

Pre-baby strategies
Here are some training tips you can practice before the baby arrives. I have many clients that hire me months ahead of time to work on these strategies. You can avoid surprises by practing well in advance.

* Use a baby doll as a prop to get used to holding a baby while you are walking the dog, managing his behavior and moving around the house.
* Practice changing the baby diaper, giving the a bath, etc. using the doll. This will help determine what behaviors such as STAY or NO JUMPING that you need to work on for “hot moments”.
* Get a CD with baby noises and start playing it so your dog hears the noises and it becomes part of the normal environment.
* Create positive associations by giving your dog treats whenever he sees children. Be especially aware of when children are running and shouting and give extra treats when these events happen.
* Teach a rock-solid LEAVE IT, STAY, DROP IT, DOWN, OFF, and GO TO MAT, COME.
* Introduce your dog to all the baby items before the baby is home. Work on a strong LEAVE IT with any items not to be touched by your dog.
* Create positive associations with items such as the stroller. Every time your dog goes near the stroller (without jumping up on it) give him a yummy treat.
* Practice orientation of the helper person when the baby arrives for hot moments such as changing a diaper. You don’t want to put yourself in a bad training situation where you are changing a diaper by yourself and having to control your dog’s activities. There should be a designated trainer to help practice initially.
* Work on managing your dog’s movement using baby gates, dog-proofing a room, or getting a crate for him to be in. You can’t expect him to always obey commands. Sometimes he needs to be distanced from the situation and you don’t want him to be agitated and bark continuously during these times.
* If there is anyway to bring something home with the baby’s scent on it before you come home, this is a good way to start positive associations and help your dog get used to the new smells.

Introduction Strategies

* Have someone else hold the baby and have the new mom go in first. You want to avoid a negative association the first time your dog meets the baby to be greeted with a stressful, understandable shout because he is jumping on the new baby and mother.
* Start the greeting from a safe distance away and have your dog do behaviors to keep his mind occupied. Make sure that there is no jumping, fast movements and shouting in reaction. Use a leash if you are not absolutely sure of safety.
* Do repeated short greetings, make it pleasant, and then manage your dog if there is any risk of jumping or anxiety.

Day-to-day strategies

* You need to create consistent, identifiable behaviors for your dog to follow. If there are rooms that are off-limits, for instance, you should use a combination of management using baby gates or closing doors and training.
* ALWAYS supervise contact between your dog and the baby.
* Set aside appropriate time periods to give your dog the exercise and attention he needs. Sometimes inappropriate behavior is identified as “jealousy” when in reality it is just under-exercise and stimulation.
* Find other ways to exercise and stimulate your dog through games, hide and seek, training sessions, etc.
* Always let him know when he is acting appropriately whether that means not jumping, being gentle around the baby, being calm, etc.
* Keep him supplied with new, exciting chew toys to give him chewing stimulation. Make sure he likes them, and remove them for safety and to keep them novel when he is not using them.

Article Source: peteducation.com

‘Not every dog loves a face-in-the-wind car ride.’

For some dogs, car rides produce a great deal of anxiety. A combination of fear and not understanding what is happening will cause drooling, shaking, or even vomiting in some dogs and cats. In humans, we refer to this as car sickness or motion sickness; however, true motion sickness is a result of an inner ear problem. Some dogs truly do have motion sickness, and for these animals products such as Dramamine can be used under the supervision of a veterinarian. For most dogs, however, the sickness is strictly an over-reaction to the fear and apprehension of the car noise, motion, etc. If your dog would rather be anywhere besides in the car, here is how you can help her overcome the fear of car rides.

1. Get your dog used to the car environment. Get in the car together and have a treat. Talk. Be happy. Make it a fun time. Do not have the car running, just share a treat and make it a positive experience. Repeat this a number of times on different occasions. You may want to feed your dog in the car. If your dog is afraid of even getting into the car, try feeding or giving a treat close to the car.

2. Get your dog used to the car while it is running. Repeat step one, only this time start the car. Give a treat before and after. If she looks or acts nervous, reassure her that everything is OK. Take your time and make sure she is relaxed before ending the session.

3. Get your dog used to the motion of the moving car. Once she is used to the car running without any fearful reaction, back the car to the end of the driveway, then forward again to the garage. Give her a treat and praise her. Repetition is the key. The more you do this the more confident your dog becomes that cars are no problem. In fact, to her it becomes a great place for attention, praise, and even treats.

4. Now it is time to take a short trip around the block. Treats and praise before and after, and calm, reassuring talk throughout the ride are a pre-requisite. Gradually increase the distance traveled until your dog is calm no matter how long she’s in the car.

Get puppies used to the car while they are still young and are more receptive to new adventures. Dogs make excellent traveling companions so it is well worth the training now for the years of enjoyment it will bring both of you once you get over this obstacle together.

Article Source: todayslocalnews.com
By Arden Moore

Training a dog can be child’s play. Many professional dog trainers report that their best students are children and teenagers.

It makes sense. Children and puppies possess wonderful young minds that soak up learning like sponges. In dog training classes, children learn to succeed. They gain confidence by being able to show off tricks they taught their dog. It’s definitely a win-win for dogs and kids.

Recently, I was invited to speak to a group of cool kids enrolled at the day camp at Escondido Humane Society. When I arrived, the children (between 6 and 11) were all sitting on the floor in anticipation — along with a lovable yellow Labrador named Sunny, a 6-year-old dog belonging to the class instructor, Ina Shookoff.

