Dog Obedience Training
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. To be successful in obedience training you need to understand the differences between effective and non-effective training techniques. They are the following:
Principle One: CONSISTENCY
Consistency is the first basic rule in effective dog training. 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. 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.
An example would be if you use the word, “come”, then you need to make sure everyone else in the household using the same word. 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. 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”.
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. 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.
Don’t push the animal too hard while dog training. 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. By praising a dog for good behavior and obeying commands he will learn exactly what pleases you and what is expected from him.
