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Dog training – keeping your dog motivated

29 13:34:53

Keeping the attention of a dog while training is not always
easy. Dogs can be easily distracted, and it is important to not
allow the training sessions to be sabotaged by boredom. Making
training fun for the dog and the human alike is vital to
creating a happy, well adjusted and well trained dog.

Providing random positive stimuli during the day is a great way
to keep the interest of the dog. Doing things the dog enjoys,
like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with
other dogs, is a great way to keep the dog’s attention and
reward him for small successes.

For instance, in order to reward the dog for coming to you, for
instance, ask the dog to come to you, without giving any clues
about a walk, a car ride, or other treats. After the dog has
come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start
the reward. This can be either the aforementioned walk in the
park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog likes to do.

Providing some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special
outing, or just a scratch behind the ears, every time the dog
does something you want, is a great way to keep your dog
motivated. If the dog knows something great is going to happen
every time he obeys your command, he will be motivated to please
you every time.

Distraction training When training any dog, it is important to
not let distractions disrupt the training. The dog must be
taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs,
other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught
These types of distractions can even be used as rewards when
training the dog to come when called.

For instance, if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs,
whether in a local dog park or with the neighbor’s dogs, let him
play freely with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard
and call your dog. When he comes to you, provide lots of praise,
treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to go
back to playing with his friends. Repeat this several times and
praise the dog each time he comes to you. The dog will quickly
learn that coming to you means good things (treats and praise)
and not bad ones (being taken away from the park).

If the dog does not master this particular type of training
right away, try not to get discouraged. So called distraction
training is one of the most difficult things to teach. Dogs are
naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one
of the most difficult things you can ask your dog to do. Most
dogs will be understandably reluctant to leave their canine
companions, but it is important to persist.

Training the dog to come to you may require some creativity on
your part at first. For instance, waving a favorite toy, or a
lure, is a great way to get your dog’s attention and put the
focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick
click can be a good motivator as well.

Once the dog begins to get the hang of coming when called, you
can begin to reduce and eliminate the visual cues and focus on
getting the dog to respond to your voice alone. It is important
that the dog respond to voice commands alone, since you will not
always have the availability of a toy or other lure.