Posts Tagged ‘Dog Barking’
Dog Training – 2 Simple Steps Ending Your Dog’s Pestering Problems
Many dogs are described as “perfect pets,” except when they’ve had no dog training to stop becoming constant, good-natured pests when guests visit or the owners’ attentions are diverted, such as during telephone calls, reading or watching television.
If scolded or punished, these dogs react by coming back for more. Though their dog does not develop problems of aggression, submissive wetting or self-mutilation, the owners would like to curtail the pestering while preserving the pet’s generally pleasant personality and behavior.
The following 2-step dog training process usually meets these objectives. It does not use punishment or scolding, yet curtails the pestering behavior.
1. Command the dog to Sit (praise). Down (praise). Sit (praise) and Down (praise), then release it after 4 commands. Do this until all 4 dog training responses are performed quickly (within 5 seconds for small and medium-sized breeds, 7-8 seconds for large breeds).
2. Whenever the dog begins pestering, the target person initiates the sequence of 4 commands, as outlined. If a set of 4 commands does not calm the pet, the commands should be continued until the dog noticeably slows down in executing them. Then it may be released from the dog training.
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Dog Training: Getting Your Dog’s Attention (Part 2)
Welcome to the second part of dog training getting your dog to “pay attention”.
Continue with the same protocol and after fifteen minutes, get down on one knee to your dog’s level and untie the long-line from his collar, but don’t remove the collar yet.
Just take a few moments to tell your dog what a great job he’s doing.
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Give him a good pet on the head and talk to him in enthusiastic tone of voice.
A good praise and a pat on the dog’s head are all you need at this time to help shape his attitude for the next lessons that will follow.
Time For A Break
When you have finished your few minutes of praise, casually remove the training collar and give your dog a little privacy to take a break and think things over. Do not leave the training collar on your dog when he’s unattended because the ring can snag objects and cause strangulation.
Your first fifteen minutes of dog training may have seemed unremarkable to you. However, if you followed the instructions accurately, your dog began to realize that when he’s tied to you, he must move with you. If he failed to learn that on your first day, you can be sure that he’ll learn it, and more, by the fourth day, since it takes the average dog four days to learn an average thing.
At the same time, your dog is going to learn something else that is equally important. He is going to learn that you have the ability to use sound judgment as well as demonstrating a will that’s much stronger than his. Confidence and respect in your actions will begin to grow.
Day 2
Your second day of dog training should be same as the first day, except for the direction of your pattern. From your starting point the pattern could be the reverse of the day before, so that your dog will not know ahead of time which direction you intend to take.
Depending on your particular dog, you may or may not have struggles on your second day. If you do, handle it as you did the first day. Ignore all distractions and just walk!
Day 3
On the third day of dog training, even the most stubborn and uncooperative dog will begin to realize that nothing he does is going to deter your from going in the direction you want to go, and when you want to go.
He will also realize that the line of least resistance is to follow you.
You will also notice, as you repeat the procedures of the first two days, that your dog will be watching you just a bit more closely.
He is learning that he must move with his owner when on a leash. He has learned that you won’t direct him of your intentions.
And since he must move with you, there’s only one way he’ll be able to be aware of your movements, and that is to pay attention to you when you are dog training.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (6)
Now it’s time to find out if your dog has truly learned how to heel and execute an automatic sit after the many sessions of dog training.
Give him the command “Heel” and make any necessary corrections for poor heeling or lack of attentiveness to bring him up to the proper mental level of awareness.
Come to a stop and command “Sit”. Watch your dog do it all by himself. Get down to his level and praise him enthusiastically.
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For the stubborn or uncooperative dog who would rather be helped for the rest of his life, you’ll be surprised to see that he is going to graduate from being spoon-fed whether he wants to or not.
How do you do this?
When you come to a stop and command “Sit”, silently count to three. If your dog is not seated by the time you get to three, place both hands on the leash, making sure that there’s a little slack in it, and jerk straight up!
Your dog will immediately sit if you make the correction strongly enough.
Don’t forget the praise when you’re done.
If he still refuses to sit after the initial correction, consider that correction ineffective.
An ineffective correction is inhumane because it means that you will have to keep doing it. This is unfair to your pet and will only create resistance.
If you simply tighten the collar around his neck by pulling up slowly on the leash, the only thing you can accomplish is constriction of your dog’s breathing, and you have caused your dog’s training collar to turn into a choking chain.
This is your fault, not his, and he is going to wonder why you have suddenly decided to choke him. So, in all fairness to your dog, make a humane correction by an emphatic and upward jerk of the leash using both hands. Make the correction properly the first time, and chances are you will not have to make it again. Remember to follow the correction with loving praise the moment your dog has responded correctly.
The heel and sit combinations should be continued for one week, after which time you will notice that it’s no longer necessary for you to command “Sit” every time you stop. Your dog will realize that this is what is expected when he is out on a walk and you suddenly come to a stop.
At the end of a week, you can begin dropping the command “Sit” since he will be doing it automatically anyway. Be sure, however, that anytime he fails to sit, make the correction immediately, followed by praise.
Congratulations!
