Basic Training Tips

There are a couple of points you should remember when training your dog in order to have a successful training session. A few of these come simply from experience, and others are the tried and true methods you can find in any dog training book.

1) Make training fun! Use your "happy voice" when training with your dog. (Yes, it really does make a difference) Also make sure to end your training session on a positive note, and with your dog wanting to do more! Even if the dog didn't pick up the trick quite as well as you want, or if you only spent 5 to 10 minutes training it all makes a difference!

2) Don't use "NO!" I'm not saying you shouldn't correct your dog, however try not to use the word "NO!" every single time the dog doesn't perform a trick correctly. Reserve the word for times when they are truly misbehaving or are in danger so they realize they need to stop what they are doing NOW! A light-hearted "Whoops!" goes a long way in keeping both you and your dog from getting frustrated and the dog will still understand the basic concept.

3) Have your treat/reward ready! A huge part of training is making sure you reward at exactly the right time! It is important that you don't spend too much time fumbling in a pocket for a treat, toy, etc. You may consider wearing a fanny pack or pouch on your belt to hold treats. Also, only reward while your dog is performing the skill correctly. (i.e. if you are teaching "sit" reward the dog while he is sitting, not after he stands up)

4) Be consistent! Use the same style/color leash and lead while training or working, and a different one during playtime. The dog will begin to recognize that one of them indicates that it's 'time to work.' It really does make a difference!

5) Bond with your pup. Play, hold, groom, or pet you dog as often as possible! Like with training, only do this while it is fun, don't force your dog to bond! Take your dog out with you whenever possible. Mandy loves to go for walks and she's a huge hit at the flea market and rodoes! This will get your dog accostomed to being in many differnet loud or noisy situations.

Motivating Your Pup!

So motivation is definitely key when it comes to teaching your dog new tricks and skills! Unfortunately, what a dog is most motivated by varies depending on the dog! The Pasco Paws therapy class didn't allow 'cookies' to be given to the dog while in the facility, however we did use treats during the initial training at home. Green beans, cheese cubes, bits of bread, and hotdogs are all great treats! (The green beans are useful if you are watching your dogs weight because they are very low-cal!) Unfortunately, Mandy's interest in these treats would wain after only a few minutes. I soon found that although treats were a good starting point, she seemed to enjoy my praise and attention just as much! Alternating between treats and praise proved to be the most effective form of motivation! I've also heard of people using a favorite toy or game to reward their dog. Mandy loves to fetch the ball, however she loves fetching the ball so much that she would focus more on the toy than on the task I was asking her to complete! I still use the ball as a reward, but only after we have completely finished our training session!