Six tips to training success:
1. Never yell or speak with an overly stern tone. Like people, dogs respond better to a kind voice.
2. If possible, begin training when your pup is around four months old. Then your dog will be mature enough to understand rewards and consequences.
3. Be patient with senior dogs as they learn at a slower pace.
4. Proper training takes commitment from you as a dog owner. Make sure that you consistently make time to devote to training.
5. Reward your dog immediately after a task is performed correctly to reinforce positive behavior.
6. Be generous with training treats and as affection.
Tips & Tricks
Dogs by nature are social butterflies. They love a good meet, sniff and play. By exposing your dog to a variety of people, other animals, sights, and sounds at a young age they are less likely to be fearful of new experiences as they grow older. If your dog has become fearful it is important to modify the behavior, if left fearful your dog will become aggressive and eventually bite someone or another dog. Before introducing your dog to new people and animals away from your home try indoors so your dog is comfortable in his territory, he will feel as if he has control. Once your dog has made progress move to a yard, remember to encourage your dog every time they behavior properly. Then gradually take the meeting outside of the yard and for a walk. You will want to repeat this until you see your dog has made improvement. Make sure to use friendly calm submissive dogs for the introductions to avoid going backwards in the training.
Setting rules and boundaries are essential to properly training a dog, love, patience and understanding are also key ingredients. Remember that dogs are bound to have accidents just as people make mistakes and it is important to be patient and understanding when an accident occurs in order to keep training a positive experience.
Do not be physically rough with the leash when training your dog. Training can get frustrating at times but one must keep in mind that your physical strength should never come into play. The leash and collar is not a grab-bar for you to jerk or pull on. They are gentle reminders to the dog of what you are asking them to do. Do not be influenced by trainers you see who use the leash in a punishing manner. This is frowned upon as it may scare the dog into never wanting a leash put on as well as damage its neck.
Don’t go crazy with the tone of your voice. It is important to use proper voice tone when giving commands. Try to keep the same tone of voice when you give a command to your dog-the tone of voice is just as important as the command itself. Try to keep in mind that your tone needs to be consistent in order to get a reliable response. If you change the tone of your voice you may be changing the meaning of the command as well.
If a dog is lying across a doorway he is claiming that passageway as his own. In a dog pack situation, lower ranking dogs will not try to walk through until the dog moves. If a person tries to step over the dog and he puts his leg out as if to trip them this dog may be overly assertive. The human is supposed to make the dog stand up and let the person pass, which will show that the human is the true alpha.
If you have more than one dog, be careful when you return from the vet or groomers with one of them if the others have stayed home. The dog that has been elsewhere smells different from being there and it is not uncommon to see raised hackles (the hair between the shoulders) or growls when they first return. You can avoid the tense moments when reuniting your dogs if you let the dogs run loose in an open space so they have room to get re-acquainted without things getting ugly.
Never tolerate growling. This is a threat and it means your dog sees you as a subordinate meant to be dominated by him. Tell him No! Let him know it is not acceptable to EVER growl at you or your children. Make it clear that your children are the offspring of his Alpha leader (you) and that they are to be treated as Alpha "pups." If you have a problem with your dog growling at you or another family member, you may want to try having the person your dog growls at the most be the only one to feed him. You want to make him sit to reinforce your position as the leader. He is learning that he depends on you and he must obey in order to eat. And if he growls after you set down the food, tell him no and take the food away. Tell him to sit again. This is how you will reinforce the "no growling rule.'' You must never tolerate growling because this will usually lead to biting. Not always, but it usually does. So you need to nip it in the bud as soon as possible. I want to make it clear we are not talking about puppy play growling. Only growling that is geared towards aggression growling. Puppies need to be able to be puppies.
Do not let your dog walk through the door first. If your dog always goes ahead of you, you need to get your leash and open the door. When he rushes ahead you pull him back and tell him "No. Wait. " You walk in and then give him permission to come in. This will be easier and faster if you have someone help you.
Do not let your dog sleep in the same bed as you. This is a definite Alpha position. If you just can't be without your dog in the bed, at the very least you need to make sure he sleeps at the foot of the bed. A doggie bed on the floor beside you is your best bet for maintaining Alpha position. (this rule is for aggressive dogs or dogs showing signs they are forgetting their place... A pet that is well behaved and obedient can sleep next to you or your child).
Socialize, socialize, socialize. I cannot stress enough the importance of introducing your dog to different places and people. Find something to do with your dog. Join and agility or obedience class. Take your dog to the park. If you have a laid back dog or puppy share your time with the local nursing home. Volunteer with disability groups so children and adults with special needs can enjoy the non-judgmental love a dog or puppy can provide.
Do not let your dog ride in your lap in the car. Make him sit in his own seat or on the floor. It is unsafe for you and your dog. Buy him his own seat belt or safety booster or use a kennel. Some states will give you a ticket for being a distracted driver.
Do not baby your dog too much. He needs to learn to be a dog. Do not over-protect him. He needs to explore and learn to be independent. You do not want to raise a flighty, paranoid dog. When he acts afraid of something that he should not be afraid of, do not pick him up and ooh and ahh over him. Simply tell him it is okay, and show him the object, person, etc. Your confidence will make him a confident and dependable dog. If you feed his imaginary fears, he will become a snappy and untrustworthy dog.
A fearful dog may develop fear aggression. An example could be a dog that sits in its owner's lap and growls at people or other animals. If you pet him, and say "It's okay." You are really saying this is the type of behavior you expect, and will continue to do it because there is a reward attached to it. Tell him no and put him down. While some owners think it is sweet that their lap dog is "protecting them," it is not.
Do not play tug of war with a puppy. Play fetch and tell them to release the ball. Never be overly harsh with your dog.
Please call or e-mail us for more training tips. We look forward to hearing from you.
