The Key To Dog Training

What is the key to dog training?
Being your dogs Leader iss The key to dog training. Dogs, in their natural state, are pack animals. We tend to think of them simply as autonomous pups and don't often consider their immutable core nature as pack animals, however. This failure to take into account the true nature of dogs can make training more difficult. Likewise, understanding what it means to be a pack animal can unlock one of training's greatest secrets.

Dogs, in packs, have leaders. The leadership role in dog packs is one of great influence. Other dogs in the pack naturally subordinate themselves to leadership and will look to their leader for guidance and instruction.

Of course, domesticated dogs don't travel in packs. Instead, they build a pack based on those with whom they regularly interact. In essence, the owner and the owner's family members or close friends become the dog's pack.

This creates a wonderful opportunity for dog trainers. By casting yourself as the leader of your dog's pack, the dog will naturally tend to follow your lead, will naturally feel inclined to respect you and will demonstrate an instinctive need to learn from you. Since a dog's real social structure will always be seen through the innate canine perspective of packs and leaders, it only makes sense for trainers to take advantage of this by assigning roles for both pet and master that will make key to dog training especially effective.

There are several things a trainer can do to emulate being a pack leader. These techniques will allow your dog to find what he will rightfully feel is his place in your family's social order and will make him substantially more amenable to your training. Some may say it is as easy as "making sure the dog knows who is the boss," but that is an oversimplification. Being bossy is not the same as being a leader. Simply trying to enforce your will on a dog does not necessarily communicate to him that you are truly the pack leader. The talented trainer will understand this and will take specific actions to emulate a pack leader.

Some expert-recommended techniques include:

Consistency

Good leaders are consistent enforcers of rules and regulations. Leaders who too often "look the other way" are not taken seriously. A dog will notice whether your rules and expectations are consistently maintained and may even test your mettle upon occasion, pushing the boundaries of established behavioral norms to determine who is really in charge. By being a wholly consistent leader, you are likely to establish yourself as being the head of your pack and your dog will then be much more apt to follow your lead.

Respect

Leaders are respected not just as an arbitrary outgrowth of their assigned position but because of how they behave in that role. A firm, but fair leader is far more likely to be admired and followed. One must be firm with their dog when training, but cannot hold unreasonable expectations or enforce their rules with violence or punishment. A good pack leader can still use the positive-reinforcement techniques that have been proven the core of successful training. Being a respectful leader will create a respectful follower in your dog. Their submission to you should be premised in respect and appreciation-not in fear or humiliation.

Interaction

The successful pack leader will interact with his dog in ways that reinforce the notion of the social hierarchy. Dogs, for instance, look for cues from leadership in the eyes. By maintaining eye contact with your pet during training, he will better understand your role as leader. Likewise, it is desirable to occasionally demand your dog's attention while walking, playing or during more intense training sessions. By commanding your dog to heel and to look at you, for instance, you will further reinforce your position as pack leader.

Unlocking the power of being a pack leader can make training much more effective. With roles clearly established, one can avoid much of the struggle others may experience while training their pets. Additionally, by assigning yourself the role of pack leader you create an environment in which your dog will naturally look to you for its guidance. Pack leadership is an essential component to any fully optimized training program.

Important Things To Avoid During Dog Training

In training your dog there are a few major downfalls that you are sure to encounter. Knowing them before you reach this point is very helpful to avoiding stressful situations later. The biggest mistake most people make is also the easiest for new trainers to fall victim to. This is the danger of expecting too much. It's important to know the things to avoid during dog training.

Dogs are very intelligent creatures and, by and large, very trainable. Thus when you visit the park with your untrained dog and the person next to you is playing Frisbee with their German Shepherd and the Poodle down the way is sitting patiently rather than attacking picnic goers, it is easy to think your dog should know these behaviors from birth. We often times forget the many hours of training that have been put into these wonderful dogs. Your dog can learn these very same antics but it will take time for these lessons to be instilled. Do not expect your dog to learn all of these routines over night. This would merely set you up for downfall number two.

The second problem people encounter is losing their temper. This usually results in an out of breath owner who is yelling at the top of the vocal capacity, a frightened dog and possibly a visit from the local animal welfare department depending on how the individual vents their frustrations. To things to avoid during dog training this downfall, make a conscious effort never to yell at your pet and hitting is always wrong. Raising your voice to your pet will do little to correct their errant behavior and do much harm to your relationship with the animal. It will result in a nervous animal that cowers from you rather than obeys your commands.

The third things to avoid during dog training falls at the other end of the spectrum. These people let the dog become the master. This is equally detrimental to your relationship with the animal as the animal has no control to its behaviors and can quickly become a danger to itself and others. Dogs are pack animals and quickly decide who the leader is and who follows. If you do not take the leadership role from the beginning, you can rest assured that your pet will. A dog without a master will run amok and will quickly get into trouble chasing cars and people, destroying property and making a nuisance of itself. This mistake is tantamount to animal abuse and is very nearly as bad as the previous one.

Fourth in line of things to avoid during dog training is the mistake of giving up. Many a dog owner has a pet that has never reached its full potential due to the owner losing interest in their training. Dogs love to learn, especially when the owner rewards well learned behavior traits. Many owners, lacking the time or perhaps the patience, will be quite happy to have a pet that merely answers to its name and stops barking when repeatedly shouted at. Please do not let yourself fall into this trap. Your pet is a highly intelligent animal and is capable of learning so much more. Occasionally, dogs have even been known to develop neuroses due to boredom from not being challenged enough. This results in an unhealthy animal that can be poorly socialized and destructive of furnishings or even its own body. Your dog can and will respond to your training efforts if given the time to do so.

A fifth point that we keep reiterating (and well we should) is people's failure to be consistent. If you tell the dog to sit and your pet doesn't do it, stick with it until they do. Always use the same command words and enforce the same action each and every time. Manually enforce the command if it is necessary to get the desired reaction and reward the animal with some play time or some verbal praise for properly performing the routine. Consistency is the major key to training your pet. Repetitive lessons taught on a regular basis with consistent rewards are necessary to the effective training of your pet.

Knowing these five downfalls ahead of time will save you many frustrations while training your pet and will result in a much a healthier and happier relationship with your pet.