Training Hints

[KSdogowner]

During my run with Sophie today I was thinking about how good she was in staying right next to me without pulling or trying to veer off here and there. I remember times when it was impossible to run with her. So I reflected on all the things I have learned here on this board simply by reading the various posts and searching out training topics, etc. Then it dawned on me..what if we could have a simple reference sheet with training hints where people who are looking for quick answers could go to if they needed to. This does by no means replace thorough research on many training topics because nothing is a quick fix but I think it would help people get into the right direction.

We each can contribute and share in one or two sentences key training tips on this thread. I start

1. Yelling at your dog will not achieve anything. Stay calm, step back and re-evaluate the situation with a clear mind so you can take level-headed action.

2. When returning from errands do not greet your dogs with over excitement but stay calm, put down the purse and keys, grocery bags, etc and then greet them calmly as if you had been there all along.

Your turn...

[Msmart]

Always be patient. If you find yourself getting upset, angry, or agitated take a moment step back calm down and try again. I've found that training is actually a lot of fun and more of a hobby than anything. I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to say.

[Jax08]

If your dog isn't learning and happy, evaluate your methods.

[amaris]

To always carry treats around so you can reward any good behavior when it's offered, not only when asked for. Like when he walked by a group of school kids today without so much as a whine or lunging to go meet and play.

[KSdogowner]

Panting is not always a sign of being warm or being exhausted. It could also be a sign of your dog stressing.

[Castlemaid]

Set your dog up to succeed. Manage situations so that your dog is "good" and does what you want, then you can reward and praise, and build positive associations with the action and behaviour you are trying to shape. Much better option than not giving the dog direction, waiting for the dog to be bad, and then punishing/correcting.

The first builds a thinking dog that tries to figure out the right thing to do to get your approval/reward.

The second chips away at the dog's confidence because random actions get punishment/correction. Not fair to the dog, and makes the dog fearful to try new things due to fear of doing the 'wrong' thing, when they don't even know what the wrong thing is.

[KSdogowner]

If you have multiple dogs, try to use separate food bowls for each of them. This way you avoid competition which can potentially end up in resource guarding issues.

[KSdogowner]

Constant licking their lips could be the dog trying to calm himself down. Find the source of stress and do what you can to create an environment where the dog can calm down.

[KSdogowner]

Nobody else? I KNOW there are soooo many things anyone of us has picked up while taking care of our dogs throughout the years. You may not think it is significant, but to someone else, this may be a life saver. Here is another one I learned.

It is not a good idea to encourage your dog to fence run with another dog on the other side, especially if that dog is aggressive. This can potentially encourage dog aggression in your dog.

[gagsd]

Clarity and consistency.