clearly defined and communicated to them in a calm, consistent manner.
Most families consider their expectations of dog behavior to be simple. Therefore, it should be easy for their dog to understand and follow these rules. Although dogs are adept at integrating themselves into our homes and hearts, the human world is a complicated place. Behaviors that are perfectly normal and acceptable in the canine world, such as marking, barking, digging, scavenging, humping, and threatening in the face of fear, are often at odds with human expectations.
It is unfair and unrealistic to assume that your dog will automatically understand what is expected of him. You must make a consistent effort to communicate this information if you want your dog to make the right behavior choices. In many cases, well intentioned, loving pet parents may treat their dogs unfairly because they are frustrated by their dog’s misbehavior. As a result, the dog becomes overwhelmed and confused.
A great deal of frustration can be avoided if you learn to recognize your dog’s propensity to behave in certain ways. This may be due to genetics and/or experiences. You should certainly seek to improve your dog’s behavior, but some dogs may always need special assistance when facing particular challenges. This can include dogs that have social issues in the presence of people or other dogs, and dogs with resource-guarding issues (guarding things they consider valuable, such as chew toys and food bowls).
In these cases, training should focus on managing the dog’s time to minimize situations that may exacerbate the problem in addition to creating more positive responses.
Time to Teach
Once you have set realistic goals and made a commitment to teach your dog, it is time to decide the all-important question of how to achieve your goals. The effort required for this can vary greatly depending on your lifestyle and training skills, as well as the dog’s age, genetics, and past experiences. Some dogs require more structure and repetition than others. Your goals and training pace must match your dog’s strengths and limitations.
Considering all of this potential for variability, one might expect that vastly different approaches are warranted when teaching individual dogs Regardless of the dog’s age, breed, or lineage, or the family’ expectations and experience, and experience, the overall approach to training is basically the same. This applies to teaching new behaviors and modifying existing ones.
PAWS TO CONSIDER
Regardless of your training goals or your dog’s unique temperament, the training process must be built on a foundation of trust. This is the basis of efficient, effective training, and a healthy and happy relationship with your dog.
Trust as the Foundation for Teaching
A trusting relationship is central to the training process. It is the support net for your dog as he learns to cope with the experiences and circumstances of the human world and what is expected of him.
Training facilitates communication and strengthens your bond with your dog. However, the dog must believe that his people are trustworthy before this can happen. Your dog won’t feel motivated to pay attention to your directions unless he values your guidance and wants to understand what you have to say.
This is why consideration of the long-range impact of a particular method is so important when choosing a training approach for your dog. A dog’s responsiveness to learning is motivated by his desire to be part of a social group and his willingness to trust his people. Trust fosters cooperation, and a cooperative dog is easily guided toward appropriate behavior (i.e., their job) in any given situation.
DANGER!
Coercive Training
Something can be dangerous to your clog without being physically harmful—it can be psychologically detrimental. In fact, many of the problems clogs have are emotionally based as opposed to physically based.
Choosing an aversive approach that causes your clog mental or physical pain should be avoided at all costs. The negative side effects of a punishment- and coercion-based approach are many, and they include even more serious behavior problems related to aggression, fear, and anxiety. Even if your clog doesn’t end up with these problems, it is not in his best interest or in yours, nor does it bode well for creating an enthusiastically compliant canine companion.
Some might presume that a fun, loving relationship with a dog is contradictory to training. This is probably based on the misleading idea that training is primarily about discipline and correction. In fact, teaching your dog what is expected of him in a calm, gentle, and gradual manner is the most effective and efficient route to success.
Leader, Guide, Teacher, or Coach?
For the past 25 years or so, there has been a lot of talk in the dog world about being your dog’s leader. Some feel this aptly describes the role we should take with our dogs. Others feel that this word implies a military approach to the canine-human relationship and a need for punitive training techniques.
However, we expect dogs to survive and thrive in a world that is quite foreign to them. Therefore, it seems logical that they would best adjust with a person (or a family) to lead them in the right direction.
Human language is vastly different from the way dogs communicate and our rules are often at odds with normal—and in some cases instinctual—dog behavior (for example, don’t dig, bark, chew, jump up to greet, chase, hump, or eliminate wherever you like). Dogs are not equipped to navigate our world on their own, and leading them through these oftentimes trying experiences should be our goal. A mentally and behavior ally healthy canine companion is a happy follower.
If the word leader is at odds with your sensibilities, you may feel more comfortable referring to yourself as your pup’s guide, coach, or even teacher. Regardless of the word used to describe this position, the job comes down to helping your pup earn a graduate degree as a mannerly, social canine in the human world. So, what does this job description entail? First and foremost, you must formulate a game plan or a curriculum to achieve your training goals (see “Setting Realistic Expectations” on page 4).
Picking a Positive Approach
Once you have a concrete plan, it is time to decide the all-important question of how to help your dog learn the fundamentals of canine etiquette. The formula for a mentally and behaviorally healthy canine companion begins with teaching him through positive motivation. This sets the foundation for your dog’s good manners, whether you are together at home, going for a walk, participating in a dog sport such as agility or flyball, or leaving him alone while you are out. It is one of the kindest things you can do for your dog, and the surest way to build a lifelong, trusting, and cooperative friendship. Choosing a thoughtful, positive approach to teaching your canine companion ensures that he will achieve his graduate degree as a well-mannered dog.
