There’s always been some controversy over whether you should give treats (i.e. dog biscuits or MilkBones) when you are training a dog. There are advantages and disadvantages to giving treats to a dog when you are training him. This article will hopefully clear up any confusion you might have.
Now, some people say, “Of course! Give the dog treats so he’ll obey you. After all, you won’t get his attention if you don’t give him anything he enjoys.” On the other hand, some other people will say, “No, don’t give the dog treats! He’ll be only obeying you for the food.”
There is truth to both the opinions stated above. The dog does need some incentive to obey you, right? But also, what if they dog does begin to work only for the food? What then? If he’s not hungry and doesn’t really want the food, then he doesn’t have any reason to obey you!
So should you use dog treats? The answer is YES, but in moderation . Don’t give the dog a biscuit every single time he obeys you; instead, sometimes just praise him excessively instead. Also, don’t make the “prize” too big or you’ll be overfeeding him. For example, break a biscuit in half or even cut it into three pieces so you’re not feeding your dog too much when you train him.
Here’s another idea for training young puppies. Don’t feed them biscuits at all just use adult dog food pellets. The pellets are big enough to be a treat for the young puppy’s tiny mouth, but small enough that it won’t overfeed the puppy.
Another very important point I’d like to make is that you shouldn’t train your dog to obey you only for the food as a reward. Although you might not consciously be doing this, it’s easy to slip into the habit of just rewarding your dog with a treat every single time he does anything remotely good.
Instead, you want your dog to think of you as the “strong master,” or the “alpha” over him, so that he obeys you because you’re the master and because he wants to please you, not just because you have a treat. You can do this by praising him a lot in a high voice when he does something good and in a deep, “you’re in trouble” voice when he does something bad. You want him to distinguish between the voices and figure out that a high voice means “good” and low means “bad” and whenever you do the low voice, you are not pleased with him.
I hope this article has helped you in training your dog. I hope you have much success in developing a well-behaved, friendly dog!
100% Free Dog Training e-Course! Click below:
http://www.dogobediencetraining123.com/freetips
Tags:
Adult Dog Food,
Break,
Confusion,
Controversy,
Dog Biscuit,
Dog Biscuits,
Dog Training,
Dog Treats,
Food Pellets,
Habit,
Important Point,
Milkbones,
Moderation,
Puppy,
Reason,
Three Pieces,
Train Dog,
Training Dog,
Training Puppies,
Truth
Related posts
Mar 01, 2010 | | Dogs
Dogs are a member of the family in most homes. This means they are rewarded for good behavior with dog treats. But that is not enough. Remember to praise the dog as you give the treat so it associates the praise with food. Use dog treats to reinforce or teach good behavior.
Dog treats can be anything that dog enjoys if he is easily motivated. They also help train the dog to do the things you ask him to do. A visit to the vet or a dose of medication can be made into a pleasant experience if they are followed by a dog treat each time.
Dog training involves use of dog treats or some type of snack after it has obeyed your commands. The training method is right to teach dog manners and obey commands; as long as the owner is in control of the treat box. Treat training is one of the methods of motivational training that encourages the dog to do It helps develop an obedient dog, who sits at commanded, comes at your call, and waits to be petted. It is also an easy way to make him take medicine, and learn tricks like jumping to catch a stick.
This procedure sometimes leads dog to expect a treat each time or it will not listen to your commands. So it is essential to slowly wean him off dog treats, while increasing number of commands given before a treat. This also helps the dog loose the expectancy of food. Instead, he will be happy by just a word of praise or petting as a treat for obeying a command.
However, most people appreciate the unconditional love they receive from their canine friends. And desire to reward them with only dog treats as a sign of appreciation. It also used to housetrain and correct bad habits.
