By Aly DelaCoeur
There are many different things you can spend your time
training your dog to do. It all depends
on what is most important to you. What I
do know, however, is that positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to
teach dogs to do just about anything.
Below are some of my top training tips on how to get a reliable recall
from your dog of commands and how to set them up for success.
Start your training sessions with luring the dog. It is the
fastest and easiest way to train. An example, while teaching sit, hold the lure
by the nose and slowly raise it up and over the dog’s head to get their butt to
lower. However, make sure to remove the
lure after about 6-12 trials so it does not become a bribe.
Dogs learn through association. Because of this you want to
limit your movement to the hand prompt to avoid your dog picking up on a
different movement. Your tone of voice can also influence what your dog learns.
Reward often. Don’t stop rewarding even if your dog knows
the command.
Always start training in a low distraction area. You cannot
expect your dog to perform when there are a lot of things going on around him.
When first introducing the command, begin in a spot where there are zero
distractions. Once your dog is proficient there, then you can start teaching in
other areas.
After your dog learns the command, decide what level of
proficiency you will reward and how good of a reward. Give different valued
treat to reflect the quality of his performance. If you asked multiple times
for your dog to sit, perhaps just a good dog will do. However, if he does it on
the first time, then it is a good boy plus a treat and pets!
Always start dog training at the level your dog knows and
move at your dog’s pace to the next step. How quickly you move through each
step depends on the dog, not the owner. Some dogs can learn faster and some
learn slower.
Be patient with your dog. Training your dog takes a lot of
time and effort. Avoid pulling, pushing, and shoving your dog during training.
If you are getting frustrated, take a break.
Dogs do not generalize. Just because they know how to sit on
command in the house does not always mean that they will sit on command in the
yard. Dogs take into account how similar or different the current situation is
in comparison to what their store of past experience contains. By expanding
their store of experience, you can increase their responses elsewhere.
Your dog is unique. Don’t compare him to another dog. They
are individuals just like us and require a different amount of work and have
different motivations. However, that does not make one dog less intelligent
than another.
It is best to train off leash as much as possible but only if it’s safe. Because your dog does not
generalize, commands that are learned while on leash may not be understood
while off leash. When we really need the dog to do something, he is usually off
leash. Like when chasing a squirrel and you need him to come back
About Aly DelaCoeur and www.WhyDoesMyDog.com
Aly DelaCoeur combines her love of dogs, years of
experience, and the most up-to-date animal behavior science in
WhyDoesMyDog.com. Her goal is to help you and your dog have a fuller, happier,
and more rewarding relationship.