Learn Basic Training For Dogs Today!

May 6, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Getting a new puppy is always a fun experience for a person. They are always so cute, fun and playful that it can be hard to remember that they will grow up to be an adult dog someday. If we want them to be well-behaved dog citizens as an adult we need to start training them while they are still small.

Housetraining is likely the most crucial training you need to finish and it is often given the most attention. However, in order to grow up to be a well-behaved adult dog you will also need to complete training on leash training, training to come, sit, stay and lie down. A well-behaved adult dog will be trained to do all of these also.

There are some consistent dog training rules that always work. All living things respond more to love and positive reinforcement than they do to criticism and negative reinforcement. Your dog will do anything to please you and make you happy but if you give him negative feedback he may develop fear and he will be less likely to respond to you and what you want.

When you train your dog be sure that you enforce the desired behaviors with treats, affection, verbal praise and more. Most often you should use verbal praise. Praise your dog almost every time but only give him treats once occasionally. If he gets a treat every time his behavior will diminish and it can affect his health and your pocketbook.

Also if you remember anything about classical conditioning and Pavlov’s dogs from your high school science classes you will recall that intermittent reinforcement was a better method of creating a behavior than consistent reinforcements. If your dog gets a treat every time he quickly loses interest and will get to a point where he does not respond as well. But if he gets a treat only once in awhile he will respond every time in anticipation of the possible reward.

When you train your dog use hand signals with voice commands. After awhile teach him to respond to just one or the other. This can come in very handy in different situations.

As a minimum, you will need to train your dog to come, sit, lie down and stay, along with leash training. There may also be some behavior training that you may want to take into consideration, especially if your dog is rather hyperactive and rambunctious. A well-trained dog is a well-behaved dog and everyone loves a well-behaved dog.

As you train your dog, the bond between the two of you will grow and it will be a joy to have him as part of your family for many years to come.

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Basic Training Tips For Your Puppy

May 5, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Getting a new puppy is always an exciting experience for a person. They are always so adorable, playful and fun that it can be hard to remember that they will grow up to be an adult dog someday. If we want them to be well-behaved dog citizens as an adult we need to start training them while they are still small.

Housetraining is probably the most crucial training you need to complete and it is often given the most attention. However, in order to grow up to be a well-behaved adult dog you will also need to complete training on leash training, training to come, sit, stay and lie down. A well-behaved adult dog will be trained to do all of these also.

When you are training your dog there are some things that are consistent and work every time. All dogs and other animals, including people, react better to love and positive reinforcement than to negative reinforcement. Dogs inherently want to please their masters but if you react in a negative manner he may develop fear and he will be less likely to react to what you want.

As you are training your dog make sure that you enforce the good behaviors with treats, affections, verbal praise and more. Your most oft-used reinforcement method should be verbal praise. Praise your dog almost every time but give him treats only once in awhile. If he gets a treat every time he will come to expect it and too many treats is bad for his health and your pocketbook.

Also, if you recall from your high school science classes about Pavlov’s dog and classical conditioning, you will remember that constant reinforcement was not nearly as effective in replicating consistent behavior as intermittent reinforcement, meaning if your dog knows that there is always a treat at the end he is less likely to respond after awhile, but if he thinks there may be a treat but he does not know for sure, he will do it every time and the behavior will become second nature.

When you train your dog use hand signals in addition to voice commands. After awhile teach him to respond to just one or the other. This can come in very handy in different situations.

The least you will want to train your dog would be to sit, lie down, come, and stay along with leash training. You may also +want to include some behavior training if you take your dog out in public often or if he is especially rambunctious and hyperactive. Well-behaved dogs are a joy to own and in order to be a well-behaved adult he needs to be well-trained.

Training your dog will strengthen the bond between the two of you and both you and your dog will benefit for many years to come.

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