Dog supply, pet health, care and nutrition are at the top pet owner's list when it comes to caring for those favorite companions. It's unfortunate how the relationship people have with their pets are often taken for granted; however, treating dogs, cats and other favorite pets as important family members should be just as important as anything else.
Pet owners just like parents are conscientious when it comes to acquiring affordable, safe and reliable dog supply. From collars, toys to bathing equipment pet owners who obtain the proper resources for their companions ensure long term bonding experiences. Since pets are truly members of the family purchasing quality products at affordable prices without cutting corners unnecessarily has become an increasingly priority.
It’s widely accepted among a vast majority of dog trainers that the most effective technique and humane way to train your dog is through positive reinforcement. This is a cute way of saying we get better results while interacting with and training dogs by reinforcing acceptable behavior with rewards and ignoring behavior that’s unacceptable.
Positive reinforcement is a method that is in stark contrast to some of the older, more stringent techniques for dog training. Some outdated methods involved physical pain and intimidation to force an animal into acceptable behavior. These techniques were certainly not how humans should treat one another and therefore proved unacceptable for dogs.
Positive reinforcement is a proven method that will work with any dog. It is a natural instinct for a dog to please its owner –positive reinforcement acknowledges how lessons reinforced by an assortment of treats are more meaningful for dogs, and tend to "stick".
Whenever a dog is in a position to figure out what you're asking with her own understanding as opposed to being forced repeatedly to exhibit a certain behavior it makes learning less strained. By using positive reinforcement during training periods you're allowing her the time and the opportunity to use her own brain to understand and relate to commands. This relieves pain, anxiety and stress during the overall learning process.
Some helpful hints to improve the training experience:
- Use meaningful rewards. Dogs get bored rather easily with the routine pat on the head and “good girl/boy”. In fact, if you’d notice most dogs don’t even like being patted on the head – watch their expressions and you'll notice how most balk or shy away when a hand comes towards their head. Use tempting incentives to reinforce good behavior. This will help keep the quality of your dog’s learning at a high standard. An assorted dog supply of treats accompanied by physical affection are what dog trainers refer to as “primary incentives”. Both are significant rewards that most dogs respond well to.
- Use the right timing. Whenever your dog obeys a command mark the behavior you intend to reward so when she gets that treat in her mouth she understands exactly what behavior it was that earned her the reward. Some people use a clicker for this: a small metal sound-making device emitting a distinct “click” when pressed.
The clicker is clicked at the exact moment a dog performs the desired behavior. For example, if asking a dog to sit, you’d click the clicker just as the dog’s bottom hits the ground. You can also use your voice to mark desired behavior by saying “Yes!” in a happy, excited tone of voice. This works perfectly. Be sure to give a treat after the marker – and remember to use the marker consistently.
If you say “Yes!” or use the clicker inconsistently, it won’t have the significance your dog needs when you do it. She needs the time and opportunity to learn what that marker means. In other words she needs to learn she’s done something right whenever she hears the marker and expecting a treat will be forthcoming. Remember to be consistent with your marker.
- Be consistent with your training commands. When you’re teaching a dog a command decide ahead of time the verbal cue you’re going to give her and stick to it. For example, when training your dog not to jump up on you, you wouldn’t ask her to “get off”, “get down” or “stop jumping” because that would just confuse her.
Instead you’d pick one phrase, such as “No jump”, and use that regularly. Even the smartest dogs don’t understand English – they need to learn through consistent repetition actions associated with a particular phrase. The improved rate of obedience will be much better if you choose one particular phrase and use it every time you want her to behave in a certain way.
Reward your dog meaningfully
All dogs have favorite treats and preferred demonstrations of physical affection. Some dogs will do back flips for that favorite dog supply of dried liver snippet while other dogs simply are not into treats necessarily. These often prefer to be rewarded through a game with a cherished toy or through some other form of physical affection from you.
You may already have a fair idea of how much she enjoys being touched and played with – it's important to note each dog has a distinct level of energy and playfulness just like humans do.
Most dogs really like to have the base of the tail, the lowest part of their back, just before the tail starts scratched gently. They like to have their chests rubbed or scratched. The area right between the forelegs is usually a favorite spot as well. You can also target the ears with a gently rub at the ear flap with your thumb and finger, or scratch gently at the base.
Having an assorted dog supply of food gives you the greatest opportunity to discover what your dog's favorite foods are. The best way to figure out what he/she likes best is to experiment with a varied dog supply of foods and treats. Do this until you find that particular one she really goes nuts over.
Speaking of particular dog food, trainers make an interesting observation noting how dogs actually respond more reliably to training commands when they receive treats sporadically instead of predictably. An intermittent dog supply of treats seems to keep them on their toes and more interested in what might be offered while learning. Breaking up the routine of when treats are given prevents them from growing tired of rewards and making a conscious decision to forego a treat.
One of the biggest benefits about positive reinforcement training is that it doesn't require you to do anything that’s unusual during the learning process. You aren't called upon to put any complex, weighty correctional theories into practice, or be required to undertake any harsh punitive measures.
When it comes to positive reinforcement training, all you have to do is ignore the behavior that you don't want repeated. Not getting any attention because you deliberately ignore her is enough to make just about any dog feel miserable and therefore a powerful correctional tool. (This works well with humans too!)
Contemporary belief among dog trainers is simply ignoring incorrect responses to a training command - no reinforcement to include any negative attention. Verbal correction is regarded as reinforcement and to some dogs negative attention is better than no attention at all. Allow the process to unfold through consistency and the dog will stop unwanted behavior on her own.
The bigger the fuss you make over her when she does get things right the clearer the connection will be around particular behavior(s) eliciting massive amounts of positive attention from you.
Hopefully you’ve gained some additional insights after reading through this and you're now in a better position to develop better, more meaningful relationships with your pets particularly your dog. Commit to cultivating more of a helpful attitude while seeking techniques to use when training your dog.
Provided here is but a brief glimpse into only one aspect of training your dog. The subject still remains to be rather complex and may require further research. It's a good idea to learn as much about effective training techniques as possible.
One excellent resource for dog supply, health, care and training is "SitStayFetch" This has proven to be the ultimate training and knowledge database for dog owners around the world. With an emphasis on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors, obedience, and 'tricks', SitStayFetch covers a vast array of topics down to the smallest of details. It comes highly recommended, an all round invaluable manual and tool for dog owners everywhere.
Check out dog supply, health, care and training ideas by clicking on the individual links below:
A healthy dog supply of treats for example, is commonly used to train dogs with an array of incentives. Offering a varied dog supply of treats during the training and learning process is known as positive reinforcement.