Dog Training
raining is an important part of any dog's
life, and is important for several reasons.
It provides mental stimulation which helps
to keep your dog happy, and if combined
with morning exercise, your dog will be
mentally and physically tired at the end and far
more likely to sleep during the day.
T
I support reward-based training methods whereby
the dog is set up to succeed and then BE rewarded for
performing ‘good’ behaviour (positive reinforcement).
DOG
TRAINING
TIPS
By Ketan Panchal *
Reward-based training is enjoyable for the dog and
positively enhances the relationship between the dog
and the handler. Th is approach revolves around positive
reinforcement - i.e. rewarding behaviour that we like.
Rewards may be in the form of a tasty food treat or verbal
praise such as “good dog!” in a pleasant tone of voice, to
be given when the dog performs the ‘good’ behaviour.
Reward-based training also involves generally ignoring
any ‘unwanted’ behaviour. In this way, the dog is not
rewarded for any unwanted behaviour. If dogs are not
rewarded (i.e. receives no attention or treats) for a
certain behaviour, then they tend to stop doing it. For
example, if a dog is jumping up to greet people, they
should be ignored if they jump up and they should only
receive attention (including eye contact) when they have
four paws on the ground. Only when they are standing
or sitting should they be rewarded with attention and
treats.
Sometimes, if owners react to 'unwanted' behaviour by
yelling or getting angry they may inadvertently reinforce
the behaviour – dogs perceive this as attention and the
'unwanted' behaviour is simply reinforced. For some
dogs, any form of attention/reaction from the owner is
better than no reaction at all. For example, if an owner
shouts at a dog who is barking excessively, the dog may
interpret this as getting attention and thus the barking
continues whereas it is more eff ective to try to ignore
this behaviour.
Reward-based
training also
involves
generally
ignoring any
‘unwanted’
behaviours
Physical punishment must not be used in training
programs. Punishing a dog for 'unwanted' behaviour can
actually exacerbate the problem.
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Creature Companion | February - March 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 2 • Noida
I highly recommend booking your puppy into pet social
events, which are an important way of socialising your
puppy with other dogs. Your puppy can then use this
practice and learning when they meet other dogs at the
park or on walks as they grow into adult dogs. Puppies
have a 'critical socialisation period' from about 3-17
weeks of age. Th is is the time when they need to socialise
with other dogs in order to learn social cues and how to
communicate well with other dogs.
For dogs that are no longer in the puppy stage, training
classes are off ered in most areas. I recommend classes
that use reward-based training that revolves around
positive reinforcement as the basis of training.