Looking After Pets

Obedience training is one of the most important and most effective things any owner can do for their dog.An untrained dog can be destructive and sometimes dangerous, while a properly trained dog is a productive and happy member of the family.

Dogs are designed by nature to follow leaders, and to look for that leadership.   As pack animals, dogs naturally follow the directions of their pack leader. Absence of a strong leader, the dog might take over this role on itself.  Dogs that consider themselves as the leader of their human pack can become uncooperative, destructive and even dangerous.

Proper obedience training opens up key lines of communication between owner and dog.The foundation of any good dog obedience training is to obtain the cooperation and respect of the dog.Gaining respect from your dog cannot be obtained through mistreatment or rough training methods.  It must instead be earned through leadership and proper dog training techniques.

Basic obedience training consists of teaching the dog what to do and what not to do.  When it comes to desired behaviors, it is important for the dog to learn and respond to basic dog commands, such as heeling when walking, stopping on command, sitting when directed, coming when called and staying where the handler directs.

The list of what not to do is also important when it comes to obedience training.  Some of the don’ts of obedience training include – not jumping up on people, not forging ahead when walking and, not chewing the furniture or your property, and not getting out of control when exposed to unusual situations.

Essentially, obedience training involves establishing the social hierarchy that is so important to dogs as pack animals.  When your dog follows your obedience dog commands, such as – come, stay, sit, heel, etc., he or she is showing compliance and submissiveness.  This is the same type of behavior a submissive member of a wild dog pack would show to the alpha dog in that pack.

As with any type of dog training, it is important that obedience training sessions be fun and rewarding for both dog and owner.Having a healthy, happy dog can succeed in learning best, and keeping the dog happy during the training sessions will make life easier for both your dog and yourself.The dog and owner can benefit from obedience training in may ways.You can permit an obedient well trained dog with a greater amount of freedom than an untrained dog.  For instance, a dog that has been properly trained to come when called can safely enjoy some off leash play time at the local dog park.

There is always a debate over whether it is easier to obedience train puppies or older dogs.Both older dogs and puppies can be very successfully trained to be obedient and willing companions. It can be easier to train young dogs and puppies than it can be to retrain dogs that have already created bad behaviors.You can successfully retrain using basic obedience training and control techniques with even problem dogs.

When obedience trainingpuppies, however, it is important to remember that puppies generally have a shorter attention span than to do full grown dogs.Holding short dog training session in beginning is key.  It is also important to incorporate lots of play with other puppies, dogs and other animals, as well as lots of different people.  Proper socialization is very important to creating a safe, healthy and happy companion dog.

When you set out to teach your pet to come, there are a few secrets, tips and tricks that I'll share with you, to get fast success!

I have adapted these free techniques from the outstanding ‘Secrets to Dog Training‘ by Daniel Stephens. You can go to it here if you wish to read more now.

“Come dog”

Firstly, and possibly the most crucial, is that you should never call your dog over if you are going to do something that he might class as ‘negative’ to him.. Some prime examples could be things such as tying him up, cleaning him (if he dislikes that!), locking him up, smacking or yelling at him etc..

Never command your dog to come, then punish him for things like running away when he comes over. Your dog may learn that doing as his master commands, is a punishment.If the dog already knows bad associations when you call come, such as thinking it means 'run asap!' or if your dog starts to ignore you, try using a new command that sounds diffferent. 

Forget your old come command and teach this exercise using a new, clear word. 'Here' is a common one, but the alternatives are endless, so long as it suits you and it works.

In the ideal case, your dog should hear your command, cease what hes doing and sit in front of you! Best results are had when you treat this step as two different exercises.

Both exercises are best done seperatly, till your dog has them completely mastered. When this time comes, bring them together.

“Come sit in front of me”

Start with putting your dog on a short ish leash. Get the attention of your pet and position the treat at nose level. Now walk back 3 or 4 steps with the treat held up.

When your dog is in front of you, stop and raise the treat up a little, so the dog is motioned to sit and wait.

