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obedience training

Dog Training Issues – Refusing to Come When Called

June 21, 2009

in Dog Training

Dog training issues

Many dog owners fail to recognize the importance of having a dog that comes when called until there is a problem, such as the collar or leash breaking, or the dog tearing free to chase a person or another animal.

These situations can be dangerous for the dog, the owner and other members of the community. In areas where there is a lot of vehicular traffic, the situation could even prove fatal to the dog.

Unfortunately, many well meaning owners sabotage this important part of their dog’s training by allowing it to run off leash and unattended.

Whether the dog is allowed to run in the park, on the beach, or just play with other dogs, this teaches the dog that there are many fun things that do not involve its owner. In fact, from the dog’s perspective at least, these fun times are often ruined by the appearance of the owner.

Look at things from the dog’s perspective for a moment. You – the dog – are having a ton of fun running on the beach with all your doggy friends, and suddenly here comes this human to take you away from the fun. When you see the dog’s point of view it is easy to see how the appearance of the owner, and the leash can be seen as a negative.

This negative perception causes many dogs to delay this outcome by refusing to come when they are called. From the dog’s point of view, this makes perfect sense, since every minute of delay means another minute of romping on the beach or in the park. In other words, the dog has learned that the most rewarding thing to do is to ignore the calls of its owner. While this may seem like a good idea to the dog, it is definitely not a good thing from the owner’s perspective.

For dogs who have not yet learned this type of avoidance behavior, it is best to prevent it from happening by supervising the dog at play, and making the time you spend with your dog as much, or more, fun, as the time it spends alone or with other dogs.

For dogs that have already learned the value of ignoring their owner, some retraining is definitely in order. It is vital that every dog respond to the “come here” command, for the safety of both humans and dogs alike.

One thing to avoid is following the “come here” command with unpleasant activities. Calling the dog, and then immediately giving him a bath, clipping his nails, taking him to the vet, etc. will quickly teach the dog that coming to the owner has negative consequences.

It is best to ask the dog to come and then play with him, feed him, walk him or engage in other fun activities. If you do need to take your dog to the vet, bathe him, etc. be sure to allow some time to pass so the dog does not associate the “come here” command with the bad experience.

It is important to remember that dogs are constantly learning, whether a formal training session is in process or not. Your dog is always learning something from you, whether good or bad. It is therefore important to make every interaction with your dog a positive one.

When teaching the dog to come on command, it is vital that the dog be consistently rewarded every single time he does as the owner wants.

A reward can be as simple as a pat on the head, a “good boy” or a scratch behind the ears. Of course, treat based rewards are appreciated as well, and many dogs are highly food motivated and respond quickly to this type of training. The key is to be consistent. The dog should get some kind of reward, whether it be praise, a toy, or a treat, every time he appears at the owners side when called.

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Training the Dog to Come When it is Called

June 20, 2009

in Dog Training

Training dogs to come when called

Training dogs to come when called

Training a dog to come when it is called is a vital, and potentially life saving, part of any successful dog training program.

All properly trained dogs must learn to respond instantly to the owner’s voice, and the sooner this lesson is learned the better.

The advantages of teaching a dog to come when called are obvious. For starters, coming when called will help you regain control of the dog in case of collar break, snapped leash or other similar equipment failure. This is particularly important when you are out with your dog, especially in an area with lots of traffic.

It is vital that the dog respond to your voice and return to your side, even in the absence of collar and leash, and even if there are lots of other things competing for its attention.

Coming when called is also a vital skill for every working dog. Whether the dog’s job is herding sheep, guarding livestock, or sniffing out bombs and drugs at the airport, the working dog must be under total control at all times, whether on leash or off.

Even if your dog’s only job is being a loyal companion, it is still vital that he learn this important basic obedience exercise. After the first obedience lessons, such as heeling, stopping on command, sitting on command, etc. have been learned, it is time to start incorporating the come when called lessons into the daily training sessions.

One note about dog training – it is all too easy for training sessions to become dull and routine for both handler and dog. A bored dog will not be receptive to learning, just as a bored handler will not be a good teacher. It is important, therefore, to always incorporate fun things and play into every training session.

