Posts Tagged ‘Repetition’
What You Need To Know When Puppy Training – Part 3
After the pup has a good idea of what you want him to do when puppy training, begin to ease off using tidbits every time.
Do not let yourself use tidbits as a bribe. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you give a puppy a treat he will be good. But from the dog’s viewpoint, it looks like you are treating him as top dog and whatever he wants to do is okay with you.
So only use tidbits when puppy training a specific thing and only long enough to be sure he has learned it and associates the act with the word for it. Then ease off to the point of stopping the use.
Do not expect overnight results: Puppies learn in spurts and starts. One day he may know absolutely everything and perform to perfection.
The next day it is as though he never had a moment’s training. Too many owners make the mistake of thinking that if their puppy does it right once or twice he knows it forever, but it really takes hundreds of repetitions for a puppy to learn something.
A puppy or a dog needs at least one month of consistent daily repetition before any action becomes a part of his routine.
Train the pup consistently for one month, then continue for one month longer than you think is necessary.
Then you can expect him to know what you are talking about, but you must continue daily use of the commands, using an occasional reminder when the pup is having an “off” day.
Be consistent: There is a wide range of individual approaches to working with a puppy. Each person will be guiding his own puppy to live in harmony with the lifestyle of that particular home.
Similar to raising children, there are many different learning environments that can, each one, be successful. The key to success in puppy training is to be consistent in your demands and your discipline.
Puppies need feedback: A puppy learns by getting feedback from his owner. Praise him so he will know when he has done something right. Otherwise he will never learn what it is you want him to do.
Then he will get confused because you keep nagging him and hollering at him and he does not know why. He will turn into a hyperactive nervous wreck. So let him know when he has done a good job.
Hands off: Keep your hands off the puppy as much as possible except to pat in praise. It may be necessary once in a while to manipulate him with your hands, but this should be the
exception.
It is easy to get into the habit of constantly grabbing, pushing and pulling. A puppy is not learning unless he is actually doing the action himself.
This is why it is so important to guide him into doing what you want. The actions (sit, heel, come) that he repeats under his own power quickly become a part of his conditioning and he will begin to repeat them willingly.
If you take all the previous points into consideration, you are automatically teaching your puppy to pay attention.
By adhering to his physical and psychological needs, you will find that he will respond when puppy training to you and you will be well on your way to building a good puppy-person relationship.
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What You Need To Know When Puppy Training – Part 1
Whatever your pup’s pedigree and whatever your goals for him, when it comes to puppy training they’re still an emotionally immature animal.
At the same time, no two pups are exactly alike and what works for one puppy is not necessarily best for another. You must constantly be aware of your pup’s personality and of how you can get him to pay attention to you.
However, there are some general characteristics of puppy training that are important to working with all puppies. These are basic principles which should be adapted by you as the basis of working with your puppy.
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Do not get tough: Emotionally and psychologically, the puppy is still extremely sensitive. This means that learning takes place quickly, but also that fears can easily occur and inhibit learning. Pups cannot take pressure or harsh treatment. Repetition is the key to puppy training.
Never punish him if he does not do what you want him to do. This will defeat the purpose of the training and cause him to dislike the entire procedure.
Bad behavior during puppy training sessions is more often than not a sign of the pup’s lack of confidence or understanding of what you want him to do.
Therefore, many repetitions will be needed.
Keep it simple: A puppy learns to do things in a step-by-step manner.
For example, in teaching him to stay, do not expect him to stay put for several minutes at a time while you are off someplace away from him. You must first teach him to stay while you stand toe-to-toe in front of him, then to stay when you are standing a couple of feet out in front of him, then to stay while you walk around him, then to stay while you are standing several feet away and not holding on to the leash.
Many pups will take several weeks to progress through these steps, but they are necessary if you want to teach “Stay” effectively. If you tell him to do something before you have properly trained him to do it and then scold him for not doing it, you are asking for trouble. The pup will lose his confidence and will learn not to try.
Be brief: Puppies have a very short attention span. A pup learns only while he is paying attention to you, so it does not accomplish anything to keep on puppy training when he is mentally tired even though physically he is still very lively.
Five minutes at a time is long enough. With many puppies, two minutes is long enough to begin with, gradually moving up to five minutes.
Build confidence: Your puppy needs confidence-building as well as discipline and he will constantly be telling you by his body language which one he needs more at any particular time. Relax while you are with him; smile; speak in a pleasant voice; play running games with him.
In puppy training, building confidence means knowing what you expect from your pup.
How To Stop Your Dog’s Possessive Aggression
Possessive aggression is centered around a dog’s food, toys, treats, or any article that the dog may have stolen from you and this aggression should not be handled primarily with compulsion (negative reinforcement). It should be handled with positive conditioning.
The Scenario: A dog starts to growl when his owner approaches him while chewing his pig’s ear. You can correct this behavior when you are prepared to teach the dog to act in a less defensive manner around his pig’s ear. The technique requires you to first offer the dog his pig’s ear, then walk away. Get out one of your dog’s favorite treats, making it the best it can be, so it is much more appealing than the pig’s ear. Throw or drop the food directly in front of the dog and walk away. If the dog growls, however, as you approach him, walk away and leave no food. If the dog growled, you went too close to him and you should throw the treat from a distance, so as not to elicit any aggression from the dog.
You may decrease the space between you and the dog gradually. This process usually takes several weeks of slowly building the dog’s trust so that he understands you are approaching him to give, and not to take away from him. Generally, these sessions should be very short, but frequent. The treat is fabulous, but each repetition should only give the dog a small amount of food so as to keep him interested in learning how to earn greater rewards. Five or six repetitions per session with about four training sessions daily will generally do.