Command him to sit, and when he sits to your satisfaction, give him the treat by lowing it to his mouth. Dont let him leap to get it!

Next time round try the process holding you place instead of moving backwards. Try eliminating guiding with food and switch to simply reinforcing a correct ‘come in and sit” command. This helps your dog to accept praise as a reward.

You can read part two of this article, for free, as my website (that has hundreds of other free dog training tips) here, at dog commands.

Simple Principles in Dog Obedience Training

Even dogs with some of the best well breeding or dogs that are well adapted to humans still need some basic obedience training, because these skills are not something they pick up on their own. Obedience training requires the use of some principles which differentiate effective training, from training without results. Principles to Learn:

Principle One: CONSISTENCY

The first rule in obedience training is to be consistent. This covers the use of words, tone, and the actions that accompany the word or command. During the beginning of the training, the trainer or the dog owner must decide what should be the parameters of training, such as what and how you are going to teach the dog.

For example saying the word “come”, does not make any sense to a dog. He does not understand things the way humans think and he does not understand the language we use. So to make the training understandable, you should use the command in a very consistent manner so that the dog will learn to associate the word with the meaning you attach with it.

Another example would be, if you are using the command “come”, make sure that everyone in the household use it in a same type of manner. When using the word command, “Come”, you should work with the dog to understand this means to approach the giver of the command. When you are using this command be sure not to use any signals or body movements that would be confusing to the dog.

Don’t be deterred in your training efforts if the dog does not come to your right away, be patient and don’t force or scold him. Otherwise, this would make him attribute the command with the punishment. The dog will not want to follow the same command because in his mind it leads to punishment.

Consistency also covers the use of the same dog commands by all people. For example, if you are using the command “come”, other people in the household should not replace it with words like “here” or, “come here boy”.

Second Principle: Keep It Short

The hours devoted to training and the words used as command should be kept short. Dogs tend to have a short attention span, it is best to limit the training so they keep the interest level to it’s peak during the days lesson. Puppies usually react to a specific stimulus, but not for a very long time, they may begin to chase a moving toy, and quickly lose interest, then move on to the next thing.

They simply don’t possess the same amount of interest they had when they started the activity and they become easily bored. The same thing happens in training therefore, it should be limited only to 10 minutes to 15 minutes of regular training.

Third Principle: No Punishment or Force Allowed

Never hurt the dog if you want him to be acceptable to being trained. Also, never force the dog to follow the command if he is not prepared for, or punish a dog for something he did during training that he did not understand.

Make sure not to over do it when training your dog. A good trainer realizes dogs do not learn things instantly and so they are very patient and show understanding towards the animal they are working with. All he knows is that you are mad.

You must avoid negative experiences related to training so you should not force your dog to obey your commands. If he knows that he is praised when he does something right, he should not be praised when he does not follow a command.

Three Principles on Dog Obedience Training

Even dogs with some of the best well breeding or dogs that are well adapted to humans still need some basic obedience training, because these skills are not something they pick up on their own. To be successful in obedience training you need to understand the differences between effective and non-effective training techniques. Principles to Learn:

Principle One: CONSISTENCY

The first rule in obedience training is to be consistent. This covers the use of words, tone, and the actions that accompany the word or command. During the beginning of the training, the trainer or the dog owner must decide what should be the parameters of training, such as what and how you are going to teach the dog.

For example saying the word “come”, does not make any sense to a dog. It is only reasonable to conclude if he does not understand the way humans are, then he does not understand our language. It is important to make the training effective, by being very consistent in attaching the same voice tone, body movement or hand jester with every command that is given to your dog.

Another example would be, if you are using the command “come”, make sure that everyone in the household use it in a same type of manner. When using the word command, “Come”, you should work with the dog to understand this means to approach the giver of the command. So if you are using this command make it a point not to do actions that would make the command confusing for the dog.

Don’t be deterred in your training efforts if the dog does not come to your right away, be patient and don’t force or scold him. If you punish the dog over and over after giving the command they will begin to associate the word with the punishment. He will not follow the same command since in his mind, he remembers it will lead to punishment.

