Knowing Basic Dog Training Techniques Makes For Easier Training
August 24, 2008
In order to communicate with your dog for effective and successful training, you’ll need to arm yourself with some basic dog training techniques. Interaction between dogs and humans has been around for thousands of years, but sometimes it’s still a baffling process. While we all like to think that we are more intelligent, sometimes training sessions can leave a bit of confusion about who is really in charge.
Dogs interact with the world differently than humans do. While they understand and respond to people about the same way a two-year-old would there are major differences in how they experience reality. The sensory differences include a highly sensitive sense of smell as well as the differences in responding to the visual stimulus of reds and greens. An understanding of these differences will help reduce human frustration and misbehavior by the dog.
By instinct, dogs are still pack animals. They are actually descended from wolves, also pack animals, who are social animals and work best within a hierarchy where all members interact with each other appropriately.
Training can start as early as possible. For some breeds, four weeks is a good time to start. For the first several months, you should allocate at least thirty minutes per day, though a full hour is preferred, for training.
All training has similar guidelines or dog training techniques that should be followed, although housebreaking is a bit different, however we will leave the specifics of that to a different article.
One of the first things to do would be to let your dog know that you are the dominant one. There is a hierarchy to dog packs, starting with alpha dogs, then beta dogs, and then down to the omega dog. The human, whether it is a man or woman, needs to always be the alpha male if you want your household to remain calm and your dog to be well-adjusted.
Depending on the breed of the dog, or sometimes the individual dog, the training technique that is used will be either more difficult or possibly easier. Some dogs are more outgoing, similar to humans. Attitude is what counts the most, though training tools like collars and leashes, and commands are also useful. Your dog should never be allowed to think he is in charge.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you have to use physical force to assert that you’re in charge. Occasionally you’ll need to use proper physical restraint, but being firm and confident will usually be sufficient for training your dog.
For puppies, try placing them into a position of submission when they are still young. Roll them onto their backs, and put your hand firmly in the middle of the chest. When they lower their paws, this signals a sigh of submission. You can go further by placing your face directly in front of theirs, emulating dominant dog behavior.
Begin by using a short leash which will hinder the dog’s natural tendency to run and play. It is essential to allow some free time for the dog to run in order to promote good health however. Initially, this time should be scheduled before or after training but not during.
Use single word commands like sit, stay, down, in a firm tone. Always keep your voice the same or each command but make sure each of the different commands sounds different to your dog. You should avoid using double-word commands like ’sit down’ or ’stay down’ as these words are similar and can confuse your dog.
When you give a verbal command, make sure your facial expression and tone of voice are consistent and use the same hand signals. Ultimately you can separate these from one another, but initially simplicity and consistency are key.
Dogs don’t have the necessary resources to understand the subtle use of language, much like a toddler. Help their cognitive skill by being consistent. Do not use one phrase for more than one meaning. ‘Down’ should only mean ‘don’t jump on others or me’, or ‘lay on your stomach’, but not both things.
These dog training techniques combined with your patience and persistence will pay off in spades with a dog that is obedient and a fun to be around. Using these techniques will give you a better sense of understanding for your pet and will become a base of communication for a lifetime of friendship.
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