Simon Wilby, Leash Dog Training

Author: Mike Selvon

Dog training, if you ask any pet owner or anyone who is an authority on dogs, is absolutely essential. The need to train your dog goes far beyond peeing or pooping in the house. It can mean a matter of life or death for your beloved canine companion.

Dogs must know to obey their owners. This could mean teaching the dog to heed both verbal and non-verbal commands for walking, sitting or eating. The stereotypical image of an animal chasing a mailman may seem funny until it happens to you.

Dog training begins when they are puppies and will continue throughout their lives. A pet must be able to rely on its owner for common sense. Unfortunately there are instances when the human fails.

Dogs that are not acclimated to strangers can endanger not only the stranger’s life but their own as well. Animal Welfare officers deal with dogs each day that lacked the proper training and as a consequence bit someone.

An animal that bites is a danger and one that cannot be excused. The risks to neighborhood children are not worth the price of pet training obedience classes. If you find yourself unable to train your pet to behave around strangers, find a dog training class that can.

An aggressive canine that bites others is not tolerated by the law. You can find yourself fined and possibly losing your pet should it bite someone.

Dog training can also be used to teach an animal not to eat food unless it is given by the owner. Each year thousands of dogs undergo veterinarian attention due to poisoning.

There are many things we often do not consider as poisonous or dangerous that can mean life or death to a pet. Three of the most common harmful items found around most houses are: chocolate, anti-freeze and chicken bones.

Most people know that anti-freeze is toxic but often give their pet chocolate and chicken bones, both of which are harmful to dogs. The tiniest piece of chocolate can begin a terrible pattern that might result in poisoning due to theobromine.

Chicken bones splinter when bitten and can become lodged in a dog’s mouth and windpipe resulting in choking. So in reality it is both human and dog behavior training.

You can love your pet by learning the essentials to dog training. It may be tough at times but it will be well worth it in the end. The animal will know the rules and the consequences of disobeying.

You will know your pet’s personality and be able to keep him safe and happy. A well trained animal is a great example to other pet owners who may be trying to train their dog. Share your experiences and give them advice that has helped you.

Author: Hager Lagarto

Fundamentally, dog training is about communication. From the human perspective the handler is communicating to the dog what behaviors are correct, desired, or preferred in what circumstances. From the canine perspective the handler must communicate what behaviors will give the dog the most satisfaction to his natural instincts and emotions. Without that inner satisfaction a dog will not work well.

A successful handler must also understand the communication that the dog sends to the handler. The dog can signal that he is unsure, confused, nervous, happy, excited, and so on. The emotional state of the dog is an important consideration in directing the training, as a dog that is stressed or distracted will not learn efficiently.

According to Learning Theory there are a four important messages that the handler can send the dog:

Reward or release marker
Correct behavior. You have earned a reward. For example, “Free” followed by a reward.

Bridge
Correct behavior. Continue and you will earn a reward. For example, “Good”.

No reward marker
Incorrect behavior. Try something else. For example, “Uh-uh” or “Try again”.

Punishment marker
Incorrect behavior. You have earned punishment. For example, “No”.

Using consistent signals or words for these messages enables the dog to understand them more quickly. If the handler sometimes says “good” as a reward marker and sometimes as a bridge, it is difficult for the dog to know when he has earned a reward.

Rewards can be treats, play, praise, or anything that the dog finds rewarding. Failure to reward after the reward marker diminishes the value of the reward marker and makes training more difficult.

These four messages do not have to be communicated with words, and nonverbal signals are often used. In particular, mechanical clickers are frequently used for the reward marker. Hand signals and body language also play an important part in learning for dogs.

Dogs usually do not generalize commands easily; that is, a dog who has learned a command in a particular location and situation may not immediately recognize the command to other situations. A dog who knows how to “down” in the living room may suffer genuine confusion if asked to “down” at the park or in the car. The command will need to be retaught in each new situation. This is sometimes called “cross-contextualization,” meaning the dog has to apply what’s been learned to many different contexts.