Top Tips:
- Training should be FUN for both of you
- Training will exercise his brain
- Training positively will build a great relationship between you
- Training should be based on POSITIVE rewards
- NEVER punish your dog during training – this will cause him to be frightened of you
- SHOW your dog what you are trying to teach him –
- NEVER physically force him Be patient and keep commands consistent Don’t let him get bored, keep training sessions short
- Never ‘train’ in a busy area, only begin to build up the distractions gradually once he knows the commands really well
- Read on for further advice on training your dog
The kind, fair and effective way:
Training can be started at any age, the sooner the better. You can start simple training with
your puppy as soon as he has settled into his new home. Older dogs are also receptive to
training, although some may be less keen or less quick to learn than a younger dog. Done
properly, training will be fun, both for you and your dog, as well as exercising his brain and
reinforcing the good relationship between you.
Positive rewards:
In order to be effective and to gain the best results, all training should be based around
positive rewards. Positive reward training works because if you reward your dog with
something he wants as soon as he does what you ask, he is far more likely to do it again.
Rewards can be anything that your dog or puppy really wants and could include; food treats, a
favourite toy, playing a certain game or getting a pat. However, really tasty treats will usually
work best – try small pieces of dried liver, hotdog sausage, chicken or cheese for maximum
effect. If you are using food treats, you will need to reduce the size of your dog's normal meals
or use his whole meal divided up into smaller portions, to prevent your dog putting on weight.
Always combine the giving of a reward with verbal praise such as "Good dog".
When teaching a new command, you will need to reward your dog every time that he does
what you ask correctly. Once he has the hang of the command, however, it’s a good idea to
change the way you reward by only giving the reward every now and then, because this will
make your dog try harder for it. Always verbally praise your dog each time, even if he is not
being rewarded with a treat.
Why punishment doesn't work?
Punishment should never be used in training. If you punish your dog, it will only teach him to
be scared of you and may eventually teach him to be aggressive. He will mistrust you and
your relationship may break down completely.
Avoid punishment in training (and everyday life) by trying the following – it’ll be far more
effective and could improve your relationship with your dog:
- Reward all wanted behaviour – so that your dog is likely to repeat it in the future.
- Ignore unwanted behaviour – so that your dog is less likely to repeat it.
- Avoid triggering the unwanted behaviour – avoidance prevents the unwanted behaviour from happening in the first place!
- Where unwanted behaviour cannot be ignored or avoided, train an alternative, acceptable behaviour for your dog to perform instead. It is much easier to train a dog to do something else that you don’t mind, than to train him to completely stop something that you do not like. For example, if your dog jumps up at people, teach him a really good ‘sit’ command and ask for this when meeting others. If he is rewarded with treats and attention every time he sits, he’ll soon automatically be doing this when he meets people, instead of jumping up!
The basic commands:
Five basic commands that are useful for your dog to know are; sit, down, stay, come and
walking nicely on the lead.
This is our guide to training in a kind and effective way:
Sit:
1) Have your dog standing in front of you.
2) Show him that you have a food treat in your hand.
3) Slowly move your hand and treat above and over his head towards his tail, as you give
the command "sit".
4) His head should go up as he tries to reach the treat, and his bottom should go down
into the 'sit' position.
5) Give him the treat and praise him.
Do not push his bottom down to make him sit, as he is likely to push up against your hand as
a result and this may hurt his back.
When training your dog to sit, use the command "sit". Do not use "sit down" as this may
confuse your dog when you try to teach the 'down' command.
Down:
1) Ask your dog to sit and show him the treat in your hand.
2) Slowly move your hand down towards the ground in front of him (just in front of his
feet), as you use the command "down". He should follow your hand with his nose and
lay down.
3) Give him the treat and praise him.
If you have trouble getting him to lie down in this way, put an object such as a coffee table or a
chair between you and your dog and try again. He will have to lie down to get under the barrier
to get the treat. Remove the barrier when he gets the hang of it.
Do not push or force his back down as he will push against you and this may hurt his back.
Stay:
1) Ask him to sit or lay down.
2) Take one step away from him as you command him to "stay".
Silently count to three.
3) Step back to him, treat and praise.
4) If he gets up, ask him to sit again and repeat the procedure.
Once he is doing this short 'stay' command correctly, gradually increase the distance between
you and your dog and/or the time that he is asked to stay. If he gets up when he is not
supposed to, go back a stage to a shorter distance or time, and then increase again slowly
until he is doing as he is told every time
Training classes:
If things aren't going well and/or you feel that you need more support, you should consider
going to an organised training club. Having the resources of a trainer and classmates can be
very useful, with the added benefit of being able to socialise your dog and teach him how to
interact with other dogs under controlled, 'safe' conditions. From puppy classes to competitive
obedience or flyball, there is a class out there to suit both you and your dog's needs and
interests.
- A good club should:
- Be in a hall that is safe for both dog and owner.
- Have adequate space for the size of class.
- Have classes small enough so that the instructor can safely supervise all dogs at all times.
- Be able to give all individuals adequate attention.
- Put you in the appropriate class for your level.
- Make sure that all dogs are under control at all times.
- Be run in a calm and friendly manner.
- Not allow shouting at dogs or handlers - it is supposed to be fun! Make sure that all dogs wear flat collars for training - no choke or 'check' chains.
- Never use or encourage the physical punishment of dogs for any reason.
You can find a training club by:
- Word of mouth - ask other dog owners if they could recommend any clubs in your area.
- Ask local vet clinics, rescue organisations or libraries if they have lists of local classes, although these will probably not be recommendations so check them out first! A good trainer will be happy for you to sit in on a class before deciding if you would like to join. If they do not want you to watch it is probably better to try somewhere else.
- The Kennel Club and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) should be able to recommend a club in your area.
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