Tags:
Bad Habits,
Canine Friends,
Control,
Desire,
Dog Training,
Dog Treat,
Dog Treats,
Dogs,
Good Behavior,
Leads,
Manners,
Medication,
Medicine,
Member Of The Family,
Snack,
Train Dog,
Treat Training,
Unconditional Love,
Vet,
Word Of Praise
Related posts
Mar 01, 2010 | | Dogs
First and foremost the most important thing that can be mentioned as a dog training tip is patience. It is of course very easy to become frustrated and want to give up on your dog, as you yell at them for the 10th time for going to the bathroom in the house. However there are many things that can help you, many useful dog training tips that will make your life much easier for the next few months.
There are books to read, and classes to take, and people to talk to. Believe it or not training your dog involves a lot more than teaching him/her to go to the bathroom outside. There are other very important accepts of having an animal. You are going to have to train the dog not to jump on the furniture (should that be your wish). Maybe you want to train them to heel and come, sit and lie down always come in handy too. Well how do you do this? And I dont mean the type of training that works 1 out of every 5 times, I mean really train your dog. Well there are many tips to be found everywhere. The American kennel club provides some on their website and there are many, many books out there to be read, all with helpful dog training tips and methods.
If you want the information it is not finding it that is difficult, it is deciding what school of thought you agree with, and yes there are schools of though for dog training. Do you want to use a crate? Or just rewards for good behavior? In order to make the best out of the situation and develop and truly respectful relationship with your animal training is important and you must decide how to go about it. Careful research is the only answer.
Tags:
American Kennel Club,
Animal Training,
Careful Research,
Dog Training,
Furniture,
Going To The Bathroom,
Good Behavior,
Lot,
Many Things,
Patience,
Respectful Relationship,
Rewards,
School Of Thought,
Sit,
Success,
Train Dog,
Training Dog,
Training Tip,
Training Your Dog,
Yell
Related posts
Feb 26, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog training collars always looked so mean to me especially the choker collars. I had one for my dog when I was little. My dad used it to train my dog. Apparently, as the breeder and trainer said, they were the only really efficient way to train your dog.
However my dad was nice with ours. A little slight yank to get the point across and my dog was sure to respond. However, I have seen people be positively vicious with them; to the point that the dog cried out in pain. This of course is not surprising when the dog is lifted off of their feet by a chain that is choking the air out of them.
To me the whole dog training collar thing seems to kind of go against a lot of the other stuff I have read. Everyone seems to say that you should not yell at your dog when they do something wrong, but instead show them the correct behavior and praise them for it. To this end the choker collar seems to be a little out of the scope of things. Im not positive but I am pretty sure that choking your dog, whether lightly or almost to the point of death can not be considered positive reinforcement.
There must be other dog training collars that work just as well but, then again maybe not since the chocker seems to be the most prevalent. I also have just learned of another atrocity in this area, as my friend sitting next to me just apprised me of the fact that some collars have studs so that when the owner chokes the dog the dog also gets stabbed; sounds so humane and efficient doesnt it?
Tags:
Atrocity,
Chocker,
Choker Collar,
Correct Behavior,
Dad,
Dog Collar,
Dog Collars,
Dog Training Collar,
Dog Training Collars,
Point Of Death,
Positive Reinforcement,
Scope,
Studs,
Train Dog,
Training Dog,
Yank,
Yell
Related posts
Feb 21, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog Training Book – Why Buy One? When Everything is Free Online!
Im a dog lover who believes that every dog owners should train their dogs if they truly love and care for them. Because I believe that dog training gives dogs a happier and healthier life. Not to mention, it also gives their owner a trouble-free life long companion.
Well, maybe you do know that dog training is important, but what resources are available to help train your dog?
Online and its free! This thought should come to most dog owners instantaneously.
Yeah, youre not wrong! That statement is definitely right to a certain extent. Allow me to explain further:
1. Yes. I agree that there are valuable free information online. But do you have the time to scan through hundreds of thousands of web site out there to find one valuable or useful dog training tip?
And since you are looking for dog training advice yourself, are you the one to judge if this dog training tip is useful or even helpful??
