If you’ve been searching on Google “how to train a dog?” whether it is to stop unwanted behaviour or encourage desirable ones, you’re in the right place! In this blog, we will discuss some of the common behaviours in dogs and try to address them with effective training.
If you are looking for “puppy training near me” or “dog training classes”, you can contact us too. We provide effective puppy and dog training classes where you can accompany your furry friend and take part in their training.
The Basics of How to Train A Dog
The golden rule for all dog training is to set your dog up for success not failure!
Remember, like us dogs get good at what they practise the most and this applies to bad behaviour as well as good! If he is allowed to frequently practise unwanted behaviours then he will simply become more adept at displaying them in the future, not an outcome you want!
Allowing your dog to constantly make mistakes then reprimanding him for doing so is also simply not a good way for him to learn and tends to be frustrating for you.
Instead try and ensure that you manipulate the situation or the environment so that he has the best chance of getting things right, allowing you to reward him thus encouraging him to behave in that way again in the future. This may mean that you need to remove or block items in the house that are a constant source of conflict when you are not in a position to control his behaviour; for instance, if your dog constantly barks at the window at passers by or jumps on the furniture then you may need to deny him access to these rooms when you are not around or are busy. Whilst this isn’t actually teaching him to not do it in future, neither is it allowing him to practise and enjoy that behaviour.
Ensure that when you put him into situations where there is a good chance that he will try and display behaviour you don’t like, you tell him how to behave and reward him for doing so.
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How Dogs Learn
To get a better understanding of how to train a dog, it is important to know how dogs learn. This awareness will help you effectively communicate desirable behaviours when you join us in one of our dog training classes or puppy training classes
Dogs repeat the things that bring them the best outcomes; behaviours that earn them rewards or attention are the ones that they are most likely to repeat in the future. Remember however that any attention (even being scolded) may be seen as worthwhile by your dog!
If you want to teach a command to ask your dog to perform any behaviour then it first needs to be associated with that action. The best way of achieving this is by saying the word whilst the dog is displaying the behaviour or when you are confident he is just about to. Further reinforcement of the command can then be given by praising and rewarding in association with the command. For example, as you see your dog lower his bottom to the floor you say the word ‘Sit’, then reward and say “Good boy, good sit” as he is sitting nicely.
Dogs do not possess the same ability to reason as a person. With this in mind, any praise or reward needs to be delivered as quickly and consistently as possible so your dog can learn the correlation between behaviour and outcome over time. After all, good training takes patience.
Different Dog Behaviours And Tips For Managing Them:
- Jumping upJumping up is generally an attention seeking behaviour; initially it can seem cute and even desirable to have your puppy jump up for a cuddle whilst he is small but it can soon become a nuisance or even be dangerous when he is fully grown.
If you want to know how to train a dog to not jump, the best way is not to give him any attention when he does this. For this to be effective, timing is really important! In order for your dog to link the removal of your attention to his act of jumping up it must be an immediate response but more importantly it must only last whilst he is jumping up. If you continue to ignore your dog after he has put his feet back on the floor then he is unlikely to associate his behaviour with your actions!
This means you need to change your behaviour in seconds; as soon as he starts to jump at you, turn away or step backwards (so he doesn’t make contact) and totally ignore him, if he tries to jump again then simply step away again until he keeps his feet on the floor. As soon as he stops jumping you can give him attention again, if his feet leave the ground then immediately withdraw. Remember the faster your response the faster he will learn!
He really must get NO reaction from you or anyone else!
Note: No attention means – you or your family members must not touch him or make eye contact or say anything to him, not even ‘No’ or ‘Down’. Even being scolded is attention.
