Every dog can be taught
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.”
