DogTrainster.Com

Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Jeff Millman

I always joke that I “think about dog training 36 hours per day.” This is not far off. Whether I am working with my dogs or working with a client, there are frequent times that I will explain something a bit differently than I have in the past, or I will try something just a little bit different and get an “Ah Hah!” moment.

They are not necessarily profound, “Wake the children” ideas, but still might be helpful to you.

I had one of those moments tonight. I try and do a few training sessions throughout the day with my dogs and today was no exception. I planned on training them for a few minutes and then giving them their dinner. I worked with them for bit and then asked them for a “Down Stay” in another room while I loaded the dishwasher from our dinner and then fixed their dinner as well.

I set the timer on the stove for 10 minutes instead of just guessing how long they were in their stay. It is amazing how time seems to  go faster than it actually does. If I thought they were staying for 10 minutes without the timer, I probably would have released them after only 5 or 6. The timer kept me on track. 10 minutes is just an arbitrary time, sometimes I will do more or less. I think the longest I have asked them to stay is 30 minutes.

I  sometimes also set the timer when I am doing training to keep track of how long the session lasts. I try and do at least 5 minute sessions a few times a day.

I hope this is helpful to you and your pooch.

Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Jeff Millman

“No” (which means don’t jump on the guests).

“No” (which means don’t chew on the couch).

“No” (which means stop barking)

Sound familiar?

I see a lot of situations where people train their dogs primarily by saying one word. “No” or the dog’s name are the usual choices. For instance, “Jake!” (don’t jump on the guests), “Jake!” (don’t jump on the couch), etc.

Why is this not recommended? Here are the reasons why you should be more precise with your training requests.

1.  If you just say, “No” your dog has to understand your desire based on the context of the situation. There is too much room for interpretation and it can be confusing.

2. If that is your main form of communication, it often means that you haven’t spent the time to teach your dog the individual behaviors that you want your dog to do. For instance, if your dog constantly jumps on people, spend the time to work on “Off” and also reward the absence of the behavior (reward anything appropriate).

3. Dogs can learn very precise cues or commands, but they can’t read your mind. It is often a sign of a household that has a really confused dog and one or more frustrated people.

What Can You Do To Avoid This Problem?

1. Determine which behaviors you want to teach and teach them.

2. Do not repeat cues when teaching. Your dog can start to tune you out if you repeat cues. Read my posts on how to avoid repeating cues. Dog Training 101, Do Not Repeat Cues

3. Make sure everyone in the house uses the same cues and has the same expectations