Friday, April 22, 2011

Discover How Positive Pet Training Leads To Good Behavior

By Adriana Noton


When working with a new dog or puppy, making behavioral changes takes plenty of time and patience. Effective pet training does not happen overnight. Success depends on spending adequate time with your dog on a consistent basis and applying good technique for helping him learn.

Various types and breeds of dogs respond differently to instruction. This is due to their nature and temperament. While some dogs respond easily to praise and are eager to please, others are more distant. Certain dogs respond better to treats and food while some breeds are satisfied with praise. Some pets work for verbal commands and others are more visual. Spend enough time with your pet to determine his learning style.

It is important to establish yourself as the pack leader or authority in your home. In a natural environment, dogs look to the pack leader for guidance and direction. It is a position of dominance, but should not be established by negative means. Speak with authoritative tones. Since you are in charge of the food supply, this is a good way to show you are in charge. Set a regular schedule of feeding and stick to it.

Positive reinforcement is more effective than negative. The key to reinforcing a certain behavior is to recognize when dogs perform correct tasks by rewarding them generously. When a dog does something bad, avoid reacting negatively by yelling or punishing. Instead, simply ignore the unwanted behavior. This helps teach what behaviors earn praise versus what results in nothing.

Punishment and negativity are not effective as a training method. You should never beat or strike an animal in anger. This only has the effect of alienating dogs. It causes them to consider you an adversary. Using rewards a dog likes along with positive reinforcement is more successful while also creating a strong bond between you and your dog.

Keep in mind that learning commands may take longer than you first expect. Set small goals at first which are easy to achieve. Try various techniques to see what works best for your pet. Unrealistic goals, like expecting the dog to learn something in one or two sessions, result in frustration for both of you. Start small, by teaching a simple sit or down command, then work toward more advanced commands over time.

Timing is important. When you see your dog starting to exhibit bad behavior, address it immediately. The same is true when you see him do the correct thing. Reward or praise him immediately. Dogs will not understand if scolding or praise happens after the fact. If you return home and your shoe has been chewed, getting angry and scolding has little effect because the bad behavior probably happened hours ago. Dogs will cower and act guilty due to your negative language, but they are not able to connect your scolding with the activity that prompted it. This situation mainly confuses them.

Keep in mind that consistency and patience are crucial for successful dog training London Ontario. Set a regular schedule for all your pet's activities. Use the same hand signals and verbal commands each time. Using the concepts discussed here can lead to a great program to train your dog.




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