2. Yes. Most resources are free on the internet, but are these resources reliable? Or trustworthy?
Ask yourself: Are you learning from experts who knows everything about dog training or from novice dog owners who publish their dog training experience online? Or maybe you simply have not idea who you are learning from.
3. No doubt there are good dog trainers who offer valuable and good dog training materials online. But are they revealing everything they know?
Again ask yourself: If they are real dog trainers who offer their dog training services to dog owners. Are these people willing to reveal everything that they know online free and put their business at risk?
Certainly not for me or any sane person! Can you imagine KFC or Cheesecake Factory putting their recipes online?
I have no doubts or whatsoever that you can find quality dog training sites online, but you do need a considerable amount of time to find them and test them over time.
For example, how would you know if an online recipe is good? You try cooking with the recipe right? Well, you use the recipe and the food turns out to be rubbish! You figure that the recipe is lousy and went on to look for another one.
This process can go on and on. Unless you know that you have a good recipe on hand, you wont figure out that its actually your cooking technique that sucks! The same thing applies to online dog training tips.
If you want to spend more quality time with your dog rather than searching for useful dog training resources online, the solution is actually simple: Buy a good dog training book.
Do what you have been doing all along. Learn from someone whom everybody learns from just like going to school and learning from your teachers. In this instance, you just buy a proven dog training book that has been used by thousands of other dog owners.
Its not difficult to make a wise decision. I hope you know what it is after reading this article.
Tags:
Amount Of Time,
Cheesecake Factory,
Companion,
Dog Advice,
Dog Lover,
Dog Owners,
Dog Trainers,
Dog Training,
Extent,
Hundreds Of Thousands,
No Doubt,
No Doubts,
Novice,
Recipes,
Risk,
Sane Person,
Train Dog,
Training Dogs,
Training Materials,
Training Tip
Related posts
Feb 20, 2010 | | Dogs
Why does your dog sit when you tell him to and mine doesnt?”, How can your dog heel to you like that? Wow! He comes when you tell him to – Sound familiar? If it does, you need to invest some time into a little bit of basic dog training. Starting to train your dog from a young age is crucial, as the first few months of his life is when you will have the greatest influence on him; this is where he is shaped into the dog he is going to be when he is all grown up.
The most basic of dog training is to get your dog to sit and come. Teaching your dog those commands are essential for him to learn. These commands are used for various different reasons, if you are in competition, if your dog jumps making him sit will immediately get him off, and “come” is the all important one. If you take your dog for a walk, you let him of the leash and you expect him to come back to you, not run around the park with you chasing after him shouting at him to get here right this instance. That would be just down right embarrassing!
To teach your dog how to come requires only the most basic of techniques but a lot of repetition. The simplest way to get him to come is have a toy in one hand and a treat in the other, when you are in the house simply walk away from him, hold out the toy and excitingly call him to you, when he comes over give him a treat, always use the command for come that you are going to use in the future. Doing this several times a day is a great way to teach him, but remember to have lots of long breaks so he doesnt get bored and stop enjoying it, and dont forget the treats!
Getting him to sit could be a slight bit harder but again only requires basic dog training. When you have mastered the come command call him to you, place your hand on the end of his back and say “sit” while gently pushing down on his backside, when he sits his bottom down give him a treat and a lot of praise. If you want him to sit longer just delay giving him the treat and the praise, get him to sit but take your time bending down to him and feeding him his tidbits.
Basic dog training is simple and very effective. It should also be fun for you and your dog, it does not have to be hours and hours each day just may be 5 minutes or so. Do not forget to reward your dog and yourself for all the hard work though!
Tags:
Backside,
Basic Dog Training,
Different Reasons,
Little Bit,
Repetition,
Several Times,
Sit,
Train Dog
Related posts
Feb 18, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog Training – The Best Method To Train Your Dog Fast Without Touching Them
Reward training is often seen as the most modern method of training a dog, but reward training is probably much older than other methods of dog training. It is possible that reward training for dogs has been around as long as there have been dogs to train. Early humans probably used some informal kind of reward training when taming the wolf pups that eventually evolved into modern dogs.
