Every dog and every dog owner has his or her own unique dog trainingchallenges. Each breed of dog has a different temperament as does eachindividual dog. And dog owners are no different. Despite the differences,there are some basic things in common for training all dogs.
No matter why you have a dog, he should at least have some veryelementary dog training. No one wants a dog who isn't housebroken, whoruns away or into the street, who won't sit, come or stay when you wanthim to. Both you and your dog will be happier with a little commonground on obedience training.
One of the first things to take into account when dog training is that dogsare programmed for a world of leaders and followers. You have to be theleader in your relationship. Signs of a leader are absolute consistency.Know what you want your dog to do and keep that constant from day today and training session to training session. Don't shout. That is a signthat you have lost control. And keep your dogs attention focused on youduring the entire training session.
Attention is the second important thing to keep in mind for dog trainingand one of the hardest to maintain. It has been said that ninety percent ofdog training is getting and keeping his attention. Dogs are very much likesmall children and have short attention spans. Keep training sessions short- 20 minutes is fine, or even a couple of 10 minute sessions.
Work with your dog in a quiet environment that is free of distractions. Talk to yourdog in a quiet voice. Use his name and explain what you want him to do.He may understand no more than, "Blah blah blah, Toby", but your voicewill keep him focused in your direction.
Experts have found that positive dog training is more effective that asystem of rewards and punishment. A dog who looks forward to trainingsessions as fun and full of rewards is a dog who will learn faster and better.Reward accomplishments with treats or words of praise or pats. As yourdog learns new skills, you can reward him for each step along the way. Ifhe doesn't respond the way you want, rethink what you are asking him todo and how you are asking him to do it. What worked as a dog trainingmethod for one dog may not work as well for the next.
Your dog may need to review some more basic dog training lessons before going on to newlessons. Rather than punishment, a stern NO, blocking a movement withyour hands, or withholding rewards when he doesn't perform, andremaining consistent are the best ways to encourage your dog to exhibit thebehavior you want. Remember that it is in his nature (as well as yours) towant to test limits and see how much he can get away with. Consistency indog training and rewards are what get positive results, not punishments.Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desiredbehaviors in specific circumstances.
Some examples are:
* Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training)
* Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts
* Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind
* Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster
* Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriatetimes
The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlyingprinciples are similar.
In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favortraining. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans asa desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in apack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.