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- Stealing/Chewing
Bringing a new puppy or dog into your household is a bit like having a small child! A certain amount of ‘puppy proofing’ will need to be practised until he is trained. Your pup can simply not be expected to know that it is wrong to steal or chew items that are within his reach, all precious or dangerous items should be removed from reach, for the short term at least (if he never has the opportunity to steal, he will not learn the habit!). Tempting but immovable items (such as furniture) can be treated with one of the readily available anti-chew preparations available in most pet shops.Food items left on work surfaces are an unfair temptation to an animal with such a sensitive sense of smell, even leftover crumbs or dirty plates are just calling out to be eaten up! Along with good housekeeping practice, providing your dog with mentally stimulating toys, particularly those that dispense food, will train him to chew these items as they are the most rewarding. Set him up for success by providing him with items to chew rather than waiting for him to start chewing your belongings.
Stealing is often inadvertently rewarded by being chased or given attention as well as having the fun of actually chewing the object. If your dog picks up something you don’t want him to have, try to not give him a big reaction; as soon as he gets the idea you want his object it instantly becomes a valuable resource! Instead try walking away into another room or into the garden and busy yourself with something that your dog will want to investigate, maybe playing with one of his toys or similar. Chances are he will drop the object and come racing after you to join in the fun; after a minute or two (once he has forgotten all about the stolen object) you can quietly go back, retrieve the object and put it out of his reach.
If you absolutely have to remove an item from him then you should still not focus on the object that he has but get some treats and or a toy and approach him and scatter these on the floor around him. He is likely to drop the object to pick up the treats and toys allowing you to calmly remove it. Continue to play with him for a minute or two or feed him more treats so that he forgets all about the original object.
Try where possible to avoid giving him any idea that you want his object; remember this is what will motivate him to try and keep it or steal it again in the future. Whilst it is fine to offer food or treats to distract him away from an object try to not directly ‘trade’ with him as this may motivate him to collect items with which to trade in future!
- Barking
Whilst barking can be annoying, it is unreasonable to expect your dog to never bark just as it would be unreasonable to expect your children to never talk, shout or laugh.However, many dogs learn that barking is a successful way to gain attention or a desirable outcome. Remember a successful outcome for your dog may simply be being let in/out of a door, having a toy thrown or retrieved from a place that he cannot access or being told to be quiet.
Dogs that consistently bark during exciting situations are also performing some attention seeking behaviour; if your dog barks manically at the production of his lead, during playtimes or at the arrival of a family member or visitor (in a positive fashion e.g. often accompanied with jumping up, running around etc), then it is likely that he has linked his barking with the provision or continuation of the exciting scenario. He may actually perceive that his barking is what makes the walk or the game happen!
Dogs also bark when they see or hear something that they are unsure of or frightened by; take a moment to try and work out what he is directing his barking towards.
If the barking is directed at you (or another person) in an excitable or friendly way, then the person should ignore him and turn away. If the barking continues then the person can leave the room, thus, giving the dog the absolute opposite of what he wants i.e. isolation rather than attention. When the barking stops, the person can reappear and continue as if nothing has happened.
If barking occurs during a specific activity e.g. whilst preparing his dinner. Progress towards his end goal (being fed) should cease until the barking stops, once it does then progress continues. This principal also applies for all excitement barking, the activity stops until he is quiet and then resumes once he is.
Rewarding quiet behaviour is just as important as ignoring the barking, remember to praise your dog for being quiet and offer him positive outcomes when he displays quiet behaviour particularly if this is a situation in which he would normally bark.
Though these at home trainings or our dog training classes can help you promote good behaviours in your dog, if your dog is barking in an aggressive fashion at you, other people or other animals then you should seek help from a suitably qualified behaviour specialist, to help you overcome this problem. Similarly if your dog barks when left home alone he may be suffering from separation anxiety and need further help and support.
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Here at Company of Animals, our founder Dr. Roger Mugford, Britain’s leading Animal Psychologist has devised some expert strategies to help train all dog breeds. We offer you a range of dog or puppy training classes and equipment that can make training your dog easy and fun. From training lines, healthy and delicious dog treats, pet correctors and high frequency whistles to no pull harnesses, clickers, treat bags, training dumbbells and target sticks, we have everything you need for an effective dog training experience. Book us today if you’ve been searching for “puppy training near me”.