Buying a Puppy & Dog Training

HOUND DOG DAY CARE

TIPS FOR BUYING & TRAINING A PUPPY – ARE YOU READY?  (part 2)

 

DOGS REPEAT BEHAVIOURS THAT ARE REWARDING FOR THEM.

ITS EASY!
 Reward what you like and it will continue.
 Ignore what you dont like and (eventually) it will stop or better still, never start.

If a dogs behaviour leads to good things, your dog is more likely to do it again!
Dogs are very good at context learning, or, from their perspective
                “In this situation, if I do this… I get that”.

Dogs learn in pictures and by association. Dogs are non-lingual.

Dogs, like every other creature on the planet (including you) learn to do and repeat things that are rewarding for them. While things that aren’t rewarding will not be repeated, as there’s no point.

Example: Begging at the Table:    This would only occur because sometime in the past, someone in the family has fed the dog from the table. This in turn rewarded this particular behaviour and therefore the dog repeats the begging at the table in hope that it will happen again.

It would be like the dog sitting in front of the fridge all day waiting for it to spontaneously open and give out treats.  The fridge does not do this so therefore you will not catch your dog doing this.

PHASES OF TRAINING:
1. Teaching (when a dog first begins and does not understand the process)
2. Training (once the dog understands what is expected. Repetition is needed)
3. Proofing (training in various places/times etc and using distractions to increase reliability).

 

GENERAL RULES OF DOG TRAINING:

1.Do not expect immediate understanding or compliance.
-reward effort and any improvement
-be patient and don’t lose your temper

2.Make it easy for the dog to see where its advantage lies.
  -show him how to win
-If the dog is having trouble winning, make the task simpler

3.If problems are occurring, change tactics or methods accordingly.
  -when a problem occurs, try to identify why before adopting another method
-if this is not done, the problem of the first method may be exacerbated by the
new method

4.Do not give a command until you are in a position to reinforce or reward.
  -If you are not in a position to reinforce the behaviour, you will have no way
of communicating to the dog if the behaviour was correct or not
-Without this communication, no learning occurs

5. Do not allow the dog to move from its commanded position until you change command.
  -teach the dog from the beginning that when a formal command is given, it is
remain until further instructions are given (ie release word or another
command)

6.If you choose to use punishment, it should only occur if you catch the
dog in  the act, or if there is a connection between the event and the
consequence.
-the dog must realize the connection between the behaviour and the
consequence (you have a maximum of 3seconds)
HOW DOGS LEARN (modes of learning)
If you understand how dogs learn, you’ll understand how to teach them and more importantly: how to avoid teaching them things you don’t want.
*Observation
*Imitation/Mimicry
*Repetition (training should be done 2 or 3 times per day for no longer
than 5-10mins)

LEADERSHIP   (Becoming the pack leader)
Dogs are Pack Animals. Becoming their leader is not about being bossy or mean.
Being the pack lead is not the same as being an Intimidator. Having good leadership qualities is vital if you want trust and respect from your dog.

Being a LEADER is about having rules & being firm,  accompanied by love & affection.
A good LEADER always stands his ground.
As a LEADER, you are not your pups equal; you’re there to GUIDE and LOVE him.

*Remember, introducing intimidation/fear or pain tactics to get your dog to do what you want will only have a detrimental effect on your relationship.  Your dog will stop trusting you, stop believing in you and will only do what you want because he’s scared not to.

Heres a few ways to establish Leadership:
1. Establish and enforce rules (if you break them, he may take advantage of you)
2. Avoid too much Petting, especially if he trys to nudge you or demands a pat
3. Always go through doors & entrances first
4. Always eat first before feeding your pup
5. Regularly put him on his back(in a submissive position) for tummy rubs

In the wild, there is a pack leader……. they work for food, and travel with the pack. But when we bring them home (into our world), we need to help them achieve balance by fulfilling their needs as nature intended them to be.

Your goal should be to provide your dogs with the same calm-assertive leadership that they would experience in a pack.

Dogs are always giving us the opportunity to show them who’s the leader. We often give them the wrong information so they continue to lead us.

“Dog Gone”…until next time everyone,

The Pack Leaders
Leah & Angela O’Meara (Houndog Daycare Brisbane)

www.houndogdaycare.com.au