With Dogs, You Only Get Back What You Put In
 

 

 

Dog training is a lot like driving a car or playing the guitar - the more you practice, the better you become.

Dogs don't train themselves to become the perfect family companion.

 

As the owner, you have to take charge of the relationship and establish a clear set of 'pack' rules from day-one of ownership.

These pack rules have to be applied consistently every day - by every member of your household - otherwise your dog will create his own rules and happily ignore your authority. 

Implementing these new pack rules isn't always an easy task.

If it was simple and straight-forward, there would be tens of thousands of brilliant dog trainers and just as many well-trained dogs.

Good dog training starts with an accurate assessment of your dog's temperament (personality).

You have to understand what makes your dog tick in order to successfully communicate with your best friend.

Is he shy, over-friendly, possessive, aggressive, what makes him attentive, what makes him stop in his tracks?

 

These are all personality traits that will determine which dog training system is best suited to his temperament. 

There are many dog training systems promoted in books, the general media and on the internet these days.

Knowing which format best suits your dog can be a slow process of trial and error or a simple matter of engaging the services of a professional dog trainer to do all the hard work for you.

 

The most important thing is to select a system that suits your dog's temperament.

No matter what your dog's temperament, once you start training your dog there are 3 key features that must be present in every training session:

      1. the training sessions have to be fun for both you and your dog.

      2. the lesson needs to be short and concentrated.

      3. the lesson must be simple - if it's too complicated your dog will become confused & lose interest.
 

 

In Summary

Good dog training is all about:

• a careful assessment of your dog's temperament

• choosing an appropriate training system

• making sure the training exercises are short, simple & fun

• and being consistent in the application of your pack rules

 

Great dog behaviour doesn't happen on its own, so it's critically important to PRACTICE with your dog on a regular basis.

 

Without practice you'll never have success because with dogs, you only get back what you put in.  

 

Mark Murray