Obedience Training Your Dog – the Importance of Rewards

Rewards just may be the single most important motivator in dog
training. Obedience training through the use of rewards and
other positive reinforcements has long been recognized as the
most effective method of reaching most dogs and getting the best
possible results.

Making obedience training fun, and even making it a bit of a
game, can be very important to keeping both the dog and the
handler motivated and willing to learn. Incorporating a period
of playtime at the beginning and end of every training session
will make sure that every session begins and ends on a good note.

The most basic of all obedience commands is heeling, or walking
with the handler on a loose lead. This is usually the first
obedience behavior that is taught, and it is an easy one to
teach through reward training. Begin by fitting the dog with a
quality, properly fitted training lead and training collar. If
you are unsure of how to fit the training collar, be sure to ask
a dog trainer, or the manager at the store where the equipment
is purchased.

Start walking with the dog, always being cognizant of the dog’s
position relative to your own. If the dog begins to forge ahead,
gently pull on the leash. This will engage the training collar
and give the dog a gentle reminder to slow down. It may be
necessary to apply greater pressure at first until the dog
learns to accept the correction.

If the dog begins to fall behind, slow down and gently urge the
dog forward. The use of a lure, or a favorite toy, can be very
useful when teaching the dog to walk at your side. By keeping
the lure at the desired position for the dog, he or she should
quickly learn the desired location.

Always be sure to provide plenty of praise, treats, toys and
other rewards when the dog does what is expected of him. Dogs
learn best by positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement
means that when the animal does what the handler wants, it
receives a reward, which can be anything from a pat on the head
to a treat to a favorite toy. At the beginning of training, even
the slightest attempts to please the owner should be rewarded.

Training by using reprimands and punishment is not nearly as
effective as training by using rewards. Dogs can become
discouraged and confused by excessive amounts of punishment and
reprimands. Reprimands may be required from time to time, to
correct potentially dangerous behaviors like chasing or biting,
for instance, but reprimands should be short and directly
attributed to the problem behavior at hand. After the immediate
danger has passed, the training should continue with reward
based training and positive reinforcement.

For instance, if you come home and your dog is chewing the
furniture or other inappropriate item, immediately give the dog
a sharp “No” or “Off” and take the item away. Then immediately
give the dog one of his toys or other items that he is allowed
to chew on, and praise the dog enthusiastically when he takes
the toy and begins to chew it. This will teach the dog to
associate chewing some items, like his toys, with praise, and
chewing inappropriate items with reprimand.

It is very important for the dog to make these associations,
since it is very hard to change negative associations once they
have formed. It is always much easier to train proper obedience
behaviors the first time than it is to go back and retrain a
problem dog later on. That does not of course mean that
retraining is impossible, it simply means that it is more
difficult.

Teaching a puppy, or an older dog, to associate the behaviors
you value, such as coming when called, sitting on command,
walking at your side, chewing only on toys, etc. with happy, fun
times is the basis of all successful dog training.