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The best dog training methods for easily training your dog are those that make training a positive experience for both you and your dog. When you and your dog feel good about training, so much more can be accomplished. And it makes you both look forward to your training time. This increases the bond that you have with your dog, while training him to his fullest potential.
The Best Dog Training Methods
Reward Training
Reward training is often seen as the most modern method of training a dog. But reward training is probably much older than other methods of dog training. It is possible that reward training for dogs has been around as long as there have been dogs to train. Early humans probably used some informal kind of reward training when taming the wolf pups that eventually evolved into modern dogs.
Many principles of modern reward training date back many decades. However, what is called reward training today has only enjoyed it’s remarkable popularity for the past 10 or 15 years. Once you try reward training you will see why it has become so popular.
Mixing And Matching Training Methods
Many reward training enthusiasts are less enthusiastic about other methods of dog training, such as the traditional leash and collar method. However, the best approach to training any individual dog is often a combination of leash/collar training and reward training. The key is to be open minded. Sometimes mixing and matching different types of training methods is needed in order to properly train a dog.
In addition, a training method that works perfectly for one dog may be totally inappropriate for another, and vice versa. Some dogs respond wonderfully to reward training and not at all to leash and collar training. While others respond to leash/collar training and are not at all motivated by reward training. Most dogs fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
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Clicker Training
Clicker training is one of the most popular forms of reward training. While clicker training is not the answer for every dog, it can be a remarkably effective method of training many dogs. In clicker training, the dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with a reward, like a treat. The trainer clicks the clicker when the dog does something good, followed immediately by a treat. Eventually, the dog learns to respond to the clicker alone.
Most reward training uses some sort of food reward, or a reward that is associated with getting food. In most cases, complex behaviors can only be taught using this kind of positive reinforcement, and you will find that the people who train dogs for movies and television use reward training almost exclusively.
What Is Reward Dog Training Used For?
Reward training is used in all forms of dog training, including police work and military applications. Most scent detection, tracking and police dogs are trained using some form of reward training. Reward training is also a very effective way to teach many basic obedience commands.
How Does Reward Training Work?
Lure The Dog
Reward training often incorporates the use of a lure in order to get the dog into the position desired by the trainer. The lure is used to get the dog to perform the desired behavior on his or her own and of his or her own free will.
It makes a great deal of sense to get the dog to perform the desired behavior without any physical intervention on the part of the handler. Getting the dog to perform a behavior without being touched is important.
Reward The Dog
After the dog has performed the desired behavior, he is given a reward, also called a positive reinforcement. Treats are often used as reinforcers, but praise, such as “good dog” or a pat on the head, can also be effective rewards. Knowing your dog and knowing what motivates him is very helpful when using positive reinforcement.
Making a dog that has been reward trained a reliable dog is important. Especially when the dog has an important job, like police work or drug detection, to do. For that reason, it is important to get the dog accustomed to working around distractions, and to properly socialize the dog to both people and other animals.
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Train In Many Locations
Many dog trainers make the mistake of only training the dog inside the house or back yard, and only when the handler is there. In order to become a reliably trained companion, the dog must be taken outside the confines of his safety zone. Here he can be introduced to many new situations.
Teach Your Dog To Focus On You
It is also important to teach the dog to pay attention to the handler at all times. Having the attention of the dog means having control of the dog. Reward training is very effective at getting the respect and the attention of the dog when used properly.
Training your dog with positive reward methods has many benefits. There are many online resources to help you train your dog. But having a trainer that you trust who uses positive training methods is also important. Once you start training your dog with these methods, you will see your bond grow and you will end up with a happy, well trained dog.
Always remember, if you have tried training your dog on your own and he is out of control or aggressive, please consult with a dog trainer in your area for help.
