Basic Dog Training - Dharani

The kind, fair and effective way
Training can be started at any age, the sooner the better. You can start simple training with your puppy as soon as he or she has settled into his/her new home. Older dogs are also receptive to training, although some may be less keen or quick to learn than a younger dog. Done properly, training should be fun, both for you and your dog, as well as exercising his brain and reinforcing the good relationship between you.

Positive rewards
In order to be effective and to gain the best results, all training should be based around positive rewards. Positive reward training works because if you reward your dog with something he wants as soon as he does what you ask, he is far more likely to do it again. Rewards can be anything that your dog or puppy really wants and could include; food treats, a favorite toy, playing a certain game or petting. If you are using food treats, you will need to reduce the size of your dog's normal meals or use his whole meal divided up into smaller portions, to prevent your dog putting on weight. Always combine the giving of a reward with verbal praise such as "Good dog".
When teaching a new command, you will need to reward your dog every time that he does what you ask correctly. Once he has the hang of the command, however, it is a good idea to change the way you reward by only giving the reward every now and then, because this will make your dog try harder for his reward. Always verbally praise your dog each time, even if he is not being rewarded with a treat.

Why punishment doesn't work
Punishment should never be used in training. If you punish your dog, it will only teach him to be scared of you and may eventually teach him to be aggressive. He will mistrust you and your relationship may break down.
If your dog is being what you consider to be disobedient or naughty the best thing to do is to have a 'time out'. You must completely ignore him (and that includes looking at him) or shut him out of the room for 5-10 minutes. This works because dogs crave attention and being part of the pack and so removing this is something that your dog understands far better than being shouted at or hit.

The basic commands
The five basic commands you will need to teach your dog in order to obtain a good degree of control are;
Sit, down, stay, come and heel (for walking nicely on the lead)
This is our guide to training in a kind and effective way.

Sit
• Have your dog standing in front of you. Show him that you have a food treat in your hand.
• Slowly move your hand and treat above and over his head towards his tail, as you give the command "sit". His head should go up as he tries to reach the treat...................
• ................and his bottom should go down into the 'sit' position. Give him the treat and praise him.
Do not push his bottom down to make him sit, as he is likely to push up against your hand as a result and may hurt his back.
When training your dog to sit, use the command "sit". Do not use "sit down" as this may confuse your dog when you try to teach the 'down' command.

Down
• Ask your dog to sit and show him the treat in your hand.
• Slowly move your hand down towards the ground in front of him (just in front of his feet), as you use the command "down".
• He should follow your hand with his nose and lay down. Give him the treat and praise.
If you have trouble getting him to lie down in this way, put an object such as a coffee table or a chair between you and your dog and try again. He will have to lie down to get under the barrier to get the treat. Remove the barrier when he gets the hang of it.
Do not push or force his back down as he will push against you and may hurt his back.

Come
• Practice this command in your home first. You'll need to divide your dog's dinner into smaller portions and use these for training. Ask someone in your house to hold your dog by the collar or lead while you show him a portion of his food in his bowl and walk away from him for a few steps. As he is released, call his name and command him to "come".
• He should come to you for his food. Praise him and put his food down as he reaches you so that he can eat it.
• After a couple of days if your dog is coming to you on command, start to make him sit before you give him his food portion. This will give you extra control for when you are outside. Do not actually command him to sit, but instead lift his bowl above and over his head (as before when teaching him to sit), so that he will learn to automatically sit whenever he comes to you.
• Repeat this, gradually getting further away and then out of sight of your dog, in different rooms of your house and then in your garden, until he is coming to you reliably every time he is called.
Now you can try the recall in a safe enclosed outdoor space.
• Keep your dog on a long or retractable lead, and let him move away from you to investigate the surrounding area. Call him as before.
• When he comes, praise and treat him and then release him (though still on the lead). This will teach him that coming to you will not always mean that it is the end of his walk, but will in fact mean something nice.
• If he does not come to you straight away, do not pull him to you but wait until he eventually decides to come to you. When he does come, praise him, no matter how long it takes. Punishing him, no matter how cross you are, will only make him scared of you and less likely to come.
When he comes on the lead every time - try without the lead. Always praise and/or treat, no matter how long it takes. He will soon learn that it is good to come to you when he is called.

Stay
• With his lead on for extra control, make him sit or lay down.
• Step away from him as you command him to "stay". Silently count to five...
• .....step back to him, treat and praise.
• If he gets up, ask him to sit again and repeat the procedure.
After a few successful sessions, drop the lead before stepping away. If he is doing this short 'stay' correctly, gradually increase the distance between you and your dog and/or the time that he is asked to stay. If he gets up when he is not supposed to, go back a stage to a shorter distance or time and then increase again slowly until he is doing as he is told every time.
When you are confident that your dog will reliably stay during training, you can progress to unclipping his lead before stepping away.

