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
The first rule in obedience training is to be consistent. 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. It is important to make the training effective, by being very consistent in attaching the same voice tone, body movement or hand gesture 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. When you are using this command be sure not to use any signals or body movements that would be confusing to 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. 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.
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. For example, puppies love to explore and play with something for awhile, then soon they are off again to explore the next new thing that may catch their attention.
They simply don’t possess the same amount of interest they had when they started the activity and they become easily bored. 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. You should absolutely never punish a dog just because he did not do something he wasn’t prepared for, nor force a dog to do something he does 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. All he knows is that you are mad.
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.