Incorporating a few minutes of play time before the lesson begins can do wonders for the attitude of dog and human alike. Likewise, ending each training session with a few minutes of free play time is a great way to end on a positive note and to help the dog associate obedience training with fun and not drudgery.

The command to stay and the command to come when called are often combined in obedience training lessons, and they do go naturally together. Start with the dog on a loose leash, ask the dog to sit and then slowly back away. If the dog begins to get up and follow you, return to the dog and ask him to sit again. Continue this process until you can reach the end of the leash without the dog getting up.

After you can successfully reach the end of the leash on a consistent basis, try dropping the leash altogether. Of course you will want to do this in a controlled environment like a fenced in yard. After the dog has mastered the stay command, it is time to add the come when called command.

Take up the leash again, and with the dog on the end of the leash, say “come” or “come here”. It is often helpful to use a lure when teaching this behavior. The lure provides a visible item for the dog to focus on. Teaching the dog to come to the lure is a good first step in training the dog to come when called.

Repeat this procedure many times until the dog will consistently stay and then come when called. After the dog has mastered coming when called while attached to the leash, slowly start introducing the concept when the leash is removed. As before, these training sessions should only take place in a controlled, safe environment, such as a fenced in front or back yard.

A well trained, obedient dog should respond to the call to return to its owner no matter where it is and no matter what distractions may occur. It is therefore necessary to test the dog with distractions of your own.

If you have a neighbor, preferably one with a dog of his own, try having him come over with the dog. Have him, and the dog, stand just outside the fenced in area and repeat the come when called exercise with your dog off leash. If he becomes distracted by the other dog, put the leash back on and repeat the process.

The goal is to have your dog consistently pay attention to your commands, no matter what distractions may present themselves.

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Obedience training and your dog

June 16, 2009

in Dog Training

Guide Dog in Training

Guide Dog in Training

Obedience training is one of the most important and most effective things any owner can do for his or her dog.  A properly obedience trained dog is a happy, productive and safe member of the family, while a untrained dog can be destructive and even dangerous.

Dogs are designed by nature to follow leaders, and to look for that leadership.   As pack animals, dogs naturally follow the directions of their pack leader. In the absence of a strong leader, the dog may assume this role itself.  Dogs that think of themselves as the leader of their human pack can become uncooperative, destructive and even dangerous.

Proper obedience training opens up important lines of communication between handler and dog.  The basis of any dog obedience training program is to gain the cooperation and respect of the animal.  This respect cannot be exerted through rough handling methods or mistreatment.  It must instead be earned through leadership and proper training techniques.

Basic obedience training consists of teaching the dog what to do and what not to do.  When it comes to desired behaviors, it is important for the dog to learn and respond to basic commands, such as heeling when walking, stopping on command, sitting when directed, coming when called and staying where the handler directs.

The list of what not to do is also important when it comes to obedience training.  Some of the don’ts of obedience training include – not jumping up on people, not forging ahead when walking and, not chewing the furniture or your property, and not getting out of control when exposed to novel situations.

In essence, obedience training involves establishing the social hierarchy that is so important to dogs as pack animals.  When your dog follows your obedience commands, such as – come, stay, sit, heel, etc., he or she is showing compliance and submissiveness.  This is the same type of behavior a submissive member of a wild dog pack would show to the alpha dog in that pack.

As with any type of dog training, it is important that obedience training sessions be fun and rewarding for both dog and handler.  A happy, healthy dog will be best able to learn, and keeping the dog happy during the training sessions will make life easier for both yourself and your dog.  Obedience training has many benefits for the dog as well as the handler.  For one thing, a well trained, obedient dog can be permitted a larger amount of freedom than an untrained dog.  For instance, a dog that has been properly trained to come when called can safely enjoy some off leash play time at the local park.

There is always a debate over whether it is easier to obedience train puppies or older dogs.  The fact is that both puppies and older dogs can be successfully trained to be willing, obedient companions.  It is generally easier to train puppies and young dogs than it is to retrain dogs that have developed behavior problems.  Even problem dogs, however, can be successfully retrained using basic obedience training and control concepts.

