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Pet Tips - Dog Training
Key Secrets to Remember in Dog Training
by Ray Coleiro
While training your dog please remember:
Do not punish the dog. Punishment is not a training
aid. It does little to foster willingness to learn and
achieve. Limit yourself to a firm “NO” and to
using your hands to block the dog’s negative actions.
Refrain from hitting or physically abusing the dog.
Display extreme levels of patience and persistence.
Never give up; if you do, you are relinquishing your status
as the dominant one. The dog is bound by nature and genetics
to test how far he can push you or get away with disobeying
you. You must display a stern and stoic attitude and do
not pat, praise, or reward the dog if he does not pay
attention or refuses to do as you have asked. Only yield
once your commands are followed. If you “heel”
instead of your “dog” then he will soon know
who is the boss.
Be consistent in your training schedule. Always
schedule a class at the same time of the day and for a
fixed period –your dog will soon recognize that it
is the time to learn and will willingly come forward.
During training, both coordination and the trainer’s
movements have a direct correlation to the dog’s
comprehension. So, if commanded “come”, the
dog must be gently guided towards the trainer by a helper
or by using a leash so that the pet realizes that “come”
means that he must go towards the master.
Be repetitive with each learning block until the trick/lesson
is mastered. Some lessons will be learnt quickly while
others will take a while. The pattern is different for
different dogs and varies from case to case.
Use rewards and praise as often as required. Praise
should immediately be forthcoming when a dog responds
to any command. The pet will associate responding to commands
with praise/rewards (treats) and will try and respond
quicker to reap his rewards. Once a command/trick has
been mastered then the treats can be withdrawn. You will
find that obeying a command becomes second nature to your
dog.
Keep the lessons simple. To begin with, the lessons
should be fairly easy and such that the dog can complete
it within two-three actions. As his level of learning
increases the lessons could be more complex. Just as our
children go, at first to play school, then to kindergarten,
and then to the first grade so also in the case of our
pets.
Respect the intelligence of your pet and allow him
to think –use his mind. Give time to your pet
to figure out what is asked of him. Do not try and help
him complete the set task. If you do so, the pet will
allow you to do the work for him. If you display patience,
the dog will realize what you need him to do and he will
obey you directions.
Treat the dog as you would a colleague/ student.
You must, talk to your dog explain what it is all about.
Speaking to the dog while training will ensure that the
dog keeps his attention focused on you. He will soon master
the different tones used by you to give commands.
Do not plan long sessions –their attention span
is short. Therefore, short lessons are learnt better.
It is recommended to have short 10-minute sessions repeated
2-3 times a day.
Whether you are a first time dog owner or a seasoned veteran,
your learning never stops as far as it comes to training
your dog. Each and every dog presents different training
challenges, and the more equipped you are to handle these
training issues the more likely you are to prevent any
permanent and long term future behavioral problems.
If you are serious about your dog, and want the very best
for her/him, then you owe it to your best friend to get
a copy of this FREE Dog Training Mini-Course. You can
still get it from here:
http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Free_Dog_Training/dog-obedience-training.htm
About the Author
Ray Coleiro is the author of the popular book "Dog
Training Mastery - An Owner's Manual!" To learn more
about his proven Dog Training methods and life's work,
you can visit http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Dog_Training/dog-training.htm
Note: The author grants permission to you to re-print,
pulish or broadcast this article so long as it is un-altered
and not edited in any way, and that all links remain present
and active. |
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