'Heel' and walking on a lead without pulling
Practice in your home and garden first as there are fewer distractions for your dog than in the street.
• Put your dog on his lead. When he moves to your side say "heel" and then praise and/or treat him, so that he learns to associate the 'heel' command with his position next to you. Once he understands what this means you can try outside.
• Once in the street, command your dog to "heel". If he pulls, stand still immediately so that he has to stop, but do not say anything to him.
• Patiently wait until he comes back to your side, say "heel", praise and then walk on.
• If he continues to walk at your side, reinforce this by using the command "heel" again and then praise and/or treat.
Every time that he pulls you must stop. Your dog will soon learn that it is pointless to pull, as it will not get him anywhere and so should soon start to walk at your heel.
It is a natural, enjoyable behaviour for a dog to want to find out what is happening in his local area by sniffing the ground, lampposts and fences for scents left by other dogs. On walks you should allow him to have a sniff around, but only when you say so and not when he feels like it. When you are ready to let him do this, use a command such as "off you go", so that he can learn when he is allowed to do this. You could use this loose lead 'freedom' as a reward for when he has been performing well on the lead.

'Important Training tips' - doggy 'do's and doggy 'don't's
Do
• Practice in your home and garden first, before trying commands in public areas
• Start training with your new dog or puppy as soon as possible
• Keep sessions short (15 mins. max.) and fun
• Train him when he is hungry - before his dinner time he will try harder for his treats
• Reward or treat him on a random basis, once the new command has been learnt
• Try to use hand signals with verbal commands, as some dogs may find it easier to recognise these
• Keep commands clear and consistent
• Take your time and be patient
• Stick to one command per training session at first to avoid confusing your dog
• Consider going to a good local training class
• Try to finish on a high note - your dog is more likely to want to train again next time!

Don't
• Let your dog get bored - stop immediately if you see this happening
• Tell him off if he gets it wrong
• Shout or physically punish him - it will make him scared of you and may cause him to become aggressive

• Train him if he is tired

• Chase him when you want him to come - he'll think it is a great game and will run away even more
• Try to train him in an area with lots of distractions, such as other dogs, people, noises, smells.
• Expect too much too soon
• Expect him to understand a command until you have taught him what it means

End of the thread. Please do comment and like. Thank you!

I have two dogs. Is there any training method improve dog behavior?Is there any technically method to complete it.

Maybe you have recently purchased a new Labrador dog for your family. Possibly, you have had a Labrador for a few years already. Either way, the enjoyment you get from owning a Labrador will be greatly increased if you take the time to train him or her. You should be happy to know that Labrador's of virtually all dogs, hold the smarts and drive required for a dog to be rather easily trained.

....to be continued

Actually, Dog obedience training isn't just for your dog...it's for you too! You have to learn how to communicate with your pooch just as much as he does with you. That becomes important down the road as you and your buddy enter into new situations and new experiences together. A new situation can confuse your dog; he might not know how to react. But if you've both trained well together, he'll look to you for leadership. And you'll know just how to give it.

The internet is full of dog "trainers" posting several times a day promoting their dog "training" business.

These companies are full of people using E-collars and domination and the BS pack theory and all kinds of other nonsense that should be left in the past. To ignore what we know now and to still utilize these old and disproven concepts, many inhumane, is in all honesty stupid.

Of course, anyone can just walk in off the street and call them self a dog trainer so I guess that's what I'm seeing. No real training, no education in the field, these people aren't qualified to be calling themselves trainers of any sort. A lot brag that they volunteered at animal shelters for years and while that is commendable, these places are so understaffed that they'll take any help that they can get. If some one wants to bark at the dogs and think that they're part of a dog pack, then they're not going to be turned away. It's not an accomplishment. Nor does it qualify anyone to be a dog trainer. You clean kennels and exercise dogs, how does this make you an expert of any sort in anything besides cleaning kennels and exercising dogs?

It is important to start training your new puppy as soon as you bring them home. Training can be done yourself or a professional can be hired.

