Principles of Dog Training

Training methods are many for dogs and most of them work, some more effectively than other but most work none the less. However while training methods are many principals are few, by following the basic principals of dog training you can train your dog to do any command or trick.

Patience

You should approach teaching a new command/trick or behavior by realizing that a dog is not human, tough I know, therefor the same principals that apply to human learning simply don't hold any water when it comes to dogs. While a humans can generally learn a new skill with 10-15 repetitions dogs need quite a bit more, between 25-50, to learn a new skill. Therefor when teaching something to a dog, keep in mind that just because your pet did something 5 or so times it does not mean that it has become ingrained in the dogs skill set. Most owners start getting frustrated with their furry friends at 10-15 repetitions because of human nature.

Positive Reinforcement

Weather giving the dog treats when he/she does something good or administering some sort of punishment you need to once again keep in mind that dogs are substantially different in their learning than humans. As it applies to positive reinforcement you need to give that reinforcement within 3-4 seconds of the dogs behavior. If for example your dog peed on the carpet and you didn't correct the behavior within 3-4 seconds, you can no longer do so. The same applies for giving a treat for a proper command if the treat was not given within that short time period the dog will not understand why it is being praised. If you punish/reward your dog after the 3-4 second period weather five minutes or an hour, the dog will not be able to associate the punishment or reward with the behavior. In the punishment option the animal will become fearful of the owner because in the dog does not know what it is being punished for. With the reward it will substantially prolong the learning period.

Consistency

A dog needs consistency for learning to take place. If you do not wish your dog up on your furniture then the dog must not be allowed up at any time. It can create great confusion for the animal if it is allowed on one bed but not another or if it is allowed on the couch in the morning but not at night. Such rules completely confuse a learning dog about what it can or can not do. The biggest offenders of this principal are people who do not explain to family members what rules the dog must obey, and as a result the dog is left confused by one family member who yells at it for jumping up on the couch while another watches television with the dog by his/her side.

These principles do not change weather you are teaching a puppy or a two year old rescue dog. Patience, timely reinforcement and consistency must always be used in order for learning to take place.