Many principles of modern reward training date back many decades. However, what is called reward training today has only enjoyed is remarkable popularity for the past 10 or 15 years.
Many reward training enthusiasts are less enthusiastic about other methods of dog training, such as the traditional leash and collar method. However, the best approach to training any individual dog is often a combination of leash/collar training and reward training.
In addition, a training method that works perfectly for one dog may be totally inappropriate for another, and vice versa. Some dogs respond wonderfully to reward training and not at all to leash and collar training, while others respond to leash/collar training and are not at all motivated by reward training. Most dogs fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Clicker training is one of the most popular forms of reward training these days. While clicker training is not the answer for every dog, it can be a remarkably effective method of training many dogs. In clicker training, the dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with a reward, like a treat. The trainer clicks the clicker when the dog does something good, followed immediately by a treat. Eventually, the dog learns to respond to the clicker alone.
Most reward training uses some sort of food reward, or a reward that is associated with getting food. In most cases, complex behaviors can only be taught using this kind of positive reinforcement, and you will find that the people who train dogs for movies and television use reward training almost exclusively.
Reward training is used in all forms of dog training, including police work and military applications. Most scent detection, tracking and police dogs are trained using some form of reward training. Reward training is also a very effective way to teach many basic obedience commands.
Reward training often incorporates the use of a lure in order to get the dog into the position desired by the trainer. The lure is used to get the dog to perform the desired behavior on his or her own and of his or her own free will.
It makes a great deal of sense to get the dog to perform the desired behavior without any physical intervention on the part of the handler. Getting the dog to perform a behavior without being touched is important.
After the dog has performed the desired behavior, it is given a reward, also called a positive reinforcement. Treats are often used as reinforcers, but praise, such as good dog or a pat on the head, can also be effective rewards.
Making a dog that has been reward trained a reliable dog is important, especially when the dog has an important job, like police work or drug detection, to do. For that reason it is important to get the dog accustomed to working around distractions, and to properly socialize the animal to both people and other animals.
Many dog trainers make the mistake of only training the dog inside the house or back yard, and only when the handler is there. In order to become a reliably trained companion, the dog must be taken outside the confines of its safety zone and introduced to novel situations.
It is also important to teach the dog to pay attention to the handler at all times. Having the attention of the dog means having control of the dog. Reward training is very effective at getting the respect and the attention of the dog when used properly.
Tags:
Clicker Training,
Collar Method,
Decades,
Dog Training,
Dogs Training,
Early Humans,
Enthusiasts,
Extremes,
Find People,
Food Reward,
Getting Food,
Leash Training,
Positive Reinforcement,
Remarkable Popularity,
Train Dog,
Training A Dog,
Training Dog,
Training Dogs,
Wolf,
Wolf Pups
Related posts
Feb 15, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog Training – How To Train Your Dog For A Better Life
Training your dog is a long and rewarding process. By teaching your dog to obey you, you’re increasing the quality of life for both dog and master. As with every healthy relationship, both parties need to develop an understanding of who is the boss, what their expectations are, and so on.
Imagine being able to take your dog out for a walk without being jerked around on a leash. Telling your dog to ’stay’ and knowing that you won’t have to keep your leash handy. Imagine letting your dog play with the kids and knowing that no one will need a band aid or disinfectant later.
When it comes to dog training, psychology is simple. Good behavior needs to be rewarded, and bad behavior needs to be corrected. By rewarding good behavior, your dog will learn to enjoy obeying you, and to associate good feelings with good behavior. Similarly, your dog will learn to avoid bad behavior, and all the headaches that could cause you, and, indirectly, your dog.
That’s all there is to it.
