Dog Training Tip of the Month

• Rewarding Alternative Behaviors - May 2006

  If you’re attempting through dog training to eliminate an undesirable behavior, remember to reward your dog with treats, praise, petting, etc. for engaging in any other behavior that is appropriate. For example, if you’re attempting to eliminate jumping up on your guests, reward your dog for sitting around guests, which is both incompatible with jumping and is a more desirable greeting. Other examples of alternative behaviors to reward are chewing on a bone rather than the table leg or being quiet rather than barking.
  
  Your animal trainer will tell you that this concept is extremely important for all dogs, but that it is especially crucial for puppies under five months of age, which is when their personalities and habits are being formed. Using positive reinforcement to teach new behaviors, as well as stop undesirable habits, works best when owners use it consistently.

• Fidos Daily To-Do List - June 2006

  Any professional dog trainer would advise that incorporating basic training exercises such as sit, stay, down, and come into a dog’s and dog owner’s everyday routine will help establish and maintain the proper relationship between the dog and dog owner. Neglecting these day-to-day opportunities is even considered to be a missed animal training lesson. Here are some examples of how owners can incorporate training into their everyday routine.
  
  1. Have your dog sit and stay while you place his/her food bowl down. Once you say "okay," your dog can eat the food.
  
  2. Have your dog lie down and stay at the doorway before saying "okay" to invite the dog inside.
  
  3. Instead of going up to your dog and petting him/her, call him to you when he least expects it and then reward him with praise and/or a treat.
  
  Every day is a chance to improve your teaching skills and your dog’s level of obedience! As every trainer knows, practice makes perfect. The relationship between the trainer and animal makes a world of difference, as do daily habits. Owners that incorporate routines with their dogs feel they make a noticeable difference. You don’t have to be a dog trainer to create a positive relationship of understanding between you and your canine companion.

• Behavior Tip - What Motivates your Dog? - October 2006

  In dog training, behavior drives can be defined as the instincts that contribute to making a dog act and react the way that he does. Almost everything a dog does (e.g. digging or chasing) can be attributed to a specific behavior drive. Drives are usually genetic and are consistent within a breed or breed group. Most purebred dogs are bred to enhance certain drives which will make them more compliant during animal training or better at their job. Owners can therefore identify the drives and use them to make training sessions effective and rewarding.
  
  One example of a behavior drive is prey drive. Examples of prey drive can be a dog’s willingness to chase and catch an object or to play tug-of-war. A dog who enjoys chasing a ball or toy will be excited if presented with one of these objects as a reward for a job well done during training or otherwise. If you have a dog who has high prey drive, try to reward him by throwing his tennis ball as a reward during sessions, like after he has done a great sit-stay. Throwing the ball during dog training instead of giving the dog a treat is more valuable to him and helps enforce the desired behavior. Some dogs have a higher prey drive than others. When attempting to use a dog’s prey drive for training, it may be necessary to limit exposure to his favorite ball or toy to animal training sessions only. Remember, a dog with little or no prey drive (i.e. doesn’t like to play fetch or tug-of-war) will not consider this a reward. Without prey drive, using a toy as a reward may be an exercise in futility.

• Oops... Try Again!  - July 2006

  During initial sessions with your dog trainer, it is important to let your dog know when he has done the right thing or the wrong thing when first teaching a new behavior. This is the basis of obedience training. Offering the dog a favorite treat or toy when he does the right thing will teach him to repeat the desired behavior when asked. It is equally as important to let him know when he has done the wrong thing. This can be accomplished by saying the word "No" and then guiding him into the proper behavior each time. By consistently guiding the dog into the desired behavior after each “No” instead of physically correcting the dog, the dog will soon start to offer the correct behavior when he hears the word "No." This type of dog obedience training technique is common among today’s positive-motivational trainers.

• Time for a Walk: Time for Socialization - December 2006

  Socializing your dog is a crucial aspect of dog training and ownership, perhaps even more so than teaching basic obedience cues. By socializing your dog properly, you are teaching her that the people (such as her dog trainer, groomer, and veterinarian), animals, and objects she encounters on a daily basis do not pose a threat; in fact, these things can even be fun. Although dog parks and training classes are great places to meet other canine friends, placing a dog into such a pressuring situation can be overwhelming. What other options are there?
  
