Dog Obedience Training

Three Principles on 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. Principles to Learn:

First Principle: CONSISTANCY

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. It is only reasonable to conclude if he does not understand the way humans are, then he does not understand our language. So to make the training understandable, you should use the command in a very consistent manner so that the dog will learn to associate the word with the meaning you attach with it.

Another example would be, if you are using the command "come", make sure that everyone in the household use it in a same type of manner. 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.

If he does not come to you, do not force the dog to come to you and then punish him for doing so. Otherwise, this would make him attribute the command 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".

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 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

Never hurt the dog if you want him to be acceptable to being trained. 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.

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.

You must avoid negative experiences related to training so you should not force your dog to obey your commands. By praising a dog for good behavior and obeying commands he will learn exactly what pleases you and what is expected from him.