Being consistent in your dog commands is to be followed by anyone who works with the dog. For instance if you are teaching the word “come”, others should not use the words, ’come here boy’ or ’here’, because this will only confuse the dog.

Principle Two: KEEP IT SHORT

The hours devoted to training and the words used as command should be kept short. Dogs tend to have a short attention span, it is best to limit the training so they keep the interest level to it’s peak during the days lesson. Puppies usually react to a specific stimulus, but not for a very long time, they may begin to chase a moving toy, and quickly lose interest, then move on to the next thing.

They can quickly loose interest in an activity sometimes within just moments after beginning, and will need something else to stimulate their senses. The same thing happens in training therefore, it should be limited only to 10 minutes to 15 minutes of regular training.

Third Principle: No Punishment or Force Allowed

A trainer should never hurt the dog in any way, you should make it a goal to have the training be a positive experience for all involved. Also, never force the dog to follow the command if he is not prepared for, or punish a dog for something he did during training that he did not understand.

Make sure not to over do it when training your dog. The dog does not understand that he should learn things “instantly” and he does not realize that you are becoming impatient with the speed he is picking up the training. If you are angry the dogs can sense it but does not know why.

So do not use force as this does not communicate your meaning properly, instead gives a negative reinforcement. If he knows that he is praised when he does something right, he should not be praised when he does not follow a command.

Simple Principles in Dog Obedience Training

Dogs, even when their breeding is maximized and well-adapted to human needs, will always need some basic obedience training as they would never figure this out on their own. To be successful in obedience training you need to understand the differences between effective and non-effective training techniques. Principles to Learn:

First Principle: CONSISTANCY

Consistency is the first basic rule in effective dog training. You need to be consistent in the words you use, the tone they are spoken in and the actions that accompany them. Before you begin training you will need to come to an agreement with the dog owner on what it is they are wanting the dog to learn and how to accomplish it.

For example saying the word “come”, does not make any sense to a dog. He does not understand things the way humans think and he does not understand the language we use. So to make the training understandable, you should use the command in a very consistent manner so that the dog will learn to associate the word with the meaning you attach with it.

Another example would be, if you are using the command “come”, make sure that everyone in the household use it in a same type of manner. When using the word command, “Come”, you should work with the dog to understand this means to approach the giver of the command. So if you are using this command make it a point not to do actions that would make the command confusing for the dog.

If he does not come to you, do not force the dog to come to you and then punish him for doing so. Otherwise, this would make him attribute the command with the punishment. He will not follow the same command since in his mind, he remembers it will lead to punishment.

Consistency also covers the use of the same dog commands by all people. For instance if you are teaching the word “come”, others should not use the words, ’come here boy’ or ’here’, because this will only confuse the dog.

Principle Two: KEEP IT SHORT

The hours devoted to training and the words used as command should be kept short. Keep in mind that the attention span of dogs is very short and that getting them engrossed with a specific activity can be very hard, if not impossible. Puppies usually react to a specific stimulus, but not for a very long time, they may begin to chase a moving toy, and quickly lose interest, then move on to the next thing.

They can quickly loose interest in an activity sometimes within just moments after beginning, and will need something else to stimulate their senses. They also often become board during training and that is why it’s best to limit the time to 10 – 15 minutes a day.

Principle Three: DO NOT USE FORCE and PUNISHMENT

A trainer should never hurt the dog in any way, you should make it a goal to have the training be a positive experience for all involved. Also, never force the dog to follow the command if he is not prepared for, or punish a dog for something he did during training that he did not understand.

Don’t push the animal too hard while dog training. A good trainer realizes dogs do not learn things instantly and so they are very patient and show understanding towards the animal they are working with. If you are angry the dogs can sense it but does not know why.

So do not use force as this does not communicate your meaning properly, instead gives a negative reinforcement. If he knows that he is praised when he does something right, he should not be praised when he does not follow a command.