This article serves as an introduction to my dog training guide by explaining the basic principles behind all dog training practices and some of the pitfalls that need to be overcome.
Dogs rarely recall the past or think about the future they live for now. Dogs have very little recall memory, their thoughts are almost totally based upon association. Dogs do not work things out as we do. Dogs do not think in abstract terms, it is simply action = consequence for them. Dog conduct that is rewarded with treats and/or verbal praise is likely to be repeated whereas conduct which is ignored is usually avoided. This is the main principle behind any kind of dog training.
For instance, if you give your dog a treat or praise him every time he sits then eventually he will sit of his own accord so that he may receive another reward. On the other hand, you should completely ignore your dog if he jumps up for attention, this is negative reinforcement and your dog will be disinclined to repeat it in future.
You should praise conduct you wish to reinforce and dismiss conduct you wish to discourage, this way you create associations for your dog. It all sounds very simple doesn’t it? So why is dog obedience training such a contentious subject?
You only have about two seconds between action and reward to make an association this can be a problem. This implies that it is very possible for an inexperienced trainer to make a wrong association. As an example suppose you are teaching your dog to sit but you are a bit slow in praising him and by that time he is standing up again, then what you have done is reinforced the stand up rather than the sit. Another scenario would be to find that your dog has messed on the carpet when you come home. Having dragged him back to the crime scene and rubbed his nose in it probably saying ‘Bad Dog’, you throw him outside. All you have achieved is to teach your dog that going to the toilet is wrong.
Another problem is that in the home environment a dog can have too many masters and can end up totally confused by conflicting associations and inconsistent training methods. A dog should only have one master and one trainer.
The basics of dog obedience training have been explained in this dog training guide. They are very simple but as the saying goes, easier said than done. However, a knowledge of the fundamental principles will always be of help with any particular dog training method.
Go to www.TrainMyOwnDog.com to see more articles on dog obedience training.
