It is now well know that when you use positive thoughts and approaches to dog obedience training, your dog will enjoy his training and reward you with good behavior. Treating your dog with kindness and respect will determine how he will learn and behave during training.
This method stands in stark contrast to outmoded dog training methods which included inhumane measures. Trying to force your dog to change behavior under intimidation or pain is not longer a method to train your dog.
Dog may not have a lot of brain power, but they understand love. This is what you need to give when you are doing dog obedience training. Sometime people try to force change in others and this does not work and it does not work with dogs either. Once you understand this, your training will take new leaps.
Dog obedience training with positive reinforcement training allows your dog to learn positive behavioral patterns at their own pace without being forced to exhibit these behaviors. These are some ways to make the positive reinforcement training easier for you and your dog:
1. Do dog training with good rewards. While your dog does like being praised and getting a pat on the head, this will only go so far in training your dog to behave well. To really keep your dog’s attention, you need to use food rewards. These are what dog trainers call “primary incentives” – and every dog owner knows how food-motivated a dog can be!
2. Give rewards at the right time. Timing is everything when you are training your dog. Give a command, if he follows it, give him a reward immediately. Delayed rewards will get confused training results. You dog will not know what to do to get that reward. You will lose control of your dog obedience training session.
Many people use a clicker for dog training. A clicker is a small metal device which makes a click-click sound. Click your clicker at the exact moment that your dog obeys a command, followed immediately by a treat. Your dog learns to associate the action, click and the treat.
You don’t have to use the clicker, but some people like it. Use your voice as a clicker. When you give a command try to keep the same pitch and tone. Give a command feeling positive and strong. Don’t use this voice tone when you are not training your dog.
Whenever trying to give your dog obedience training by introducing a new command, you need to determine which verbal cue you’ll be using before you begin training. Stick to this cue throughout your dog training. For example, if you’re trying to train your dog to stop jumping on you, use one command, say “no jump” instead of alternating between “get down”, “get off”, etc.
Even if your dog is exceptionally smart, you need to keep in mind that your dog can only understand a few words. You can teach your old dog new tricks, but you have to be consistent with both markers and rewards in order to be successful in teaching your dog desirable behaviors.
If you stick with your dog obedience training method, your dog will learn much more quickly – and you’ll be much happier with the results of your dog training as well. Take your time when you train your dog and you and your dog will have a lot of fun.
