Posts Tagged ‘Positive Reinforcement’
Dog Training – Why You Should Never Shout At Your Dog
If you have a new puppy in the house and are unclear about whether or not you should use yelling as a way to get him to stop doing something wrong or barking too much, then this dog training article should clear up your confusion about proper dog training. If anything, you should learn the simple fact that yelling at your dog it does nothing to fix a problem, stop what he’s doing, or induce any type of positive reinforcement.
Yes your dog may stop doing a certain activity temporarily after yelling at him, but he will only return to whatever behavior he was displaying which made you angry in the first place. Why? Because when you shout at your dog it does nothing to fix the issue, yelling only works as a temporary solution.
Most puppies think of their owners as other dogs. And when you start yelling at your pet, it only increases how excited he is about the situation. You also cause your dog to create a negative association between yelling and how he feels around you. He will soon start to connect yelling with the idea that he is disliked or unwanted, and will not have the ability to know that he is actually breaking a rule that you are trying to establish.
Not All Loud Dog Training Voice Commands Are Bad
Even though yelling at your dog is considered to be of poor communication skills, there are definitely times when dog training you need to firm up the tone of your voice and change the way you come across to him. There are three general forms of communication in terms of the way you speak to your dog that you can apply:
1. The soothing tone of voice. A soothing and delightful tone of voice should be used whenever you want to give praise to your dog. When you communicate this way, you should be able to relax and soothe him as opposed to creating excitability. Speaking to your puppy in a soothing tone of voice makes him feel secure and proud knowing that you are happy with him.
2. The second tone of voice used when communicating with your dog is more of a direct tone. A direct tone would be the same way you give commands to your puppy when you want to get his attention. It should be short, firm, and authoritative.
3. The third general tone of voice you can use with your dog is more of a disciplinary tone. However, you must learn when dog training to draw a fine line between a disciplinary tone and a yelling tone. Remember, you do not want to yell your dog but there are certainly times when you need to get across to him to back away from something quickly or to stop doing something immediately, all without actually scaring him off with shouting. Personally,when dog training, I like to use two syllables such as “DOWN BOY” or “SPARKY NO”.
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Dog Care Tips With Dog Training Tips
A dog is considered to be “a man’s best friend”. The companionship between a pet dog and the owners is priceless. Imagine how delightful it is seeing your own dog behave so good, that you don’t have to yell or scream at him, ever again.
The best way to train dogs remained a perpetual concern for the dog training enthusiasts. Before training your dog, there are some things you might want to know in order for you to be an efficient trainer.
This will also help your pet dog on how to adjust with all the new tricks you will give.
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Whether you have a puppy or an older dog for an instance, you can still teach them new tricks. Dogs are intelligent creatures thus they can always be taught new things.
It is helpful to start training a puppy, between the age of six to eight months. In this stage, the dog is a lot eager to learn things. Somehow, a dog is more receptive between these ages.
It is best that you understand how to use reinforcements so that your dog can really absorb the new tricks you teach. A positive reinforcement is favorable in training dogs.
Like what most people want, dogs appreciate it much when they are praised and fed with dog treats. When dog is able to perform commands in a correct and precise manner a treat must be given. This can be in a form of food.
Dogs are brilliant companions and are very trainable. Their gregarious nature sets them aside from other pet animals. They can interact and attach emotionally with their owners.
While training your dog, you will soon appreciate the connection that you have both made.
Be firm but friendly in dealing with your dogs. Like when you are dealing with toddlers you have to be firm in giving those orders but in a very positive tone.
This approach in teaching dogs fosters learning and being friendly towards your dog avoids intimidation. When you start to give command try a calm voice coupled with a little tone of being friendly.
Make use of your voice to give commands. Learn when to use high pitch voice and low pitch voice. This will also enable the dog to get familiar on the usual voice usage that you might implore.
Punishment is a type of reinforcement. It is classified as a negative reinforcement which is unfavorable when training dogs. It is imperative that you should not punish the dog in any manner.
