A Sign Of The Times We Life In?

It often amazes me how people can have children and put the time and effort into training their children over many years and then they have a dog and expect training can happen in half hour classes two or three times a week as a puppy and then expect it to last for a life time.

Training a puppy is a lot like training a child. It takes the following...

Time, Patience, Repetition, and Reward.

With time, training is an ongoing thing. If the dog is a part of the family then it should be treated as a family member, second only to the children of the household.

If I go to check my mailbox at the top of the driveway, my dogs come with me. I say to the dogs, "POST." Often they are sitting at the post box waiting for me. They have learned that "post" means I am going to that spot. The post box.

When out in the car and I need petrol, I say to the dogs, "PETROL." The dogs know what happens next. I pull into a petrol station.

At bedtime I say to the dogs, "PIDDLE." The dogs know their routine and get up and go out for a piddle.

Point is that by talking to your dog and being very patient you can teach your dog a hell of a lot more than any learning classes.

It doesn't happen overnight anymore than I can expect my 5-year-old son to obtain a degree in astro physics. Patience is its own reward. Treat a dog as you would a three year old child and you're pretty close to the mark.

Including "COME," "DOWN," and "STAY" routines.

When I teach a puppy I do not issue a command and then expect the dog to obey. I wait until the dog sits naturally and then say to the dog, "GOOD SIT. SIT GOOD." and praise with fussing the dog.

When the dog lies down I say, "GOOD DOWN. DOWN GOOD." In the use of the word "good" I am teaching the dog a primary training word. In other words, the dog knows after a time that when it hears "good" it associates "good" with a new command to learn and so makes training easier.

I can suggest a book author for your. His name is Roger Mugford (Never Say No!: The Complete Program for a Happier and More Cooperative Dog.) He is of the humanitarian type of trainer.

Again, please treat the dog as a part of your family and he will love you for it.

Hope this is of help.