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The Perfect Way To Train Your Dog
Date Added: May 19, 2009 04:27:11 PM
Author: Rudy Silva
Category: Science and Technology: Animals, Insects, and Pets: Pets: Dogs

There is general consensus among animal psychologists and other professionals in the field of dog obedience training that positive reinforcement training is the best way to train your dog. Positive reinforcement training is all about providing rewards for good dog behavior. When rewards are consistent over a long period of time dog training will be accomplished.

Using positive training is the only way to train your dog with lasting effects. Your dog will remember what you taught him for a long time. Giving your dog pain to behave and learn new behaviors is now outdated.

Dog obedience training with positive reinforcement works very well with dogs. Remember that your dog has a natural inclination to try to please you – which makes positive reinforcement effective. Your dog will also remember these lessons better and repeat the desired behavior more consistently.

Dog obedience training with positive reinforcement training allows your dog to learn positive behavioral patterns at their own pace without being forced to exhibit these behaviors. These are some ways to make the positive reinforcement training easier for you and your dog:

1. Do dog training with good rewards. While your dog does like being praised and getting a pat on the head, this will only go so far in training your dog to behave well. To really keep your dog’s attention, you need to use food rewards. These are what dog trainers call “primary incentives” – and every dog owner knows how food-motivated a dog can be!

2. When should a reward be given? The time to give a reward needs to be exact. In training your dog, a reward is given immediate after you tell your dog to do something and he does it. Give the reward right away. Don’t wait and give another command to do the same thing again. Give a reward each time your dog does what it was told.

Many people use a clicker for dog training. A clicker is a small metal device which makes a click-click sound. Click your clicker at the exact moment that your dog obeys a command, followed immediately by a treat. Your dog learns to associate the action, click and the treat.

You can also use your voice as a marker. Say “yes” in a friendly, excited tone of voice when your dog performs a desirable behavior. Follow this immediately with a treat and use the same verbal cue every single time. You have to be consistent in order to teach your dog to follow these desirable behavioral patterns.

When you start with your dog obedience training, determine what type of command technique you will use. Don’t use the clicker one day and your strong voice the next. Always be consistent with the way you train your dog. This will eventually let your dog know that it is training time. If you make training fun, your dog will look forward to dog training time.

Some dog are very smart and some even appear to be human in the way they relate to you. But most dogs react to only a few words that they can understand. To teach new commands to create new behaviors, use your predetermined commands over and over until you can see that your dog is starting to understand.

Use love and understanding during your dog obedience training is what you want to do. You dog will sense if you are upset and angry. If he senses love, he will respond and try to make you happy by trying to do what you want. Take your time and love your dog and both of you will survive the training sessions.