Otherwise, the dog will develop that fear and will be distracted along the course of the training. Be consistent in all your commands. Consistent training techniques can hasten learning of the dogs due to the fact that they are familiar with the sounds, words used in the command given. In addition, it is important that the command must be given by the same person.
This will also help the dog to associate the commands to who is giving the commands.
The dog must not be confused in any manner.
On top of these, you might want to solicit an advice from a dog trainer, better if it is a certified dog trainer.
Yes, there are many dog training resources out there, including dog training videos and dog training e-books, but nothing compares with the advice you will get from a certified dog trainer professional.
Increase the happy years of your dog by checking out my free dog training cd. In it, I reveal all the secrets I’ve used to develop a happy, well behaved dog. Visit Dr. Alfonso’s dog training blog right now!
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Are Dog Training Collars Humane
Are dog training Collars Humane?
You may ask yourself if dog training collars are humane. Many people are still under the impression that electronic dog training collars are uncaring “shock collars” that are used to harm dogs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The latest technology has not only enabled electronic dog collars to humanely train dogs, but these devices have safety features that will not allow them to be used to harm dogs.
Training a dog
It is not only hunters that need to train dogs. All dogs, if they are to live with humans, need to be trained. Dogs are very social animals and live to be included in the pack. This is the knowledge that you need when training a dog.
Using an electronic training collar only makes the dog get trained quicker than if you were using other means. If you are hunting and trying to train a gun dog, it is imperative, for the safety of the dog, that he is trained as quickly as possible so that he does not cause any harm to himself and learns to listen to commands.
Whistles and Commands
You can use whistles and commands – and should – when you are training your dog. But when you use them together with electronic dog collars, you make them twice as effective. You can get your dog trained in record time when you combine whistles and verbal commands with the electronic dog collar. The dog will quickly learn to associate the sensation from the collar with the behavior that he is exhibiting.
Of course, in addition to using the electronic dog collar, whistles and commands, you have to be sure to praise your dog when he or she does the right thing. When used in combination, both negative and positive reinforcement have a tremendous effect on dog training efforts.
Humane?
Some people will say that using an electronic dog collar is not “humane.” But they will also balk at yelling at a dog as well as using a dog whistle. Those who believe that only positive reinforcement is needed to train a dog are living in a dream world. Unfortunately, there are many people who are afraid to train their dogs not only to hunt, but to behave in general. What usually happens is that the untrained dog becomes too much of a burden to bear and ends up being given to a shelter. In some cases, the dog may end up getting injured or killed because he has never been taught to listen to commands. Such as “stop” when he is trying to cross a street in front of traffic.
A dog depends on his owner to train him and make him into a social animal. A well trained gun dog will not only make a wonderful hunting companion, but will also be a fun pet for the entire family to enjoy. Using an electronic dog collar only expedites the training of the dog and does not do him any harm. The sooner your dog is trained and knows what is expected of him, the more relaxed both he and you will be.
Geoffrey A. English is the Founder of GundogsOnline.com, the internet’s premiere online magazine dedicated to hunting dogs. Visit their site if you are in need of hunting dog supplies such as dog collars or bark collars.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Dog Training – Leash/Collar Training
There are many different styles of dog training, and finding the one that works best for you is important for creating a dog that is a talented, loyal and faithful member of the family. All successful methods of dog training work to reinforce the relationship between dog and handler, and the foundation of any successful training program is getting the respect of the dog. Fortunately, dogs are wired by nature to seek out leaders, and to follow the direction of those leaders.
This article focuses on one of the most popular methods of dog training – the so called leash/collar style of training. Other articles will focus on the other popular style of training dogs, often called reward training or positive reinforcement.
Both leash/collar training and reward training have been around for a very long time, and they have proven their effectiveness over time. The type of training that works best will vary from dog to dog, and from breed to breed. It is important to remember that each breed of dog has its own unique qualities, reinforced by hundreds of years of selective breeding.