Rewards are pretty easy -either by heaping praise on the dog, giving a thorough petting, Giving a treat, or what-have-you. Care should be taken not to overdo it. Rewards are rewards, not bribes, and if you resort to using rewards as bribes, your dog may learn to never do your bidding, unless you have tasty treats or a tennis ball on hand.
If you find that you don’t like the idea of over-feeding your dog, you can use a technique called ‘clicker training’. You’ll need a child’s toy that produces a loud clicking sound. The idea behind clicker training is that you should feed your dog some treats, and every time he gets a treat, give a loud ‘click’. Your dog should eventually start associating the sound of the click with getting a treat, and from there, associate a click with good feelings.
Tags:
Bad Behavior,
Band Aid,
Better Life,
Bribes,
Disinfectant,
Dog Psychology,
Dog Training,
Dog Treats,
Good Behavior,
Good Feelings,
Handy,
Headaches,
Quality Of Life,
Relationship,
Rewards,
Tasty Treats,
Tennis Ball,
Train Dog,
Training Your Dog,
Who Is The Boss
Related posts
Feb 13, 2010 | | Dogs
One of the few things that dog owners or prospective dog owners think about is whether or not they will need to train their dog. Although training a dog is not absolutely essential unless your dog has a particular problem, a small amount of training to remove bad habits and set boundaries for your dog should be considered. In addition to this, a well trained dog will feel much more secure in your home when it knows its boundaries. Even in the wild, a dog will have some sort of enforced boundaries of behavior by the pack structure and hierarchy that exists. At the end of the day, your dog is part of your ‘pack’.
A very important point to note about dog training is that any form of training should be approached from the perspective of ‘positive reinforcement’. This simply means that you should reward your dog with praise, a treat or even better, both for any positive behavior that she exhibits. Success will come quickly to anybody who praises a dog for good behavior. The same cannot be said for somebody who punishes a dog for NOT exhibiting good behavior.
For example – If you ask your dog to sit and she does, you give her a treat. In the dogs mind sitting when told equals treat. Simple.
Now what if you tell the dog to sit and she doesn’t, and then you punish her? In the dogs mind you have just dished out a random punishment for nothing. This will only serve to confuse your dog and lead her to mistrust you.
Positive reinforcement is the key.
One of the most common mistakes that dog owners make is to inadvertently train their dog……. into bad habits. Typical examples include barking, face licking, jumping up. Let’s look at each of these.
Barking – Most dogs bark, that’s a fact. It’s WHEN a dog barks that determines whether it’s normal behavior or a bad habit. If your dog only barks when somebody comes to the door – fine. This is normal territorial behavior. Your dog is warning you – as a member of its pack – that there’s potential danger at the door.
If your dog spends the best part of its waking life barking at just about anything including you, then it’s formed into a bad habit – but one that is easy to cure.
The first mistake that people make is to shout “Quiet” or “Shut up” at their barking dog. The main reason why this will not work is simple. Your dog barks, then you ‘bark’. From your perspective you are shouting at your dog to shut up. From your dogs perspective, you are barking along and enjoying the noise.
A more effective method is to wait for a pause in your dogs barking then heap lots of praise and a treat upon your dog. As soon as the barking starts again, ignore your dog, walk off – anything but DO NOT pay your dog any attention. Then, when the barking stops its treat time again. It won’t be long before your dog puts two and two together.
Face Licking – Face licking is an overthrow from your dogs puppy days. Face licking is a way for a puppy to get its mother to regurgitate food for them. You will often see this in the wild. Also wild dogs will lick the face of a higher member of the pack to express and accept their submissive status in the pack. Unfortunately, because you and your family members are higher in the pack, you get the licks!
At first sight face licking is not a problem but should still be avoided due to health concerns. Never let a dog lick a baby or toddlers face. This is likely to expose the infant to germs that its immune system may not be able to handle. Similarly if your dog has worms or has been investigating other dogs faeces or even grooming itself, the last thing you want is for your dog to come and lick your face. Try and discourage this behavior using positive reinforcement.
