A Dog Training Handbook - Part 3

Dog Training Basics for Happier holds

Why Are We Training You First?

Welcoming a furry canine friend into your home is a commitment that requires you to invest years of taking on responsibility, but offers the highest returns of any investment – loyal companionship. Your canine housemate needs to be nurtured with good nutrition and hydration, regular grooming and health care, regular exercise, shelter and somewhere comfortable to sleep. Provided the basics are in place, your puppy will welcome some dog obedience training basics.

Just like us, dogs thrive when they understand what the boundaries of acceptable behaviour in and outside of your home are. A well behaved pet dog is a happy dog. A happy pet that is adaptable and easy to be with whatever the situation makes for a happy household.Dogs are eager to please their pack. To gain your approval, your puppy needs to know what you expect from him or her across a full range of situations.

Setting aside regular, focused time for obedience training with your new puppy is a fantastic way to strengthen your special bond early. Training time can be rewarding for everyone involved.The Royal Society Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) recommends consistent, positive reinforcement or reward based training as the most effective way to teach your dog right from wrong when it comes to acceptable behaviour. 

...and the benefits? Endless in terms of the moments of joy you’ll all share with your four legged housemate. But the greatest reward for your commitment to training your dog is more than a decade of easy companionship with someone that simply wants to please you.

“When the Man waked up he said, ‘What is Wild Dog doing here?’ And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.'”

—Rudyard Kipling author of The Jungle Book
 

If you are looking for a comprehensive dog training solution, or to correct problem behaviours in your dog, make sure you consult a professional. Your local vet, RSPCA, a good quality dog kennel, a puppy training school or an experienced dog behaviourist or trainer could help.In this handbook, we’ll walk you through some dog training basics so that sharing a home with your canine family member is a happy experience for everyone involved.
 

A quick refresher on rewarding your dog

Reward based training can be an enjoyable time together for you and your dog. Schedule short but focused, regular training sessions of no more than 5 minutes at a time, and around 20 minutes in total each day.Rewards can include dog friendly food treats, kind words, an encouraging tone, a walk, a play, a favourite toy or even a tummy rub. A positive outcome in recognition of acceptable behaviour is a reward.

Clicker training is a popular reward based obedience training method which is often used along with treats. A clicker is a small handheld object that makes a short, sharp ‘click’. It is used to confirm with your pet dog that he or she has just done exactly the right thing, and that a treat is coming their way! The benefit of a clicker over your voice is that the tone and volume is always consistent.For the purpose of this guide, we’ll incorporate clicker based training in to each lesson. Everyone loves a gadget, and a clicker makes positive reinforcement a little easier.
 

How to use this basic dog obedience training guide

Once you work through the basic dog care activities below and define SMART goals for each, add them to your online calendar, with an automatic reminder. You’ll reach auto-pilot in caring for your puppy or dog well. Your dog will thrive and will be a very willing learner when all his or her pet care needs are met.Regularly scheduled obedience training sessions will be valuable for you and your dog if you are clear on what your goals are, and work through this guide lesson by lesson.

Don’t rush puppy obedience training by trying to teach your dog all the commands in one go!Work through each lesson one at a time. Once you’ve mastered the first lesson, move on to the second lesson. Patience truly is a virtue when it comes to dog obedience training.When you are out and about with your dog, there will be distractions galore to contend with.

To live happily together for the rest of your dog’s life, you must be prepared to commit to reinforcing basic obedience training across a range of situations and varying levels of distraction. 

LOW LEVEL DISTRACTIONS INCLUDE WHEN:

• another person is present
• a favourite toy is in sight
• someone walks past
• someone is talking close by
   

MEDIUM LEVEL DISTRACTIONS INCLUDE WHEN:

• a medium to loud noise is heard
• you are not facing your dog
• you are further away
• you are not standing above your dog but are sitting or lying down
• you have food or a favourite toy in your hand
   

HIGH LEVEL DISTRACTIONS INCLUDE WHEN:

• you have visitors or are with other people
• there are other dogs present
• other people are interacting with your dog
• a ball or favourite toy is being thrown
• food is accessible
• there is a lot going on around you
   

A RANGE OF SITUATIONS INCLUDES:

• inside your home
• outside of your home in the front yard – often the distractions are greater in your front yard
• outside of your home in the back yard
• away from home – for example at a leash free dog park
• when you have visitors in your home, or in your yard
• when you have young children around your pet dog
   

Dog Training Basics Lesson #1 : Answering To Name

Once your puppy can respond to his or her name, you have a simple way of calling your beloved canine to attention.

It is important that right from the beginning you train the whole household to only use your dog’s name as a way to gain his or her attention, but not to scold.

Being able to get your dog’s attention by calling their name will make life easier for you at your local leash free dog park. There will be calls of ‘sit’, ‘come’ and ‘stay’ everywhere. You’ll want to differentiate getting your dog’s attention from all the other wagging tails.
 

Remember: kindness toward your pet dog is not about being soft on obedience. Neglecting to equip your dog with some obedience training basics will create stress for your pet, for you and for your human loved ones.

Step 1 : Reward your dog for answering to his or her name

1. Have your positive reinforcers ready: have your clicker and a handful of healthy treats in your pocket.
2. Say your dog’s name: use a clear but consistent tone and volume.
3. Click and treat: but only if your dog looks at you when you say his or her name once.
    

Step 2 : Repeat and reinforce across a range of situations and distractions

Success is when your dog looks at you in a situation outside of your home with a high level of distraction. It will take practice and patience to achieve this.
 

Dog Training Basics Lesson #2 : 'Come'

Once your dog knows exactly what to do when you say ‘come’, you’ll be able to command your way out of the most precarious of situations.Responding to ‘come’ is a good solution to distract your pet dog from unwanted behaviours such as eating a bloated toad fish washed up on the beach! 
 

Step 1: Reward your dog for moving towards you and then reaching you

1. Have your positive reinforcers ready: have your clicker and a handful of healthy treats in your pocket.
2. Put a treat on the ground: let your dog eat the treat and then walk a distance away from your dog.
3. Put a treat in your hand: if your dog isn’t looking at you, say your dog’s name while you are holding out the treat.
4. Say ‘come’: when your dog is looking at you, say ‘come’ in a calm and clear voice. Only say it the one time. 
5. Click: the minute your dog moves toward you. Offer positive encouragement like ‘good dog’ as your dog comes toward you.
6. Treat: on reaching you, give your dog a treat while you touch your dog’s collar.

Your're On Your Way To A Happiness And Good Health

A great human companion for a pet dog is a resourceful human that seeks knowledge in the interest of enjoying a long and happy life of co-habitation together. A well trained dog will bring a lot of joy to your household.

On behalf of all pet dogs thank you for taking the time to find out all you can to train your dog well. Happy households!

Read Part 1 Read Part 2