caninecaredogtraining.com

For the Family Pet
 

Teayl Johnson  Hartford, Wisconsin

262-644-8624

 

Training has changed... We are in a new-age of dog training. We are leaning away from jerk and pop methods of old and are embracing  positive reinforcement training. Many trainers now incorporate the use of treats, toys and real life rewards for appropriate behavioral responses. There are pros and cons to the use of treats as a training tool but most of the cons of treat-based training are trainer error.

Communicate, Learn & Retain

Positive Reinforcement

In my experience dogs that are trained with positive reinforcement learn behaviors quicker and retain what they learn because any behavior that is reinforced will likely happen again. Dogs will learn what are and are not acceptable behaviors if we are able to communicate to them what it is we are asking of them.

It would be wonderful to have a dog that is willing to work just to please us and get a pat and a scratch. Most of us will not be so lucky to have this type of dog. Lets face it, if your dog has the choice of chasing squirrels or doing a 10 minute "down/stay" at the park, which do you think your dog will choose? If your dog is motivated to work for any of the reinforcements listed above you have a good starting point for training your dog.

It doesn't matter what reinforcement you are using, what does matter is the value that your dog places on that reinforcement. Many dogs will work for their regular dinner kibble, others are going to need something a little more enticing, such as, dried liver, hotdog or cheese bits. I suggest that you do not use hard cookie type treats as it takes your dog to long to chew and interrupts the flow of training.

Theory

The theory behind positive reinforcement training is that the reinforcement increases the likelihood the behavior will be repeated by your dog. Some examples of reinforcements are: verbal praise, physical petting, food/treats, play/toys, going outside, going for a walk and going for a ride in the car or anything a dog REALLY likes and is willing to work for.

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