When your dog approaches your face firmly – but not shouting – say No! If the dog doesn’t back off push her away from your face. When the dog first responds to the “No” phrase, it’s time for a treat. Keep this up consistently, and the dog will realize face licking is unacceptable.
Jumping Up – Jumping up may not seem such a bad habit, but if there are young children about it can be quite dangerous. Your dog will not know that jumping on you is o.k. but jumping on the children isn’t. This will just confuse the dog. Try to discourage this behavior by telling the dog “Down!” every time she jumps up. Give her a treat when she first responds and every time after until you just need to use the words.
There are lots of simple ways that you can train your dog. These are just a few. There’s no need to tolerate bad habits in your dog as they can be so easily remedied. Oh, and never pay heed to the phrase “You can’t teach on old dog new tricks”, you can – it’s never too late.
Tags:
Bad Habit,
Bad Habits,
Boundaries,
Dog Barks,
Dog Lead,
Dog Training,
Dogs,
Good Behavior,
Hierarchy,
Important Point,
Mistrust,
Pack Structure,
Perspective,
Positive Reinforcement,
Potential Danger,
Prospective Dog Owners,
Territorial Behavior,
Train Dog,
Typical Examples,
Will Have Some Sort
Related posts
Feb 07, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog Obedience: A Quick and Easy Way To Train Your Dog to Obey The WAIT Command!
How many times have you tried to teach your dog or puppy to obey the WAIT command, only to discover that your dog doesn’t want to WAIT?
Training your dog to WAIT can be very challenging because most dogs are easily distracted. Dogs are also naturally energetic and inattentive. Your dog may have difficulty comprehending the WAIT command because it necessitates inactivity.
As we all know, it doesn’t take long for a dog to become restless and bored! That is why the WAIT command is so difficult to teach! Here is an easy way to train your dog to obey the WAIT command:
1. Put your dog on a short leash and walk him to the front door.
Using a leash will allow you to control your dog better when he doesn’t respond to the WAIT command at first.
Open the door just enough for you to squeeze through and go outside, leaving your dog on the inside. Now your dog will be one side with you on the other and the leash hanging in between.
You might try giving your dog the SIT command at first. A dog that is in a sitting position will tend to be still a bit longer than if he were standing up.
2. Slowly open the door just a small amount.
Hold up the palm of your hand in a STOP position and say WAIT!
Don’t be disappointed if your dog tries to shove open the door and come rushing toward you! Your dog, not knowing this command, is probably going to scramble to push through the door.
3. Shut the door quickly as soon as your dog starts to move toward you.
This will halt the dog in his tracks.
Okay, now repeat step two. Now watch your dog closely. The first time that he doesn’t try to rush through the door may only last a mere second!
When your dog finally comprehends the WAIT command and pauses, lavish him with praise and give him a release command (OKAY!) to let him comethrough the door.
4. Practice, practice, practice!
Keep repeating the steps described above. Your dog will eventually learn that when he mellows out and WAITS that you will allow him to pass through the front door.
5. Once your dog learns to obey the WAIT command from the SIT position, try teaching him the command while he is standing up.
This is a much harder position for your dog to master the WAIT command from. He is going to want to move around or even SIT.
Be consistent with your training and practice this routine at every opportunity. Be sure to give your dog lots of praise and positive reinforcement. Soon, your dog will understand what you want and will easily respond to the WAIT command!
Training your dog to obey the WAIT command takes time, patience and practice. But the end result will be worth it! Eventually, you will be rewarded with a dog that no longer bolts out the door every time you open it!
Tags:
Bored,
Control,
Discover,
Dog Leash,
Dog Obedience,
Dog Tracks,
Dogs,
Inactivity,
Lea,
Palm Of Your Hand,
Practice Practice Practice,
Puppy,
Release Command,
Rush,
Sit,
Train Dog,
Training Dog,
Training Your Dog,
Watch Dog
Related posts
Feb 02, 2010 | | Dogs