Our topic was bringing out the best in our dogs using a surefire motivator — healthy treats. Sunny happily heeded my cues to watch me, sit and stay because he quickly grasped my “treats for tricks” philosophy.

The children were eager to learn the ABCs of meeting a dog. First, “A” for ask permission. Next, “B” for be sniffed by slowly offering the back of the hand for the dog to smell, and finally, “C” for be careful to stroke the dog’s back and not tap-tap-tap on the head.

Next up: food bowl advice. The children quickly equated the importance of serving the right food in the right amounts to their dogs to keep them from turning into hairy, four-legged ottomans.

They began shouting out what the first ingredients of any quality pet food should contain: beef, chicken or fish. They quickly raised their hands to deliver the right answer when it comes to portions — use a measuring cup so you can truly know how much chow your canine is receiving.

I love working with young audiences — they keep me on my toes and amaze me with their abilities. Children between the ages of 9 and 15 make the best students in dog training classes because they are the most open to learning.

Adults often have too many bad habits to break, or they become too goal-oriented. My training friends tell me that it can be challenging to show adult students a new way to teach their puppies or dogs to sit and stay.

The competitive nature also surfaces sometimes in classes with some adults wanting their dogs not only to learn the commands but also to be the best. That puts undue pressure on a dog and can interfere with effective training.

Another plus for young students: great eye-hand coordination and timing. In clicker training, you learn to press a small metal device to make a clicking sound each time your dog does the right step. You immediately follow that sound with a small treat to reinforce his actions. The timing of the click is essential. Adults may be a little slow with the clicking sound, but children possess good eye-hand coordination, thanks in part to their video game skills. They usually manage to click on cue.

I know a 9-year-old named Kim who enrolled in a clicker-training puppy class with her dachshund, Bogart. The trainer in charge told me that Kim ranked top in her class, which included mostly adults. Kim even surprised her mom by getting Bogart to heed basic commands like sit, stay and settle during the first day of clicker-training class.

Now Kim and Bogart have advanced to work on new commands and fun tricks, and their confidence levels rise with each success.

Your children represent the next generation of the pet-loving public, so encourage them to join you in your dog’s training classes. Then sit back and witness the maturity growth in your children and your dogs. Now, that’s the best definition of child’s play.

Article Source: bullysticksfordogs.com

Owning a dog brings many pleasures but owners also take on a lot of responsibility too; training a dog is part of fulfilling this responsibility and the dog, owners and the wider community all benefit.

Practically every dog training program uses positive reinforcement as the underpinning technique; dog sits on command, gets a treat; dog comes to heel on command, gets praise; dog fetches a toy; dog gets a reward.

It’s simple and effective which is why it has become so widespread.

Like anything else in life, following a training plan is not a simple journey from A to B.  There will be areas where the program will run into roadblocks but fortunately these are rarely insurmountable and can be traced to three main root causes:

1.    inconsistency;
2.    impatience; and
3.    treating the dog as a “thing” and not approaching training as a team effort.

We shall deal with each of these in turn.

Inconsistency

Dogs are predictable animals and they view things in black and white; remember the phrase Pavlovian reaction?

A scientist rang a bell every time just before dogs were fed and they became so accustomed to this that they associated the bell ringing with food.  Eventually, he simply had to ring the bell and the dogs would salivate even though there was no food.

Dogs simply understand cause and effect and this underlies dog training methods as we noted to begin with – an owner commands, “Sit!”, and as soon as the dog obeys they get, “Good Boy!”.  Eventually the dog will sit upon command without praise because they have been conditioned to sit upon that command in anticipation of being praised or receiving a reward.

Now you are in the dog’s shoes (paws) and as a puppy you are told, “Sit!” and when you do one day, you are rewarded. This continues for as long as it takes for your puppy brain to get the idea.

One day, you are told, “Come here and sit down.” And you cannot understand why your owner is becoming frustrated because you simply don’t understand.

Dogs respond to regular actions and activity which produces regular SAME reward and there should be no deviation from this practice.

Impatience

Dogs are intelligent animals and very social, they expect to be part of a pack and expect and welcome a strict hierarchy so they know their place and this makes them comfortable.

There will be times when a dog simply does not get the concept that the trainer is trying to impart to the animal; sometimes it is because the dog has a stumbling block to assimilating the information and frequently, it is because the trainer is introducing complex concepts the dog simply is unable to grasp fast enough.

Training a dog is not something that produces an immediate result – a trained dog – it is in fact a process which takes time and requires regular and frequent topping up to reinforce the training as time goes by.  Owners frequently demonstrate impatience that their dog is not progressing as quickly as they would like but in most instances, it is their own fault and not that of the animal.

Experienced trainers are patient; they know that the dog will respond to training eventually and it simply requires repeated reinforcement until the animal finally as that Eureka moment.

Dogs are not things – they are your training partner

A dog is not a thing that will simply respond without any thought or imbuing its own personality and individuality.  Whenever you undertake to train a dog it is not simply the animal that is being trained, it is in fact both of you – you are a team!

The dog is looking to you as its pack leader, it will follow your cues and wants to please you but the owner must also train themselves to understand how their dog is viewing them and the world and understand why the dog reacts in a certain way and not in others.

Training is not a chore and the dog is not simply a dumb animal and treating either as such will not go unnoticed by the animal; dogs are very smart and will pick up on any cues you give and especially if you are not acting as if you are an integral part of the dog’s life and social make up.