There are two types of training: behavioral, and obedience.
Behavioral training prevents and or corrects bad habits that your puppy or dog may develop or already has developed. Jumping, car chasing, begging, climbing on furniture, and chewing are just a few. It is very important to be consistent during the training process. For example, do not let your puppy on the couch unless you are planning to allow them when they are full grown. This will confuse them, causing problems. Taking the time to learn dog psychology and satisfying the dog's natural instincts along with proper exercise will help you communicate to your dog and can mean the difference between success and failure.
Obedience training is training the dog to obey certain commands such as sit, stay, come and teaching them to heel. Training sessions should be frequent but short to prevent your dog from becoming bored: ten to fifteen minute sessions, two or three times a day will be sufficient.
Note:Training your dog right before meals will help them associate their meal with a reward for the training and also make them more interested in the food treat you use in your training session.

Before giving a word command to your dog, speak its name to get its attention; then speak a one-word command such as "stay," "sit," "come" or "heel." Do not get impatient. You will probably have to repeat the command many times. Never use negative reinforcement. Do not call your dog to come to you for punishment because this will teach your dog not to come on command. Be sure to keep any frustration out of the tone of your voice. If you feel yourself becoming frustrated, take a break. Your dog can sense this and will start to associate training with your unhappiness. You can not hide your frustration from a dog. You cannot pretend. Dogs can feel human emotion, so stay relaxed, firm, and confident.
Some of the specific commands are "sit," "stay," "come," "down" and "heel." When speaking the commands, say them loudly and clearly, repeating them often. The dog may have to hear the commands over and over, but will soon begin to associate the word with its meaning. Always remember to praise your dog when they respond correctly. This will encourage your dog to perform correctly the next time. You may either use food, or affection such as a belly rub, a pet or verbal praise as the reward or both.
A lot of puppy and dog training classes teach the heel command only in the advanced classes. The heel command should actually be one of the first things you teach your puppy or dog. They need to learn how to follow. Once you establish this all other aspects of training will be easier and their behavior in general will be better as the dog will learn to respect you as the leader.

How can I handle my dog in a manner things my dog is very aggresive , so give me advice to put my dog in a good manner way.

Dealing with an aggressive dog

By nature, all puppies are friendly but as they grow,
some of them develop personality traits that are difficult
to control. Being an owner, it is your first duty to
understand your pet’s instinct and ensure that he does
not wrest control from you.
If you choose the right breed or pup, that can negate the
possibility of raising an aggressive dog, since you will
be forewarned of the breed’s temperament. This is why
it is imperative that you spend enough time with the
parents of the pup you’re interested in buying. You
should also try to check out the offspring of previous
litters. When picking out a puppy, make sure it is
outgoing and friendly.
It is best to begin training your pup early. It is better to
teach him with rewards such as food, toys and most
importantly, praise rather than physical punishment. In
terms of early training, begin by lifting the puppy to
groom or bathe him. Make him lie still while you trim
his nails and clean his ears. If you do this often, he will
get used to being handled and held around the head and
muzzle area, in the down position and on his belly or
side.

couldnt agree with you more - Heard abt dog whisperer - Ceasar Millan!! I swear by him

loved reading the posts here.

i started training my GR pup as soon as i got him home and now at 5 months he knows all the basic commands and a few more in 3 different languages (english, japanese and hindi). he is really good at learning and always ready to please. i use treats for some commands and petting for some. he has a few behavior issues esp chewing and jumping on people when excited, i am currently working on correcting those in a positive way, its gonna take some time. lots of patience is the key to positively train a pup/dog. i am against using "punishment" of any sort to correct a mistake. the chewing is gonna continue cuz he is teething =/ only thing i can do for him is provide him toys and treats to chew on so he doesnt chew the furniture or anything else. so far its working well

Great thread gautam, good research!

Best Regards
Jishnu

Really a helpful thread. I was searching for sugestions to know how to start my training to my dog. Thanks a lot Gautam, I'll follow this to train my dog.

I m planning to adopt a older dog. Is there any specific methods to follow when training a older dog or is it the same as training a puppy. Also some say that older dogs cannot be trained.. is that true?

you can start training anytime you want. its the same as training a puppy. its not true that older dogs cannot be trained.

i think the training takes more time for some breeds and less for some breeds. its based on the dog's intelligence level. i had a german spitz which was a little hard to train, took me more time and now a have golden retriever which trains happily and picks up quickly.

hope this helps

The idea which are given above is really nice one from which I have learned some interesting and helpful tips which can be used to provide basic training to my Dog.

I actually started to train my dog to sit first but all he does is he's smelling for the treats first if he gets the smell then he sits else he's not listening to the SIT command. Is this the normal way the dogs behave or what should i do to make him listen to me?

Ok. Gaurav, thanks for the reply.

just have a look,thanks for your sharing!