Obedience training for your dog at home

Obedience training for your dog at home: The positive reinforcement method

It is widely accepted among the vast majority of canine training experts that the most effective and humane way to train your dog is through a process called positive reinforcement training.

This is an elegant phrase for what is essentially a very simple theory: the use of positive reinforcements means rewarding the behavior you want to see repeated and ignoring the behavior that you do not do. This method is in direct contrast to some of the now obsolete but once popular techniques for dog training, some of which were frankly abhorrent: physical pain and intimidation (such as hanging an aggressive dog by the neck), or Inhuman methods of aversion therapy (such as shock collars for barking)

Positive reinforcement works with your dog. Your natural instinct is to please you: the positive reinforcement theory recognizes that the lessons are more meaningful to dogs, and tend to "stick" more, when a dog is able to discover what you are asking on your own (unlike for, Let's say, learn "down" by being forced repeatedly to a position upside down, while the word "down" is repeated at intervals). When you use positive reinforcement training, you're giving him the time and opportunity to use his own brain. [Post: Why do dogs roll in disgusting things]


Some ways for you to facilitate the training process:

-Use significant rewards. Dogs get bored pretty fast with a routine pat on the head and a "Good Girl" (and, in fact, most dogs don't even like to be patted in the head; look at your expressions and watch how most people rebel or are frightened when A hand descends towards his head). To maintain the quality of your dog's learning at a high level, use tempting incentives for good behavior. Dog coaches and physical affections are what dog coaches call "primary incentives"; In other words, both are important rewards to which most dogs respond in a powerful and reliable way.

-Use the right time. When your dog obeys an order, it must mark the behavior that it will reward so that when it receives that treatment in the mouth, it understands exactly what behavior was what earned him the reward. Some people use a clicker for this: a small metal sound-making device, which emits a different "click" When pressed. Clicking the clicker at the exact time a dog performs the desired behavior (therefore, if you ask a dog to sit down, you would click on the clicking Clicker just as the bottom of the dog touches the ground). You can also use your voice to mark the desired behavior: Just say "Yes!" In a happy and excited tone of voice will work perfectly.

Be sure to give her the treatment after the marker, and remember to use the marker constantly. If you just say "Yes!" Or you use the clicker sometimes, it will have no meaning for your dog when you do; She needs the opportunity to learn what that marker means (ie she has done something right every time she hears the marker, and will soon receive a gift). So be consistent with your marker.

-Be consistent with your training commands. When you are teaching a dog, you must decide in advance the verbal signal you are going to give, and then stand firm. Therefore, when you enter your dog so that it does not jump on you, you will not ask him to "Get off", "lower" and "stop jumping", because that would confuse her; You'd pick a phrase, like "no Jump", and you'd stay with her. Even the smartest dogs do not understand English, they need to learn, through consistent repetitions, the actions associated with a particular sentence. Your obedience rate will be much better if you choose a particular phrase and use it every time you want it to represent a particular behavior for you.

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How to reward your dog in a meaningful way?

All dogs have their favorite treats and favorite demonstrations of physical affection. Some dogs will make somersaults to obtain a dry liver fragment; Other dogs are simply not "Hound Dogs" (large eaters) and prefer to be rewarded through a game with a prized toy, or through some physical affection from you. You probably already have a good idea of how much he likes to be touched and touched: Each dog has a different level of energy and demonstrability, as well as humans.

The best ways to pet your dog: Most dogs like that the base of the tail (the lower part of the back, just before the tail begins) is lightly scraped; Having your chests rubbed or scratched (right between the front legs) is usually a winner, too. You can also focus your ears: Gently rub the ear flap between your thumb and finger, or gently scrape the base.

As far as food is concerned, it's not hard to find out what your dog likes: just experiment with different food treats until you find one that she really goes crazy about. When it comes to food, coaches have noticed something interesting: dogs actually respond more reliably to training commands when they receive treats sporadically rather than predictable. Intermittent treatment seems to keep dogs alert, and more interested in what they could offer: it prevents them from getting tired of food rewards and making a conscious decision to give up treatment.

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How to correct your dog in a meaningful way?

The good thing about positive reinforcement training is that it doesn't require you to do anything that can go against the current. You will not be asked to put into practice complex and weighty correctional theories, nor will you be required to undertake any harsh punitive measures.

When it comes to positive reinforcement training, all you have to do is ignore the behavior you don't want to repeat. Not attracting attention (because you deliberately ignore it) is enough to make almost any dog feel miserable, and therefore is a powerful correctional tool. The contemporary belief in dog training indicates that we should simply ignore the wrong answers to a training command; That, without our reinforcement (yes, even the negative attention, like the verbal corrections) counts as reinforcement: for some dogs, the negative attention is better than not attention at all), the dog will stop the behavior of his own volition. The greater the fuss that causes you when you do well, the more clear the connection between a particular behavior that does not provoke any response,

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Recommended Reading

Hopefully this newsletter has provided you with a good basic understanding of the most useful attitudes and techniques to use when training your dog. However, the subject is still quite complex, and it is a good idea to learn as much about effective training techniques as possible.

A great resource for dog training is secrets to dog training: the best training and knowledge base for dog owners. With a focus on preventing and dealing with problematic behaviors, as well as with the work of obedience and the "tricks", Secrets to Dog Training covers a wide variety of topics in detail: An invaluable handbook for dog owners around the world. [Visit: Pets for homes]


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