Effective Dog Training Principles

  • Relationship: Foundations of healthy relationships consist of love, support, trust, forgiveness or grace and fair boundaries.
  • Motivation: High motivation keeps both the pup parent and pup wanting to learn and put forth the effort learning takes. What are your motivations for wanting to train your puppy or dog?
    What motivates your dog the most? Usually, we use treats to start with and determining which high value, soft tasty treats our pups like the most is invaluable in keeping dogs motivated for training. Working breeds like the German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois often prefer balls or toys right out the gate, but usually these are incorporated a bit later on. After a command is learned, then weaning off treats is important so a pup does not just follow obedience commands when treats are offered.
    At Anita’s Loving Pet Services, Anita is a huge advocate of using play as rewards too. Her practice of socialization, train, play etc. keeps both pup parents and pups highly engaged and having fun.
  • Communication: K9’s desire clear, direct communication as opposed to wordy sentences that often looses them. Pups are fun and thoroughly enjoy our upbeat tones and facial expressions/body language as well. When correcting a behavior, redirecting to your desired command or with puppy biting, desired toy, is ideal. Dogs have a genetic predisposition to look up to a leader and at times a good leader needs to be firm as well. Safety in dog training is of the upmost importance and if a dog is doing something that might harm them or others, surely assertively stepping in must take place. Speaking of safety, an untrained dog/dog owner has unfortunately been the cause of needless suffering.
  • Timing: Timing is also super important in puppy and dog training. Timing of rewards and verbally “marking” the good behavior as well as the timing for when a pup demonstrates undesirable behaviors. Ideally both should occur within seconds of the positive and negative behaviors.
  • Consistency: For our pup to learn and establish new behaviors, it’s imperative we are consistent with what we ask of them. Inconsistency, sadly, can also untrain a well trained dog. This is a discipline for all loving pet parents to take to heart.
  • Direction: A dog’s first mode of learning is visual, so by using both hand and body signals along with your verbal commands, this is painting a clear picture to your dog. When saying “Sit/Stay”, also extend the palm side of your hand out toward your dog followed by “good”. After your dog is sitting and staying, please remember to release them or they will eventually release themselves which is counterproductive to their learning.
  • Repetitions: Repeating something over and over again creates brain paths for that behavior making it easier for pups to learn. Think of things you repeat daily and how they have become second nature. The same is true for dogs of all ages.

Give your son (pup) training, and he will give you rest; He will give delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17

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