Now you have the proper tools to teach your dog to walk beside you and to sit automatically at your side each time you stop.
Why is this crucial?
In addition to getting your dog’s attention, which is necessary in order to take him to more advanced levels of dog training, it will make all the difference in the world when you take him for a walk down a busy street or a crowded place.
Should you stop to talk to someone, your dog is trained to sit at your side patiently, rather than jumping on the person you’re talking to or wrapping the leash around your legs and making a nuisance of himself.?
Always remember, don’t undo the dog training you’ve spent hours on!
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (5)
When you feel that you have sufficient control of your dog while walking, usually within four days of his initial orientation to the leash, you are now ready to go to a higher level of control during your dog training session.
Give your dog the command to heel and begin walking, remembering to start out on your left foot, in a straight line. Make a few right-about turns as necessary to make sure that you have his full attention. Then, as you prepare to come to a stop, shorten your hold on the leash just a bit. As you stop, not after and not before, pull up the leash with your right hand and press gently on the dog’s rear as you say the command “Sit”!
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Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!
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As soon as he sits, praise him and give him a pat on the head. Remember, dogs learn by associating their actions with a pleasing or displeasing result.
Next, give the command “Heel” and begin to walk briskly in a straight line. As you prepare to stop, shorten your hold on the leash. When you stop, pull up on the leash, pressing gently on the rear with your free left hand, at the same time giving the command “Sit”.
Always follow a correct behavioral response by your dog with praise, even if you caused the behavioral response. Even though you are placing your dog in the sitting position, this should still be followed by warm praise.
This will be the pattern throughout the course. You will show your dog what he needs to do and follow it with praise. After the learning process has taken place within the mind of the dog, then will you correct for disobedience during dog training.
Your dog training program at this stage should still be limited to fifteen minutes per day and consist only of the commands “Heel” and “Sit”. Give the command to heel, walk about ten feet, do a right turn, then come to a stop, placing the dog in the sitting position while giving the command to sit. Follow each sit-placing with warm praise.
Dogs with above average intelligence will absorb what you are trying to convey in less than four days and will begin to sit by themselves before you have a chance to place them.
However, you must be firm with your decision that, regardless of how fast your dog appears to be catching on, you will continue to place him in the sitting position each time you stop your dog training for a period of one week.
Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (3)
There are two extremes of personalities in dogs – the introvert and the extrovert and they’re both important when it comes to dog training.
However, there are many degrees in between those two extremes as there are dogs in this planet.
Regardless of where your dog’s personality lies on that scale, once you have given the command to heel you must start walking and continue walking. Encourage your dog to accompany you if necessary. Correct his heedless rush with absolute right-about turns if necessary. But, you should never, ever give in if your dog decides to not follow your command and just “sit this one out”.
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Dogs learn by associating their actions with a pleasing or displeasing result. Therefore, the dog who tries to take advantage of the new shortened leash by surging and keeping a strain on it comes to a sudden discovery that you still have the situation very much under control. As soon as he can cause the leash to tighten, he will take his eyes off you, only to feel the sudden jolt of your right-about turn.
By using the reserve slack in your hand properly, your dog will realize that the leash is no different than the long line, except that he must pay even closer attention since the six-foot leash gives him less time to react than the fifteen-foot long-line. He’ll realize how much more pleasing it is to walk at your side so that he can see which way and when you’re going to change direction. Your left hand giving him a pat on the head when he’s in the correct heel position is also more pleasing than the sudden jolt that he gets when not in the proper position.
On the other hand, your introvert dog, one that stands as if he had feet glued to the cement, suddenly feels the slightly displeasing effect of the short, sharp jerks of the leash. Hearing your enthusiastic tone of voice and seeing your left hand pat your leg invitingly will do wonders to make your pet choose the more promising alternative. The moment he does, he will discover the warm, affectionate praise and pat on the head to be far more enjoyable than the series of sharp jolts he experienced during your dog training session as a result of his initial reluctance to walk with you.
You may have to spend each of your fifteen-minute dog training sessions for the next four days in this simple leash introduction so the introvert-type will walk without any reluctance or fear and to stop the extrovert’s heedless rushes by your unannounced change of direction.
Don’t Be Afraid To Use Too Much Pull
Let me describe a scene of what an extrovert dog may do when prompted with a distraction. Picture a dog tied to a tree on a twenty-five foot rope lying in loose coils on the ground. He is sleeping comfortably under the tree when a cat walks by past the dog at a distance of about twenty-seven feet.
The dog wakes up, spots the cat and rushes recklessly to pounce on the poor cat. The dog will be stopped two foot short and very abruptly too. After regaining his composure, he will still strain and tug to try and get the cat. But, unless he’s a total fool, he will not make that reckless rush a second time – not while still tied to a tree. But does he blame the tree? Of course not.
You are not as firm as a tree, so don’t be worried about hurting your pet. Your objective should be clear. Your dog should walk at your left side, neither lagging behind nor surging ahead.
Always remember that the leash should be slack. Eventually, you’ll be heeling your dog without the leash and you will realize the importance of that slack. If your dog is used to feeling a tight leash restraining him during dog training in the heeling position, he’ll be long gone when you walk him without the leash later on.