When doing puppy obedience training, however, it is important to remember that puppies generally have a shorter attention span than to do full grown dogs.  It is important, therefore to keep training sessions short in the beginning.  It is also important to incorporate lots of play with other puppies, dogs and other animals, as well as lots of different people.  Proper socialization is very important to creating a safe, healthy and happy companion dog.

There are many dog obedience training classes held in all parts of the country, and new puppy and dog owners are encouraged to enroll in one of these classes.  Not only do puppy kindergarten and dog obedience classes provide important structure for the dogs, but it provides important chances for properly socialization the puppy as well.

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Using Positive Reinforcement In Your Dog Training

June 3, 2009

in Dog Training

Dogs are very sociable creatures – it’s part of the reason why we love dogs so much. The problem is that when a dog becomes too sociable they can be become agressive and get out of control. That’s why it’s important to train your dog from an early age to make sure that you can control their behavior and prevent this type of behavioral problem.

The most worrying type of agression from any dog is biting as this can have disasterous consequences on both the dog and its family. Current statistics shows that over 70% of dog biting incidents happen within the dogs family. Some of these lead to the dog in question being put down to prevent it happening in future – especially where young children are involved. This is the most tragic possible outcome that could have been prevented by some effective training in the first place.

Proper dog training, from an early age, helps prevent these habits developing in the dog. The training will also allow your dog to remain more in control of their feelings towards other humans and animals. This will give them a better “social life” and allow them to integrate more quickly with their family and their new surroundings.

Actually training the dog is another story. It’s not always as easy as some people make it out to be. Certain things need to be in place for the training to be truly successful. One of the most critical aspects of training any dog is something called “positive reinforcement”. This is simply the system where the dog is rewarded with treats or praise (or sometimes both) when the dog obeys commands or shows positive behavior in their environment. Positive reinforcement shows the dog that they’ll be praised and/or receive a treat when they obey new commands or exhibit a certain behavior that their owner requires. It’s a matter of the dog associating certain good feelings (treats or praise) with obeying a command from his owner. This type of association can quickly become instinctual for the dog.

What if your dog doesn’t immediately obey these new commands or shows a negative behavior? Do you punish the dog? Absolutely not! This sends the dog mixed signals i.e. that the same verbal command or request could just as easily being punished as rewarded. If your dog begins to doubt you in relation to praise or punishment then the training can become very difficult; if not impossible.

Another major mistake to avoid is training the dog into a bad habit – instead of in the opposite direction. For example, when dogs bark, it is usually because they’ve seen or heard something strange or unfamiliar. When dogs continue to bark, even if it includes barking at a familiar person, that becomes a problem. How do most people deal with their dog barking? They yell at the dog to shut up. Unfortunately the dog could take this action as their owner joining in the “barking experience” and the dog will then just continue to bark every time they’re yelled at thus making matters worse for everyone involved.

Any dog training performed without some form of positive reinforcement is a waste of the dogs and the owners time. The sooner you adopt this technique into your training program for your new pup or older dog the sooner you’ll see positive results.

Niall Roche

http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/using-positive-reinforcement-in-your-dog-training-129820.html

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Does the gentle leader really work? I have a dog whom I’ve done obedience with and have used training collars?

April 15, 2009

in Dog Training

Pinch collars etc. My dog really pulls. So much so that I've been dragged down the street more than once. My vet recently recommended the gentle leader. I'm just curious as to if this really works. My dog is very well behaved except on walks. I'm hoping you all can tell me if its worth the money.

Totally WORTH the money!!!

I have had great success with gentle leaders, I have a 130 lb rescued wolf dog and a 115 lb rescued german shep. and I walk both of them with ease..it really is like walking horses :) lol, they see the gentle leaders come out and go sit by the door, wating with excited happy feet to go for the walk, they will even shove thier noses into the loop. As long as you make the experience a positive experience, your dog sould easily accept it. Good Luck!!

* I have both the gentle leader and the halti, i by far choose the gentle leader because you can make a correct fit for your dog with the gentle leader, while the halti seems too loose.

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