Index > Dog Training

Dog Training

Engagement

The dog should look to the owner for guidance and leadership.

• Make eye contact
• Make decisions for the dog: “We’re walking this way now”

The goal is to create a Relationship with the dog. The owner should provide calm, consistent leadership for the dog.

A dog that’s jumping up is showing engagement and excitement. While jumping isn’t desirable, the excitement is. Jumping can be fixed very easily after the owner and the dog form a strong relationship.

Exercise: Naming

• “Lure” the dog into making eye contact
• Say the dogs name
• Give a reward: lots of pets!
• repeat

Outcomes:

• The dog knows to pay attention when it hears its name

Exercise: Reversing

• Walk with the dog in one direction
• At random, or when the dog gets a bit far away:
  • say “With me!”
  • switch direction
• Reward the dog for following: lots of pets!
• repeat

Outcomes:

• The dog knows to look to the owner for guidance
• The dog knows to follow along when it hears “With me!”
• The dog walks close to / next to the owner

Behavior Enforcement

Short:

• Make the dog aware of some reward
  • pets and attention
  • food
  • a toy
• Ask the dog to perform some task
  • come
  • sit / down
• Provide the reward

Charlie gets lots of pets when sitting down, but I stop when he tries to bite my shoes haha