Page 326 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia

CARE AND TRAINING | BASIC TRAINING

Basic training

Training should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. The following
pages introduce some basic commands and will help to get you started, but if you are
unsure, always seek the help of a professional dog trainer sooner rather than later.

WHEN TO TRAIN making the wrong decision. Start training soon disappear and be replaced by
There are many things to consider while him in a quiet, distraction-free environment behavior that is rewarded. For your dog
training, but the most important is to such as your living room, especially when to understand how you want him to behave,
choose the right time. Aim to train for attempting to teach new or difficult give him the reward as soon as he has
a few minutes several times a day, since this commands. When you do move training behaved in the way you would like. Rewards
will produce much better results than a outside, start somewhere quiet and enclosed, can include food treats, games with toys,
longer training session once a day. Choose far from other dogs and people. You can simple praise and affection, or even playing
times when you are not stressed or in a rush, then build up to training in high-distraction with other dogs. Remember that not all
otherwise your dog will sense your tension environments such as a local park, but do not dogs find the same rewards appealing.
and be far more likely to get things wrong attempt this until your puppy has had plenty Spend some time discovering what really
in his attempts to please you. of practice already and has been inoculated. motivates your dog and use that as a reward.
Equally important is to consider your One of the easiest reward-based ways
puppy’s mood. Trying to train an overexcited REWARD-BASED TRAINING of training is to use a food treat to lure your
puppy that hasn’t had much exercise will be Training your dog involves creating a dog into the position you want him to be
difficult. And a puppy that has just eaten a situation where he is rewarded for certain in. Food treats should be small, soft, and
large meal will feel sleepy and will not be behaviors instead of others. Any behavior smelly. They work best when they can be
particularly motivated by food treats. that is consistently rewarded will be given quickly during training sessions and
Maximize your training success by limiting repeated more often. This also means that do not take your dog several minutes to
his choices and thus preventing him from bad behavior, which is not rewarded, will eat. More complicated behaviors can be

SIT Dogs naturally sit of their own accord and it can be easy simply to reward them as and
when it happens. However, taking the time to teach your dog to sit on command ensures that he
sits quickly and reliably in the face of any distraction. It is one of the easiest commands to teach
and one that any dog will readily learn.

Introduce hand signal
3 Once your dog learns to
sit, teach him to respond
to a clear hand signal—an
upward motion with a flat
hand and palm facing up.
After several repetitions, say
“sit” a moment before the
hand signal.

Dog in a stand Hold a treat in front of your Feed treat and praise When your dog folds
1 dog’s nose when he is standing in front of 2 into the sit, release the treat and praise gently.
you. Lure him by moving the treat back over Continue to praise and feed him treats if he remains
his head so that he raises his nose. sitting for longer.

324