How to Train Your Dog The Basics



By Jeff Ryall

If you think about it from a dogs point of view, training a dog is a simple process. Each time your dog does the thing you want, you should reward it and when it does not do it right just ignore it. You can teach your dog in a way that they will associate a reward with a gesture or sound. Lets say you give your dog a treat that you have in your hand and say eat every time. Over a period of time your dog will associate the word eat with food and every time you say this word your dog will be expecting he or she will be getting some food.

Positive or negative reinforcement is where you reward your dog for doing something right or when something not so pleasant stops when your dog does something right.

Positive reinforcement is where you praise your dog every time it does something right. So when you say sit and your dog sits you say good dog and give her a treat.

Negative reinforcement is where you have to help your dog first, lets say you say the command sit again and your dog does nothing so you push down on your dogs hind quarters. Then when your dog sits you stop pushing, that is using the negative reinforcement to strengthen the command sit.

To train your dog you must be consistent all the time, its no good letting your dog do something one day and then changing it the next. Your dog will become confused and will not understand.

To get your dog to obey your command every time you say it you need to repeat it in different environments and situations. If you just train your dog in the back garden and then take him or her over the park and say the command your dog might not do it the first couple of times. Tour dog might think that the commands are just for the back garden only. This process is only to be taught after your dog will obey your command in the back garden, not before.

Skinners conditioning is where your dog will repeat something he or she has done and been rewarded for. Lets say you are having a barbeque and your dog comes over and puts her paw on your leg or knee. You might give your dog a piece of chicken or meat you are eating but your dog will then associate this as a good experience and he or she might do this every time you are eating and expect a reward.


About the Author: Jeff runs a dog website that deals with different topics to do with dogs you can view these articles at http://www.dogtraininghelp4u.blogspot.com/a>.