Here are some basic principles for the dog training that all dog owners need to learn and follow:
Be consistent. A behaviour is either acceptable or it isn’t. It can’t be acceptable on alternate Tuesdays when you’re in the mood. For example, it can’t be OK to allow your dog to jump all over you on the weekends when you’re in casual clothes, but not during the week when you’re dressed for work. That’s an obvious one, although you’d be amazed how many people I’ve met who do exactly that. Here’s one that’s less obvious. It can’t be OK for your dog to chew fabric toys but not to chew 'inappropriate' fabric items. In other words, if you give your dog an old sock to play with and say, “Girly, chew this,” don’t be surprised when she eats your shirt or your trousers. Consistency is a bit easier for singles or couples, and toughest for families. The more people interact with the dog, the greater the likelihood of inconsistency. I strongly recommend that families conduct a few meetings to discuss and agree upon what will be universally unacceptable behaviour on the part of the dog. Everyone needs to clearly understand what the rules will be for a training programme to be most successful. That being said, we live in the real world and I recognize how difficult it is to maintain consistency on the part of a six-year-old child. Parents of younger children will need to practice a fair amount of prevention and understand that the dog’s training process may be a little bit more difficult and prolonged.
If you want your dog to learn to listen to obedience commands the first time they’re given, you need to be prepared to properly teach your dog to obey them the first time. This is most effectively accomplished if the initial foundation-level obedience you teach around the house is done off leash. I have sometimes run into problems when discussing how important it is for dogs to obey commands consistently. In my opinion, this is an area where attitudes have gone downhill in the last 24 years. Decades ago the idea that a dog needed to obey commands the first time they were given would not have drawn frowns or comments. Today, there are many owners who are uncomfortable with the idea that their dog should be trained to respond so predictably.
I’ve had owners object, based on the idea that they did not want their dogs “to become robots.” It is important for these owners to understand that, first of all, if training is primarily done with compassion and reward this will not happen and second of all you might not care if your dog listens on the first command until the very first time she runs out into the street. Then, as cars are barreling towards her, you will pray she listens on the first command, because you may never get a second one. However, the principles of consistency really need to be understood here.
Understand how behaviours take shape and deal with problems by dealing with the cause. When owners learn to do this, they will not just be reacting to what are often symptoms of an underlying problem.
Learn basic training techniques and then follow rules one and two. All owners need to understand the principles of prevention, maintenance, redirection, reward and correction. And they need to use them consistently. Once you understand how a dog learns, it will be very easy for you to train your dog. Mind it: If You Have a Dog, You Are a Trainer. It is just like that if you are driving a car, you are a driver and mind it there is a difference between a lay driver and a professional driver.
In the end, I would like to tell you that training of a dog is just like your child’s education. It needs lots of patience.
Be consistent. A behaviour is either acceptable or it isn’t. It can’t be acceptable on alternate Tuesdays when you’re in the mood. For example, it can’t be OK to allow your dog to jump all over you on the weekends when you’re in casual clothes, but not during the week when you’re dressed for work. That’s an obvious one, although you’d be amazed how many people I’ve met who do exactly that. Here’s one that’s less obvious. It can’t be OK for your dog to chew fabric toys but not to chew 'inappropriate' fabric items. In other words, if you give your dog an old sock to play with and say, “Girly, chew this,” don’t be surprised when she eats your shirt or your trousers. Consistency is a bit easier for singles or couples, and toughest for families. The more people interact with the dog, the greater the likelihood of inconsistency. I strongly recommend that families conduct a few meetings to discuss and agree upon what will be universally unacceptable behaviour on the part of the dog. Everyone needs to clearly understand what the rules will be for a training programme to be most successful. That being said, we live in the real world and I recognize how difficult it is to maintain consistency on the part of a six-year-old child. Parents of younger children will need to practice a fair amount of prevention and understand that the dog’s training process may be a little bit more difficult and prolonged.
If you want your dog to learn to listen to obedience commands the first time they’re given, you need to be prepared to properly teach your dog to obey them the first time. This is most effectively accomplished if the initial foundation-level obedience you teach around the house is done off leash. I have sometimes run into problems when discussing how important it is for dogs to obey commands consistently. In my opinion, this is an area where attitudes have gone downhill in the last 24 years. Decades ago the idea that a dog needed to obey commands the first time they were given would not have drawn frowns or comments. Today, there are many owners who are uncomfortable with the idea that their dog should be trained to respond so predictably.
I’ve had owners object, based on the idea that they did not want their dogs “to become robots.” It is important for these owners to understand that, first of all, if training is primarily done with compassion and reward this will not happen and second of all you might not care if your dog listens on the first command until the very first time she runs out into the street. Then, as cars are barreling towards her, you will pray she listens on the first command, because you may never get a second one. However, the principles of consistency really need to be understood here.
Understand how behaviours take shape and deal with problems by dealing with the cause. When owners learn to do this, they will not just be reacting to what are often symptoms of an underlying problem.
Learn basic training techniques and then follow rules one and two. All owners need to understand the principles of prevention, maintenance, redirection, reward and correction. And they need to use them consistently. Once you understand how a dog learns, it will be very easy for you to train your dog. Mind it: If You Have a Dog, You Are a Trainer. It is just like that if you are driving a car, you are a driver and mind it there is a difference between a lay driver and a professional driver.
In the end, I would like to tell you that training of a dog is just like your child’s education. It needs lots of patience.
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2 comments:
Hi there. You seem to have experience with dogs. I have a horrible problem with obedience when off leash and more precisely with the "come" command.He simply ignores me.
That's why I let him off only with another dog, because when with him, he comes back when the other dog comes. I give him biscuits when he comes, but that's when HE choose to come, otherwise again, he ignores me and do as he likes. Last time I let him out without the other dog, he never came to me, I found him 3 hours later when he obviously got tired of wandering around. And he's not a small dog, a labrador-like and he can run for hours, catching him is not an option when he decides not to come.
I'd be grateful if you give me an idea what to do with him. He's one year and 4 months old. He knows perfectly well "no", "sit","lay" and do them always when home/on leash, or when he comes while off leash.
Hi babe, i saw your comment about your dog. I think the following information can help you. f you want your dog to learn to listen to obedience commands the first time they’re given, you need to be prepared to properly teach your dog to obey them the first time. This is most effectively accomplished if the initial foundation-level obedience you teach around the house is done off leash. I have sometimes run into problems when discussing how important it is for dogs to obey commands consistently. In my opinion, this is an area where attitudes have gone downhill in the last 24 years. Decades ago the idea that a dog needed to obey commands the first time they were given would not have drawn frowns or comments. Today, there are many owners who are uncomfortable with the idea that their dog should be trained to respond so predictably.
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