Training for success

Everyone is aware of the does and don'ts of effective dog obedience training. But sometimes we let our dogs get away with little extras here and there. We don't usually think much of it until we notice that some thing is wrong. Then it is usually way after the fact and we have no idea what started it.

Well I have organized a few basic obedience training reminders to help those get back on track, and to encourage those who have kept up their training.

1. Train your dog every day. Even if it ’s only five minutes here and there as you work around the house. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
   
   
2. Always train in a humane fashion. It is more fun for both of you when you teach using positive upbeat motivational methods than negative boring methods. Try to incorporate games such as ‘searching’ for a treat or toy between training sessions.
   
   
3. Train in a variety of environments. Your dog may do a sit, down or stay perfectly in the kitchen but when you are outside on the front lawn he/she may act like a noodle head because you haven ’t exposed them to those distractions during training.
   
   
4. Avoid giving your dog a command that you cannot enforce. Every time you give a command and it is either ignored or not enforced your dog learns that the reaction to the command is optional.
   
   
5. You have heard me say this many, many times but...One command equals one response.
   
   Give your dog it ’s command only once! Then gently enforce it if they do not respond.
   Repeating commands teaches your dog to ignore you until you get red in the face and start screaming like a monkey.
   
   
6. Avoid giving commands which are contradictory. such as a ‘sit-down’ or ‘sit-stay’. it should be either ‘sit’ or ‘down’ or ‘stay’.
   
   
7. Always remember to give your release a command. Do not allow your dog to choose to end the exercise when he/she feels like it...who’s in charge here?
   
   
8. Speak to your dog when giving command as opposed to shouting at them. Your voice should be calm and assertive not wimpy or overtly harsh.
   
   
9. If your dog does not respond to a particular instruction, determine whether the dog knows what you want from it, knows how to comply and is not being unresponsive because of stress, fear or confusion.
   
   
10. It is better to prevent un wanted behavior from happening as opposed to corrections after the behavior has begun. You and your dog are a team. He/she trusts that you are in charge and won’t undermine the relationship using punishment when prevention should have been used.
    
    
11. Whether praising or correcting, timing is essential. Associate the praise or correction immediately with the behavior.
    
    
12. Never ever ever train your dog when you are crabby, impatient or angry. Your bad mood is stressful on you and will be stressful on your dog. Stress and fear can inhibit the learning process.