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SOME BASIC TRUTHS ABOUT DOG TRAINING
by Vivian Bregman
Copyright January, 2001 -
- Your dog is always learning, by observation, trial and error, 24 hours a day whe her you are with him or not.
- In order for a behavior to be maintained, it has to be rewarded. This includes desired and undesired behaviors. Your task is to figure out what the rewards are -- and either eliminate them or increase them (depending on whether you want the behavior to stop or continue).
- If you want your dog to follow (obey commands), then you have to lead. The best type of leadership is by controlling access to resources (not by physical domination and confrontation, although they may be needed).
- The cause of most "unruliness" in dogs is the inability to accept physical restraint: by lead, line, crate, fence or human hands. You must teach this skill first!
- It is easier and ultimately more rewarding to focus on and teach "good" behavior, rather than punish "bad" behavior. If you must punish, always teach your dog an alternative "good" action that can be rewarded.
- You should be the best motivator your dog has -- make your time and attention valuable by using a "work to earn" program and playing with your dog daily.
- When you call your dog to "come," whatever happens in the next two minutes will dictate whether he comes the next time. The key to a dependable recall is to get your dog to come reliably, quickly and automatically (without thinking) first, in your home and yard. Asking your dog to "make choices" too soon will result in inconsistent performance.
- If your dog is not 100% controllable on-lead, don't take him off-lead.
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of training -- if a behavior concerns you, do something about it now!
Everything you need to know about dog training in a few sentences:
- If you want the dog to do it again, reward it.
- If you don't want the dog to do it again, unreward it.
- Reward is something the dog wants.
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Unreward is something the dog doesn't want.
Vivian Bregman has put more than 30 obedience titles on her 8 dogs in AKC, UKC, CKC, ASCA and in Bermuda. She is a founding and Board member of IACP www.dogpro.org (International Association of Canine Professionals) and a member of NADOI www.nadoi.org (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors).
Vivian started training and showing her own dogs in 1963 and teaching people how to train their dogs in 1965. In 1970, after teaching for two different dog clubs she started her own school, Kelev Canine College, in New Jersey. Over the years since she has shown eight of her own dogs to over thirty obedience titles in the US, Canada, and Bermuda. She teaches classes thru the local adult school, as well as still giving private lessons.
Vivian is known as the "whatever works" trainer on the many email lists that she contributes to. She can be reached at: kelevcaninecollege@earthlink.net.
