Dog Training Can Be Fun If Done Correctly

Dog training is essential for a healthy relationship between humans and their dogs. Neither humans nor dogs are perfect and it is necessary to train your pet to refrain from doing things which are socially unacceptable. A training procedure will help you to guide your dog to behave in a way that is to your liking.

The training of dogs proved to be beneficial during war time. Techniques were introduced and developed during the First World War. After World War II civilians adopted these ideas to keep their own dogs under control. These methods were quite harsh and the pets were often punished to get them to comply. This approach is what we call negative reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement techniques were later introduced and soon became more popular. This method creates a happy learning environment where the animal is rewarded for good behaviour. For example, the dog being trained to lie down on command will be rewarded with a tasty treat. This means he will soon lie down more readily knowing the reward will be a delicious snack. He learns to obey a new command through positive reinforcement.

There is the school of thought that positive trainers never get to teach their animals what is unacceptable behaviour and what not. This is incorrect. Positive reinforcement methods do teach dogs what is unacceptable, but any form of punishment or negative reinforcement is not employed at all.

The main advantage of teaching dogs with positive reinforcement is that the lessons are always fun and enjoyable for both the owners and their pets. Understanding is easy and the atmosphere is always friendly. The lessons include obedience techniques as well as methods which help to solve antisocial problems like excessive barking and jumping on visitors.

Choke chains and shock sticks are negative training aids. They are not used in positive reinforcement lessons. A clicker is used sometimes. This is a small device that makes a click-click sound when squeezed. This sound marks the exact moment that the dog performs correctly according to your instructions.

New methods and developments have emerged in the canine classroom. The techniques used are based on the natural behavior of the animal. The trainer strives to meet his pet on a level familiar to dogs. He focuses his attention on behaviour which is instinctive and natural to the species.

These trainers vouch for the pack mentality of dogs. There is always a dominance hierarchy within a pack. The owner needs to establish himself as the leader of the pack. This is how his animals must see him. These people prefer to describe themselves as folk who are able to communicate at a deeper level with dogs. They have a better understanding of the animal and are able to communicate using body language. They often call themselves dog whisperers.

The opponents to this dog training technique claim that it is a popular theory that does not always work. Two renowned biologists showed in their extensive research that the idea of an alpha dog can be rejected. However there are many trainers having tremendous success with this dog training philosophy.