A Brief Overview in Advanced Obedience Dog Training
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009Advanced obedience is to a canine what putting down the toilet seat is to a man - it takes patience in constant reeducation but it is possible. Dog obedience training is among the most rewarding experiences between a dog and his master. You are not just doing your own self a great benefit; you are giving your pet a more complete and happy life. Well trained dogs are well-adjusted, self-assured and more intelligent. You can be secure in it’s conduct even if you leave him alone with strangers.
The most important thing to remember in trying to teach your animal is to establish your role as the superior in your relationship. When he ‘gets’ that you are his master, it is easier to [train|teach} him the commands you expect him to obey. Confusing the animal in this aspect can be dangerous; he will be aggressive and strive to dominate you. Don’t overcompensate and be excessively mean to show you’re the boss; be firm, stand your ground and correct this unfavorable trait as soon as you see it rearing its ugly head.
Make your leadership known by using a strong and sure tone in your speaking. When you say “Sit!” gently push him down in the said position firmly. You may have to go through several tries with each command, especially in the beginning. Development from basic to more advanced obedience training is pretty much simple once your dog recognizes the patterns you’ve set in your training classes.
Operant Conditioning is rewarding your animal with treats or praise for correctly accomplishing the command. It is the single most effective way to train your pet; it’s what he understands. Applaud your pet each time he does something right. At times, this is easy to overlook but make the extra effort not to. Dogs will get confused easily and distinguishing good behavior every time will make certain that he remembers what is right.
Conversely, reprimand your dog whenever he makes a mistake. Do it during the mistake and not when it is past so the dog will understand the error of his ways. Scolding him will also emphasize the difference between what is right from what is [wrong|bad}. For instance, if he starts finding the unidentified dirt on his path fascinating enough to ingest, reprimand him as soon as he does it. Then put appropriate food before him to eat. When he starts dining on his own set meal, be profuse in your praise.
To be able to progress in dog obedience training, keep it short and as often as possible. Be repetitive in what you teach. Don’t restrict training your dog during “school time” or set time blocks. Otherwise, he won’t want to study during the most part of the day.
Movie dogs awe you with the complexity of the stunts asked of them. But they all started with sit. Begin with the basics and progress to the more complicated commands from there. With persistence and consistency your dog will advance to more challenging stunts like growl, leave it, fetch and attack. Employ the same principles in how you trained him before and you will find sweet success in the more advanced levels.
Now that you’ve got the professional’s secrets in advanced obedience training for dogs, it’s about time to roll up your sleeves, get Fido and start training!