2 minute read
Why train your dog? Jenny Kline
Why Train Your Dog?
By Jenny Kline
When we get a new, cute little puppy it's easy to forgive the nipping and chewing and potty accidents! But if we ignore those behaviors, they will become ingrained and much harder to change later. The earlier you start training, the better/faster your results will be! Puppies can easily be taught not only how to learn, but to WANT to learn!
As dogs have been selectively bred dogs for about 200 years, they have become smarter and smarter. They help us every day in so many ways like drug detection, herding, police work, seizure and diabetic alerts, finding lost people, etc.--not to mention all the fun things like obedience, scent work, agility, trick training, barn hunt, lure coursing—and the list goes on. Most of these organized canine sports allow mixed breeds too! But what if you just want a good dog--one that comes when you call, sits, walks politely on a leash, doesn't jump on people or poop in the house? Those basic skills all start with training at a young age.
Positive reinforcement is the very best way to train! This is where you reward behavior you want, using tiny tidbits of treats to tell Puppy—YES! Puppies catch on very quickly that they get “paid” for doing the right things. Using a particular word (“yes” or “good”, typically) marks the behavior you want verbally (you can also use a clicker), then immediately giving the treat is the reward. In just a few days you will have a puppy that is “offering” behaviors in order to get a treat. This is teaching the puppy to LEARN. Training rewards should be tiny and special (“high value”), like small tidbits of hot-dog or cheese, that can be delivered and swallowed quickly so you can keep working.
Training sessions for young puppies should be no longer than 5 minutes. As they mature, the sessions can increase in length.
Once you see your puppy actively engaged in learning, you will be inspired to keep training. Adopting an adult dog? Training is still possible and done the same way, it will just take a little longer depending on the dog's age and history. Any dog can learn, and most dogs inherently want to please us. So, make training FUN and know that your puppy can go as far as you want to take him into a great partnership with you!
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