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Training Your Dog

Why Training?

Why do you need to train your dog?

to build a bond with your dog and to have fun in the process
to reinforce behaviours that you want and discourage those you do not want.
to ensure your dog is a good canine citizen.

There are certain behaviors that may not be natural to dogs, but are essential if they are to live as canine companions with humans. Most owners want a dog that doesn't beg at the table, bite the kids during play sessions or jump up on people. They also want a dog that stands still so he can be examined by the veterinarian, walks on a leash without pulling; allows his feet, ears, and teeth to be handled; and comes when he's called. Most importantly, they want a dog that is acceptable in the community, one that does not pose a danger to humans, other dogs, cats or wildlife. In short, all dogs need some training to be good canine members of a family and community.

What do you need to train a dog successfully? Patience, a basic understanding of dog behavior and the principles of training, and appropriate 'gear' such as collars and leashes. You may be able to train your dog successfully on your own if you've had experience before or if you consult some of the excellent books available. However, most people find obedience classes helpful because they provide an opportunity to learn from an experienced, knowledgeable instructor. These classes also offer an opportunity to train in a safe place with lots of distractions from other class members.

The Basics - Principles of Learning

The science behind dog training comes from behavioural scientists who studied the way living creatures can be conditioned to behave in certain ways by means of reinforcement. Learning the theory behind training will help you be a more effective trainer and there are many good books available but there are three basic principles:

Rewarded behaviour gets repeated
Ignored behaviour stops
Once a behaviour has been learned, variable rewards will strengthen the behavior.

Example 1

When you come home, your dog jumps up, mauls you and generally acts like a total hooligan. You respond either with exuberant greeting and petting or yelling at the dog - depending on what sort of day you've had. Either way you've rewarded the dog with attention and the behaviour is likely to continue.

Example 2

You return home to the usual response, but this time you ignore the dog for 10 minutes until the dog relaxes and settles down - then you pay attention. If you continue to ignore the undesirable behaviours, you should eventually be able to take off your coat, change into jeans and put the kettle on before you go over and greet your calm, polite dog.

Example 3

You encourage your dog to jump up on you when wearing your old clothes, but yell if it jumps up when you're dressed for the office. By sometimes reinforcing the jumping and sometimes not, you have actually made it more likely that the jumping up will continue in all circumstances.

Most people understand these basic principles, but may not realize how they apply in their daily interactions with their dog. Owners often inadvertently "train" their dogs to perform undesirable behaviours and then blame the dog for being 'difficult" or "stupid." A good trainer can help you understand how you may be contributing to your dog's unwanted behaviours and show you simple techniques to change them.

Picking a Trainer

Even though the basic principles of learning remain the same, trends in dog training come and go. Most trainers these days boast of using positive training techniques, but some still use physical force in the training process. Even those who use only positive techniques may have very different approaches - some may insist on a particular type of collar or equipment, some may use food rewards while others insist that food rewards will ruin a dog.

Picking a good obedience instructor can be difficult. Some general tips:

Talk to other dog owners, your veterinarian and the SPCA
Visit a class before you sign up
Make sure you are comfortable with what you see.
Make sure the trainer provides individual attention and adapts the exercises to suit the breed and personality of the dog.
Be wary of a trainer who insists that their way is the only way, e.g. I only allow "gentle leaders" or I don't allow food rewards in my classes.
Avoid trainers who use physical force routinely, particularly hitting, but also techniques such as shaking by the scruff or the "alpha-dog rollover".

For more information on picking an obedience instructor, click here.

Understanding Dog Behaviour and Communication

One of the biggest barriers to successful training is poor communication between dog and owner. Dogs often misinterpret human behaviour and humans misinterpret dog behaviour. Dogs communicate through a combination of sounds, facial and body movements and scent. There are some signals used by almost all dogs, but how they are expressed will depend upon the dog's physical characteristics and personality. A toothy "grin' in one dog may be a greeting to humans, but a similar signal in another dog might be a warning. It is extremely important to learn to read your own dog's signals so that you can avoid potential problems and use proper timing in training. It's also important to understand how to communicate effectively with your dog. Contrary to popular opinion, dogs do not understand everything we say.

Common communication problems that interfere with training include:

Using complex rather than simple verbal commands
Failure to use the same simple commands consistently, e.g. using "down', lie down" and "go lie down"
Combining positive or negative words with commands, e.g. "good sit", "no bark"
Repeating commands over and over
Repeating commands in a louder voice if the dog doesn't obey immediately
Poor timing - praising the dog too late after the correct behaviour.
Ignoring the dog's body language - e.g. looming over and patting a dog on the head even if it is clearly showing signs of fear.
Using physical force on your dog. Don't make the mistake of thinking that shaking a dog by the scruff or using an alpha dog rollover is ok because it is similar to what wolves would do in the wild. Most people use physical force because they believe they must be dominant over the dog to achieve obedience. Shouting at your dog, shaking it, hitting it or giving it a hard jerk on the collar are things humans do, not dogs. Dogs simply do not understand these behaviours in terms of canine discipline or dominance.

If your dog is doing something you don't want it to do, you need to first stop the behaviour and then redirect the dog's attention to something more appropriate. The best way to stop the undesirable behaviour is by startling the dog. Any loud noise - dropping a book or tossing an empty can with pennies in it - will do. The startled dog will stop what it is doing and look up. At that point, you immediately redirect the dog's attention to what you want it to do.

To learn more about communication between dogs and humans see:

Patricia McConnell. 2002. The Other End of the Leash. Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs. Ballentine Books, New York. (This is one of the few books addressing human/dog interactions written by someone with both academic and applied expertise in animal behavior.)

For more on dog behaviour and communication, see:

Coppinger, R and L. Coppinger. 2001. Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour and Evolution. New York. Scribner.

Coren, Stanley. 2000. How to Speak Dog. New York. Free Press.

Serpell, James, ed. 1995. The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions With People. New York. Cambridge University Press.

Scott, John Paul and John L. Fuller. 1965. Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

For more on dog training, see:

Campbell, William E. 1995. Owner's Guide to Better Behavior in Dogs. 2d ed. Loveland, Col: Alpine Blue Ribbon Books.

Dennison, Pamela. 2003. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training. Pearson Education Inc. (Yes, it sounds hokey, but this is an excellent guide to training and communicating with your dog.)

Dunbar, Ian. 1998. How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks. Berkley, Calif; James and Kenneth Publishers.

Monks of New Skete. 2002. How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners. Revised and Updated Edition. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. (The earlier edition recommends techniques such as the alpha roll-over, which the Monks have since renounced.)

Reid, Pamela. 1996. Excel-erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them. Oakland, Calif: James and Kenneth Publishers

Wright, John C and Judi Wright Lashnits. 1999. The Dog Who Would be King. Emmaus, Penn: Rodale Press.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

American Dog Trainer's Network

Dog Patch

Perfect Paws

Dog Training in the News

08/07/2008
Lily Allen’s toilet, a kidnapping, dog-cloning woman and the angry ... - National Post