Friday, March 02, 2007
Training using treats
Right from the beginning when you first meet your dog, whether as a young pup, or a rescue dog [of any age], trained or untrained... you must begin your own personal obedience training with the puppy/dog. They need to know you as the 'leader of the pack'.
Obviously there will be great differences between 'training' a fully grown dog, a puppy, or a 'mentally scarred' rescue animal which has suffered previous cruel treatment.
Training time scales will be entirely different, as will what can be expected. But one thing should be consistent... you should always act as leader of the pack!
Should you require further reading on becoming the leader using positive reinforcement training, I will add a link to a first-class book. I would recommend this book to all animal lovers.
It is a real boon in helping to understand ill-treated rescue dogs too. You'll find the link at the bottom of this page... do check it out, I wouldn't be without it!
Basic obedience commands come first for the sake of your pets own safety, enjoying further activities together [like dog agility training, flyball, or obedience itself] cannot be safely undertaken until you have control of your dog... and for all of this to occur your dog will need to recognise you as the leader of its pack, and will need total confidence in you as its leader [and boss].
Reward based training methods are the method of choice for handlers who want to get the best out of their companions.
Who would you want to return to, someone who shouted at you when you eventually returned, or someone who gave you a treat? And if you got a treat, wouldn't you return sooner next time?
Reward training works best for your dog and it will cement a lovely working relationship between the two of you within a short period of time.
The next question which is often asked is... what form of reward or treat is best?
The answer, I'm afraid, is that there is no one 'one size fits all' answer to that question! All dogs are different, some are food motivated, some go for toys, others just love to go a walk, still others will love kind words and praise or being stroked, patted, and rubbed, or you could try clicker training. For many though a bit of praise which is reinforced by a food treat is the ideal.
The only thing to bear in mind when using food as the reward is that you don't want your dog to get overweight... so take care in the selection of your treat food. It isn't wise to use dog biscuits or similar commercial treats - it is far better to go for something like cheese, liver, or sausage.
Choose something which it is practical and hygenic to carry around with you... I know of dogs who love baby tomatoes, and we have had dogs who just loved blackberries, another who could never resist rosehips, and also a 'bananaholic'.
If you are looking for a video course, rather than a book, just look for the link to Dove Cresswells course, or for another highly recommended online course check out SitStayFetch... you'll find links to both courses in our left-hand margin. If you bought all three you'd be set up for life... and would soon be teaching other people yourself!
Obviously there will be great differences between 'training' a fully grown dog, a puppy, or a 'mentally scarred' rescue animal which has suffered previous cruel treatment.
Training time scales will be entirely different, as will what can be expected. But one thing should be consistent... you should always act as leader of the pack!
Should you require further reading on becoming the leader using positive reinforcement training, I will add a link to a first-class book. I would recommend this book to all animal lovers.
It is a real boon in helping to understand ill-treated rescue dogs too. You'll find the link at the bottom of this page... do check it out, I wouldn't be without it!
Basic obedience commands come first for the sake of your pets own safety, enjoying further activities together [like dog agility training, flyball, or obedience itself] cannot be safely undertaken until you have control of your dog... and for all of this to occur your dog will need to recognise you as the leader of its pack, and will need total confidence in you as its leader [and boss].
Reward based training methods are the method of choice for handlers who want to get the best out of their companions.
Who would you want to return to, someone who shouted at you when you eventually returned, or someone who gave you a treat? And if you got a treat, wouldn't you return sooner next time?
Reward training works best for your dog and it will cement a lovely working relationship between the two of you within a short period of time.
The next question which is often asked is... what form of reward or treat is best?
The answer, I'm afraid, is that there is no one 'one size fits all' answer to that question! All dogs are different, some are food motivated, some go for toys, others just love to go a walk, still others will love kind words and praise or being stroked, patted, and rubbed, or you could try clicker training. For many though a bit of praise which is reinforced by a food treat is the ideal.
The only thing to bear in mind when using food as the reward is that you don't want your dog to get overweight... so take care in the selection of your treat food. It isn't wise to use dog biscuits or similar commercial treats - it is far better to go for something like cheese, liver, or sausage.
Choose something which it is practical and hygenic to carry around with you... I know of dogs who love baby tomatoes, and we have had dogs who just loved blackberries, another who could never resist rosehips, and also a 'bananaholic'.
If you are looking for a video course, rather than a book, just look for the link to Dove Cresswells course, or for another highly recommended online course check out SitStayFetch... you'll find links to both courses in our left-hand margin. If you bought all three you'd be set up for life... and would soon be teaching other people yourself!
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