Positive dog training methods
Everyone’s been around a poorly trained dog at least
once in their life. The anxiety, tendencies to bite, and destructive natures of
canines who have had improper, or a complete lack of, training makes it almost
impossible to have them as the close companions that we so desperately want
them to be. So if you’ve got a young pup anxiously awaiting your instructions,
or you’re simply trying to teach a dog some appropriate and necessary training,
then consider these positive reinforcement training methods below!
Reward with treats and praise
Before you begin attempting to teach your dog any sort
of trick, you will want to have a small handful of dog treats available. Dogs rely
on positive reinforcement to know that they should continue doing some action,
and when they make the connection between praise and a treat with that action,
they’ll keep repeating it! Let’s face it, who doesn’t like a reward for doing
something good?
Be consistent
Another way to positive train your dog is to use the
same consistent commands all of the time and reward them. If you mix up the
commands, or are inconsistent from person to person, you’re going to end up
confusing your dog and leading to a much lengthier training process. Also be
consistent with the punishments and rewarding techniques. When your dog knows
what to expect at all times, they will conform to your training much faster!
Time your training properly
Always give your animal the praise and reward directly
after they’ve done the trick or performed the action that you want.
Additionally, also punish your dog in the same manner – within seconds of the
bad behavior. Your dog will not associate a punishment given when you get home
from work for a mess they made hours earlier – all they are learning is
confusion and doubt as well as fear when you get home!
Positive training techniques
- A clicker – a small noise
making device that is hand operated and is excellent for training dogs and
getting their attention.
- Clicking the
tongue/whistling – getting your dog’s attention without a clicker can be done
by clicking your tongue or calling their name.
- Treats – these are an
absolutely essential part of the training, especially in the beginning. You can
wean dogs off of treats as they learn the trick or proper behavior later on.
Why Positive training over alpha dog training?
Granted, your dog should look at you as the alpha and
should defer to you at all times, but when it comes to training your canine,
you should always use positive reinforcement. Some alpha dog training
techniques involve taking your dog and putting it on the floor so it’s on its
back, others involve kneeing the dog in the chest if/when it jumps; the idea
that asserting yourself as the dominant animal shouldn’t be done during the
training, but instead through your position in the house.
If you want to become the alpha, make sure that you
lead the dog through the door, rather than letting the dog out first.
Additionally, don’t let the dog up on the couch or bed with you, instead keep
them on the floor. Being physically aggressive with a canine in any way to show
it that you’re the alpha can lead to increased aggression from the dog towards
you or other humans!
