dog obedience training - search results

however.üMany small dogs reflexively resist being picked up

and who are appropriately reinforced for the ""right"" behavior

you'll find that your training really slows down . . . and it's easy to blame the dog for this

looking right at them

Not so very long ago, trainers assumed that anyone who signed up for a basic obedience class was seeking that perfectly straight, sit-in-perfect-heel position. Classes were conducted with military precision, trainers barking commands as owners marched their dogs in a circle, jerking and popping on leashes and choke chains in order to achieve lightning-fast responses. Success was measured by speed and perfection of position, and advanced work was conducted with one goal – to show in American Kennel Club obedience competitions, earn obedience degrees, and achieve scores as close to that magic “perfect 200” as possible.

Group training classes are a mixed bag of pros and cons. And I say this as someone who has made a fair amount of my annual income by teaching group training classes. I also attend group classes with my own dog. By design, the ideal candidate" for a positive-reinforcement group manners class is the generally happy-go-lucky

One would expect that the rise of force-free training methods and the increased awareness of and respect for dogs as sentient creatures would make life easier for them. We should expect to see a corresponding rise in the number of calm, stable, well-adjusted dogs who are happily integrated into lifelong loving homes. But many training and behavior professionals note with alarm the large number of dogs in today's world who seem to have significant issues with stress and anxiety, with high levels of arousal and low impulse control.

and then it means leash jerk! The dog's not learning to walk close to me because he wants to, he's learning to walk close to me because he fears what's going to happen to him if he doesn't. I have to say this was a long, long, time ago. I thought, This is bizarre

Canine Charlie willingly sits on cue, but when clicks and treats don't come fast enough, he starts trying other dog behaviors in his repertoire - with rapid-fire offerings of shake, speak, down, and even a roll-over finding its way into the mix. He gets so excited about the dog training game that sometimes he doesn't even bother to sit first when asked, but drops right into the down - his favorite position. Charlie, an eager worker who loves positive reinforcement, has learned a lot of different behaviors and is anticipating his human's cues for all his favorite tricks. He clearly doesn't have his behaviors under stimulus control.

How well do you really know your dog? Like most trainers and competitors, Nancy Tanner of Bozeman, Montana, assumed she knew hers inside out – until some whales and their trainers taught her an important lesson. You too can adopt the simple technique she learned at a marine mammal park to improve canine interactions at all levels.Tanner’s path of discovery began five years ago at Sea World in San Diego, California, where she took a behind-the-scenes tour. What caught Tanner’s attention was the whales’ “free-time pool.” In this large, safe, comfortable environment, whales do whatever they like. Sometimes the pool is occupied by a single whale and sometimes by two or more. Trainers are always present but they never initiate activity. They simply watch and wait.

Camping means different things to different people, but to dogs, camping means fun! Like most things with the word camp" in them

The arguments against bait bags are not so obvious. The most compelling is that the presence of a bait bag is like a flashing neon sign - an obvious cue to your dog that it's training time and treats are handy. I stand firmly in the middle of the bait bag debate. I shop for lots of lightweight, loose-fitting jackets with large pockets so I can stash my bags of treats comfortably on my person without turning on the neon sign. Of course, my dogs know that I have treats in my pockets, but I always have treats in my pockets, so the presence of treats is not the cue that training is happening.