It is wise not to leave anything for the dog to “own” while you are training him. That includes toys, chews, beds, empty food bowls, and pigs’ ears. Provide the treats when you are practicing your approach conditioning. We will move along to the point where we drop the treats between his legs or have him directly take the food from your hand. We will proceed to the point where you can take his pig’s ear, give him a treat, and then return his pig’s ear to him to chew.
In this way you can functionally teach your dog to look forward to your approach when he has an object, and if necessary allow you to take the object with no anxiety or aggression from him. This will work only if you follow the procedure and do it slowly. After you have achieved success, continue this process intermittently forever. Also, note that a dog that knows how to drop something out of his mouth on command tends toward less possessive aggression.
It is critical that all members of your family participate in this program in order for the dog to generalize his correct behavior. Always be aware that this possessive aggression may arise again if an unforeseen incident provokes defensive actions on the part of your dog. Your dog’s aggression is an action that occurs in hopes that the target of his aggression will exhibit avoidance behaviors and walk or run away, therefore allowing him to fulfill his defensive drive.
When It Comes To Dog Training, There Is No Such Thing As A Perfect Dog
As any reputable trainer or dog training book will tell you, canine learning is based largely on repetition. When a behavior is repeated enough times, dogs develop habits, or conditioned responses. Assuming that those habits are positive ones such as eliminating outside, coming when called, lying down and staying when told, and others – you will have what you want: a trained dog. That’s because dogs are creatures of habit. Once you set up a routine of various signals and conditioned responses (sit, down, stay), the dog will do exactly what you tell him every time. Right? No exactly…
No conditioned response is infallible. Creatures with advanced brains can think. They can defy conditioning. They also can make mistakes. Think about two of your own conditioned responses. You have a habit of answering the telephone when it rings, but one day you decide not to take any calls. The telephone rings but you keep reading your book. You know what you usually do, but today you decide not to do it. You also have a habit of stopping your car at a red light. But one day you are tired or distracted and you roll through an intersection. Even the most experienced drivers sometimes make mistakes.
Similarity, there will be times when even the best-trained dog will either defy conditioning or make a mistake. Therefore you must avoid becoming complacent or overconfident about learned behavior. Do not rely on conditioned responses in potentially dangerous situations. For example, you should never unleash even the best-trained dog near a busy road. One mistake could result in injury or death to my dog.
Owners need to reinforce their dog’s conditioned responses. Certainly the more practice and proofing you do with a dog, the more reliable his response will be. Skilled human beings, from tennis pros to typists, need practice to stay in top form. This is because all learned skills need reinforcement.
When you feel you have achieved a well-trained dog, continue to practice obedience exercises once in a while. It can be fun for both you and the dog. Plus it reinforces the good behaviors you worked so hard to achieve. When you need to call on those skills in real situations, such as doing a stand-stay at the veterinarian’s office, you will be more confident that your dog will comply. Your dog will be more confident by doing something that is familiar – and for which he can earn your praise.
Puppy Training: Tips And Tricks
Puppies and dogs are such caring and loving beings; their biggest goal is to make you, their master, happy. By nature puppies want to do what you want them to do. The biggest problem with this is the communication barrier.
Dogs can not speak nor can they understand our spoken language. However, through body language, observation, our attitude, and the sounds we make (or words) he will begin to understand what it is we want him to do.
So how do we use this to our advantage? We must do the same things over and over. Repetition will of the same words, body language, and action will help your puppy understand what it is you want him to do.
Plus if you reward him with anything ie lots and lots of praise, a belly rub, a scratch on the head, or a small biscuit he will begin to want to do those things for your attention.
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Now how to we take this and apply it to our training? Simple, decide on a plan and STICK to it. I am amazed at how many pet owners decide on a puppy training plan only to dismiss it and begin another repeatedly, until the puppy is so confused that it will take longer and a lot harder work to train him.
Does it matter what technique or plan we choose? Yes and no. It does not matter because as long as you choose one and stick to it you will be able to train your puppy.
However, it does matter because if you decide on one that requires you to be home 24/7 but you work 8 hours a day, then that plan will not work for you or your puppy.
What are some different techniques I can use? Let me share some basic training techniques with you that should help train your puppy.
But remember not all of these techniques will work for all of you. You must take a look at each plan and then at your own personal situation and see if it matches well.
Technique #1: Potty training
This technique does not actually refer to training your dog to use the toilet (we wish) but is actually teaching him where to go potty.
First you need to decide on where you want him to potty, I am a big fan of outside, but if you are in an apartment you can choose elsewhere.
Then all you need to do is after you pooch eats or drinks, and I mean every time, you need to take him to this designated area until he relieves himself.
Then give him lots of praise and release him.
Technique #2: Sitting
This one is a favorite of mine to teach, it does not take too much work and just about anyone can do it. Your puppy probably already knows that certain things taste better then others, so for this you will need a few tasty treats for him.
Then you let him sniff the treat for a second.
Then you lift the treat about 6 inches over his noise and say sit. Most of the time your puppy will sit in the process of following the treat, then you want to praise him making sure you mention sit again and give him the treat.
After doing this a few times a day, for a week or so, your puppy should be ready to sit without a treat and will eventually sit for you when ever you ask.
For more tips visit Training Puppies for house training techniques or crate training.
Article Source: ArticleSpan