  A great time for socialization is during your daily walks. Before leaving your home, grab several dog training treats and store them away in a treat pouch or pocket. When a stranger approaches, show off your training skills by having your dog sit next to you. Then, hand your neighbor some treats. Ask him to slowly approach your dog and give her a few treats from his open hand at the dog’s level. Praise her lavishly for taking the treats. Continue your walk and repeat the above dog training scenario for each person you come across, making sure the dog sits before receiving the treat. Giving your canine treats around strangers will help build a positive association to approaching humans. The dog will soon learn that new friends are fun (and rewarding!).
  
  Work on socializing your dog to different people of various ages, genders, races, and who are wearing unfamiliar clothing accessories. Don’t allow anybody to act threatening towards her. Be cautious around anyone who might try to approach the dog too quickly. Remain aware around young children who, if comfortable around animals due to having pets in the home, might jump or scream with enthusiasm when they see a dog. If she shows signs of fear or aggression or has in the past, do not attempt the exercise without an experienced animal trainer present. These behavioral issues require the help of a seasoned professional.
  
  By incorporating obedience cues with proper socialization, your dog will grow up to be a well-mannered member of the family, with friends all throughout your neighborhood.

• Timing is Everything - November 2006

  When working on dog training with your pooch, timing is extremely important. This means that every time you ask your dog to do something, you only have an instant to let the dog know he has done the right or the wrong thing. If you miss this window of opportunity, it may be too late for your dog to connect his actions to your reward or punishment. If your dog succeeds during training, immediately reward him by giving him something he likes, like a treat or a belly rub. Also, if your dog does the wrong thing, let him know by either ignoring him or refusing to give him the treat he is yearning for. Professionals refer to this as “negative punishment.”
  
  Providing instant feedback to your dog about his performance during exercises will establish clear lines of communication. This will result in effective and happy animal training lessons.

• Leadership Exercises - July 2007

  Any professional dog trainer will tell you that it is severely stressful for most dogs to be without a leader or role model. Because of this, it is your job as a responsible dog owner to become a kind and benevolent leader for your dog. Most dogs will develop a more relaxed and confident demeanor with a strong desire to please their new role model once the leadership role has been assumed. Just think of the saying, “Follow the leader.”
  
  Leadership can be established through patient and persistent dog training, not only by a professional, but also by the dog owner (because the dog owner is the person who will ultimately be in the leadership role). It is very important for the dog owner, with the help of an animal trainer, to establish house rules and to enforce them firmly but fairly. Here are some simple exercises that will allow you to show your dog that his humans are good leaders and that he has a responsibility to the family to serve and obey the leaders of the pack.
  
  In addition to guided dog training from a professional, there are simple things you can do throughout the course of the day to demonstrate who the leader is to your dog.
  
  1. Never allow your dog to sleep on beds and furniture.
  
  2. Prepare the dogs’ meal and set it aside while you eat your meal. It is not absolutely necessary that an entire meal be eaten before feeding the dog. For the sake of his instruction, take approximately five minutes to eat a few crackers and drink a glass of water before giving him his dinner. This will send him the message that the leader eats first. Make sure to ignore the dog while you are eating and only give him his meal if he is not whining or demanding to be fed. Also, do not feed him table scraps!
  
  3. When walking through doorways, always walk out the door ahead of your dog. This lets your dog know you are the leader. A dog with proper animal training who knows his place in the family would never push you out of the way to get through the doorway first or come inside without being invited. To ensure that the dog learns to wait for you before going through doorways, have your dog trainer assist you. Every time you pass through a door together, ask the dog to “sit” and “stay” at the doorway. Go through the door first, and as long as the dog stays sitting in his place, say “okay,” releasing him to come through the door. Do this dog training exercise every time you go through a doorway with the dog, and practice several repetitions a day. Something as seemingly insignificant as who goes through the door first can communicate who the leader in the house is to the dog.

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