Does your dog embarrass you? Does he beg on the table? Does she pee on the ground? Does your dog jump up in your visitors and growl at children? Does he dig up your flower beds or tug at her leash?
Do you sometimes wish you never got a dog?
My friend Chet, skilled dog trainer par excellence, says fixing these problems all starts with training your dog to learn learn how to solve problems. This can drastically improve his ability to learn latest behaviors and begin to finally follow your commands. That is positive training dogs reply to quickly.
For instance, let us take a look at two 8 week old puppies, neither potty trained, and we’ll show you ways this works.
Let’s take one puppy and train him the crumby, traditional way. Each time he goes potty we’ll attempt to catch him within the act after which grind his face in his own urine and/or feces, whack him with a rolled up newspaper while yelling “Bad dog! Bad dog!” after which toss him outside.
Conventional knowledge says the dog will quickly determine that crapping in front of you gets him a beating and if he’s smart he’ll ask to go outside where he won’t get whacked.
Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is certainly not a positive training technique on your dog.
It’s much more likely that you simply are literally teaching your dog to cover from you when he goes potty so he doesn’t get beat up. Chet had one client call him and ask why her dog all the time went behind the sofa to pee despite the fact that she swears she has never hit him.
Chet doesn’t imagine her.
The situation changes after we use positive dog training techniques. Watch what happens after we first teach the puppy to learn to unravel problems.
First, we can’t start with potty training. As a substitute we’ll put up a make-shift doggie fence and keep the puppy confined on this area. If he has an accident on this space it won’t upset us.
Second, we pick a training exercise to show the pup problem solving skills in order that after we get to potty training the dog will catch on MUCH more quickly. Again we’re making a positive dog training atmosphere.
Chet starts by teaching his pup the “go to the mat” game. He drops tiny little treats on the ground each time the pup gets closer to getting on his mat. The puppy soon realizes that laying on his mat is the thing getting him his reward. The one clue Chet gives the animal is the treat he drops on the ground. You could have to see this — it’s Incredible!
The puppy masters “going to the mat” in a couple of minutes. In line with Chet, once you’ve got taught your dog the VALUABLE skill of learn how to solve problems, the pup will start using this kind of considering in the whole lot he does.
It is just not hard to grasp how this skill will allow the dog to choose up potty training, and the more advanced behaviors, way more quickly. That is all a part of positive training for dogs that your pet will pick up on quickly.
Don’t you would like you would train your dog to alter all of his or her bad behaviors? Imagine a quiet home where your animal is calm and follows your instructions. Imagine him ringing a bell when he has to go outside and peeing only where you instruct him to go. Imagine brisk walks along with your pet at your side – no tugging or jumping; no barking at other dogs or other people!
