There is a plethora of information available regarding training dogs, from books and DVDs, to You Tube videos, Facebook pages and trainer blogs, in fact there is likely as many resources as there are trainers. How does someone choose which books to read, which videos to watch or even which trainers to follow and do we in fact need any of this information in order to train our dogs the basic behaviours that most of us want. We live in a world where we seek the quickest, easiest option to achieve our goals, whether that is through instant entertainment, or the ease of gaining information through a quick internet search. The fact is that in order to gain solid reliable behaviours from our dogs, there really are no short cuts. Training requires commitment and more importantly, consistency.
Dogs like us are individuals, they learn differently, they experience life in different ways, and their motivation to learn can be affected by as many different aspects as any of us. Therefore, we should consider the behaviours which we wish to train, and then work out the best way to train them before we start. For example, do we need to attend training classes? or can we achieve the results we want by simply watching videos on You Tube.
The quick answer to this is that it depends entirely on your circumstances, however when choosing which is the right option for you, take into account the methods that are being used during the training of the dog.
The most effective way to train is through the use of reinforcement, by this I mean that when a behaviour occurs which we like, reinforce it, whether that is with food rewards, toys, affection or simply praise. By using reinforcement to train, we motivate our dogs into wanting to learn, and this then makes it easier to train new behaviours and build the dogs range of activities and tasks that it understands. More importantly, by using reinforcement, especially with things the dog likes, we end up building stronger and more reliable relationships with our dog, resulting in a much more co-operative existence.
Over the course of this blog, I will be looking at the different ways that we can train behaviours, as well as change the ones which we do not want. I do not suggest that these methods are quick, and sometimes they are far from easy, however when applied properly, they are effective and help build good, happy relationships with your dog.
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