Obedience Dog Training Choices To Make
Did you know that in in obedience dog training, obedience skills are taught basically through one of two methods? One method , called traditional, is applying pain or physical discomfort, to your dog when he or she behaves incorrectly. Your dog learns to do the correct behavior by avoiding pain. The other method, called positive, uses reward, that is, giving your dog something he likes as he is behaving correctly. Your dog learns to associate a correct behavior with something good happening which makes him repeat that behavior.
Often, you weill see a mix of both methods used even though the training method may be labeled as either traditional or positive.
Deciding on training for your dog involves making some choices.
Often, you weill see a mix of both methods used even though the training method may be labeled as either traditional or positive.
Deciding on training for your dog involves making some choices.
Contents at a Glance
- Obedience Dog Training Choice Number One
- An Example of a Training Method that Uses Reward Correct Behavior
- How Do You Decide What Training Method You Are Comfortable With?
Obedience Dog Training Choice Number One
Through what method do you want your dog to learn?
- pain or physical discomfort for incorrect behavior - traditional training
- rewards for correct behavior - positive training
This method puts your focus on watching for behavior that is not wanted, then punishing that behavior
This method puts your focus on watching for behavior you want, then rewarding that behavior.
You have a choice about which method you want to use. Your dog can learn with either obedience dog training method. You have to decide what you are most comfortable with.
An Example of a Training Method that Uses Reward Correct Behavior
Clicker Training
There is no more powerful obediance dog training method to build correct behavior, using rewards than clicker training. This video gives you a taste of the method
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How Do You Decide What Training Method You Are Comfortable With?
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Obedience Dog Training Choice Number Two
How involved do you want to be in your dog's training?
- You could have somebody else train your dog
- You could have a trainer work with you to teach your dog
- You could teach your dog yourself
Even if you choose to have someone else train your dog, you will still have to learn from them how to maintain what your dog learned. Your dog will not continue to behave as he was trained unless you respond to his behavior the way the trainer did when teaching him. Having a trainer work with either you, and/or your dog is expensive, but you can reduce that cost by taking your dog to a group class. A group obedience dog training class also will give your dog supervised time with other dogs, which may be helpful to his learning. On the other hand, if you teach your dog yourself you don't have to depend on anyone but you. This gives you much more control over what's happening, and how your dog is treated.
Obedience Dog Training Choice Number Three
How do you want to learn what to do?
This is a particularly important choice if you decide to do your own training. You can't make this choice effectively until you have decided what basic obedience dog training method (physical correction OR reward) you want to use.
- Hire a trainer to teach you
- Read a book
- Purchase a course or e-book
A trainer could teach you either in a group class, or one-on-one basis. You can find trainers who will come to your house, or you could go to their training site. Some trainers will even set up small group training at your home if you have a few friends or neighbors who would like to train their dogs too. One-on-one training, and training at your house will be the most expensive options.
Not everybody's learning style allows them to learn best through just reading about how something should be done. If you need to see how a technique you are trying to learn is done, just reading a book may not be your best option.
There are two big advantages of using an e-book to learn obedience dog training. First, an e-book can provide you with multiple ways to learn including hearing how to do a technique, watching someone else doing it correctly, and reading about the technique. Though few e-books provide all three ways to learn, most provide at least two. The styles of learning used by the e-book will be evident in their advertising description of themselves, and is something to consider when deciding which e-book to purchase. The second big advantage of an e-book is that you can instantly download it to begin learning and training at your convenience.
This is a particularly important choice if you decide to do your own training. You can't make this choice effectively until you have decided what basic obedience dog training method (physical correction OR reward) you want to use.
Obedience Dog Training Choice Number Four
You thought you decided upon one type of training, but see both traditional and positive methods are used
This is very common, even though the training program or book advertises itself as being either traditional or positive techniques. This is most common with training advertised as positive. Look for the types of techniques that are most often recommended.
- If you are most comfortable with traditional training, look for a heavy focus on watching for mistakes your dog makes, and correcting them through punishment.
- If you are most comfortable with positive training, look for the most heavy emphasis to be on using rewards for behavior you want your dog to repeat.
You can't trust the labels the training program, or trainer uses. You must decide for yourself if the training techniques recommended use physical force or punishment (traditional), or if the techniques are based on rewarding desired behavior (positive).
An Obedience Dog Training E-book Choice
Clickertraining: 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer
Should you decide you want to train your dog yourself using rewards, and no pain an excellent e-book to use would be: Clickertraining: 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer by Morten Egtvedt & Cecilie Koeste. This comprehensive guide will teach you a method of communicating to your dog, using a device called a clicker, precisely which behavior is about to get rewarded. It is based on the proven science of how animals learn, so it is effective. You will be amazed at how enjoyable you, and your dog will find this method of learning.
Here's my favorite link:
Still Undecided About Which Training Method To Use?
Here is some more information to help you decide the training method through which you want your dog to learn.-
Basic Dog Obedience Training That Hurts Yes? No?
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Some of the most common pieces of equipment, and methods used in basic dog obedience training are designed to cause your dog to experience pain or physical discomfort. They can work because your dog learns to avoid the behaviors he associates with pa...
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Jun 1, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
- Great information!
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
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