Of course personalities of individual dogs vary quite a bit, even within established breeds. You, as the owner of the dog, know better than anyone which style of dog training will work best, so it is important to work with the trainer you choose to achieve your goal of a willing, obedient and friendly dog.
Leash and collar training is the best way to accomplish many types of dog training, particularly in situations where the dog must have a high level of reliability. For instance, dogs that have an important job to do, such as rescue dogs, police dogs and guard dogs, generally benefit from leash and collar training.
In leash and collar training, varying degrees of force can be used, ranging from slight prompts with the lead to very harsh corrections. The amount of correction used should be appropriate to the situation, since using too much correction, or too little, will be ineffective.
In a collar and leash based dog training program, first the dog is taught a particular behavior, generally with the leash. After the dog has demonstrated that it understands the command, the leash is then used to correct the dog if it disobeys, or when it makes a mistake. The leash is the main form of controlling and communicating with the dog in leash and collar training.
When using leash and collar training, the dog must be trained to trust the handler and accept his or her directions without question. In order for the dog to be fully trained, the handler must demonstrate the ability to place the dog into a posture or position he or she does not want to take. This does not mean using force, but it does generally require some level of physical manipulation. This manipulation is most easily and safely done using the main tool of leash and collar training – the leash.
It is important for every would be dog trainer to understand that the leash is simply a tool. While the leash is an important tool in this form of training, it is important for the dog trainer to be able to eventually achieve the same results using whatever tools are at hand.
Even when the only tools at hand are the owner’s body and skill, the dog should be willing to obey. Creating a leader/follower relationship between handler and dog is still very important, and it is important to use the leash as a tool and not a crutch. A properly trained dog should be willing to obey whether the leash is present or not.
Anthony Stai owns and operates the #4 (Google) site for As Seen On TV products and has loved animals all his life. Please visit his Pet Trainer page for unique pet training product that works with both dogs and cats.
Article Source: ArticleSpan
Dog Training: The Six Common Mistakes To Avoid
When new trainers start training, they tend to make a lot of mistakes in their approach and methods in their training process. There are some mistakes that are common among most trainers.
High Expectation- The individual who makes this mistake is a true dog lover. The problem arises only when they start watching the tricks their neighbor’s dog can do or watch some well trained pets in their favorite sitcoms. Also sometimes when they go to park, they would have come across people who would have been enjoying the company of their dogs that are obedient and well trained. At that moment, they tend to forget all the time, money and patience that has gone into training these dogs.
Giving Up- This is also a common mistake done by novice dog trainers. Just because the dog cannot learn to play Frisbee in an hour or so, the owners conclude that the dog would just not learn at all.
Positive reinforcement- Many frustrated trainers go home with deprived results because they forget to reward their dogs for doing well. Rewards must be consistent, just like the training. The dog which always receive only correction and never gets rewarded will get frustrated.
Negative reinforcement- Trainer who spends his whole day during the training process will be looking for the dog to make a mistake, so that they can be corrected. This is a major mistake done by novice trainers because when you focus only in finding the mistakes of your dog, you will then fail to identify and reward all the good behaviors.
Apathy- Often a dog trainer says I hate this or that about the dog but its too difficult to change it. Changes can be made and if your dog sees that they bring rewards they will respond much quicker to a direct approach.
The major mistake the trainer makes is by thinking that the training is over. Training is a learning process and it doesn’t have an end. Your dog may learn some commands and know it well. So why do you stop there? Your dog loves to learn and you are a good trainer. Train your dog something new and enjoy your day forever.
With the knowledge of these mistakes trainers often make, you can recognize some of the common feelings which you might have encountered for yourself. You can now stem these mistakes before they become a problem.
Ranju Kumar offers excellent tips and advices on dog and puppy training including how to look after their health and other dog problems. Please take a 5-minute lesson at Puppy Training for FREE and make your dog obey your commands now.
Article Source: ArticleSpan