Dog Training Overview
Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behaviors in specific circumstances. Some examples are:
Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training)
Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts
Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind
Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster
Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times
The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.
In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.
Basic Training
Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makes them pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; it must be trained.
The hardest part of this process is communicating with your dog in a humane way that he understands. Dogs generally want to make their owners happy, but they do not natively know what their owners want. Communication is possible by praising positive behavior while ignoring or correcting negative behavior.
“Correction” should never include harmful physical force or violence (i.e., no rolled up newspaper) because even if it makes the dog stop the behavior in the short term, it will make your dog fear you rather than want to make you happy by doing what you ask (yes, he wants to make you happy, he just doesn’t know how sometimes… training is the process of letting him know what you want and repeating that communication, behavior, then praising his good work). Correction technique varies by individual and among trainers. A simple technique is to attach a collar and “lead” (fancy term for a leash, usually short, 4′ is good); JUST AS the negative behavior happens use a command to correct it (i.e., Sparky is jumping up on a guest, say “off” if he’s already jumped up, or if you see he’s thinking about it say, “down”). If the command is ignored then “correct” Sparky by “snapping” (not pulling/tugging/yanking) the lead to make his collar rattle. Snap from the side, never from above; snapping from above can injure your dog and will make him resist rather than just show him that you disapprove of the behavior.
Basic Training Classes
Professional “dog trainers” usually do not train the dogs, but actually train the owners on how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to send a dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learn what the dog has learned and how to use and reinforce the techniques. Some call this a shortcut, but plenty of work is still required and training must continue over the course of the dog’s life. Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more about each other and how to work together under a trainer’s guidance. Training is most effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training to ensure consistent commands, methods, and enforcement. Classes also help socialize your dog to other people and dogs. Ask your vet or the owner of a well behaved dog for recommendations in your area.
Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy has completed all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainers offer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediately after being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk is minimal and puppies have received initial vaccinations. In most cases, basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 months old.
Training Tricks
Many dog owners teach their dogs tricks. This serves several purposes: Develops a stronger relationship between the dog and human; provides entertainment; and engages the dog’s mind, which can help to alleviate problems caused by boredom. For example, the shake hands trick involves the dog raising its paw and placing it into an outstretched hand. An example of a useful trick is teaching a dog to ring a bell to go outside. This helps prevent the stress placed on an owner when trying to recognize whether the dog needs to relieve itself.
Teething
At anywhere from three to six months of age, a puppy begins to get its adult set of teeth. This period can be quite painful and many owners do not recognize the natural need to chew. By providing specific chew toys designed to ease the pain of teething (such as a frozen nylon bone), attention can be diverted from table legs and other furniture. Many people also use a bad-tasting, bad-smelling spray on favorite items, such as shoes, furniture, or even wallpaper, to discourage chewing. Bitter apple is a commonly used spray, but there are several commercial sprays available. Different sprays work better for different applications, owners, or puppies.
Specialized Training
Dogs are also trained for specific purposes, including:
Detection dogs
Assistance dogs
Herding dogs, livestock guardian dogs, and sheep dogs
Hunting dogs
Police dogs
Rescue dogs
Schutzhund German training method/sport
Guard Animals
Regarding dogs, due to their natural social structure which is territorial protective of companions, even companion animals will exhibit some form of alert behaviors toward intruders. However true guard dogs and police dogs are dedicated animals in the sense that they are not simultaneously intended to be companion animals.
Guard dogs are defined as canines who either by training, or by instinct, protect either property, persons or objects. A well-trained guard dog protects person, property or objects on command and “turns-off” on command as well. Properly trained animals, will guard on command and then when commanded to “out” will approach and accept in a friendly manner those that may have attempted to gain entry, cause harm or steal protected items.
There are several methods regarding the training of guard animals, western (e.g. Koehler Method) and eastern, and certain breeds are typically used in this capacity. The Schutzhund method also contains a portion relating to protection, and generally means the animal will bite on command, and will not release until commanded.
In some circumstances, when dogs are left alone to guard property it may be necessary to train them to not eat treats or other food items offered by unknown persons. Positive punishment can include electric shocks related to attempting to eat food other than in the designated food receptacle, or from a designated individual or individuals.
Service Animals
Assistance dogs, such as guide and hearing dogs, are carefully trained to utilize both their sensory skills and the protective instincts of dogs (as pack animals) to bond with a human and help that person to offset a disability in daily life. The use of assistance dogs is an every-growing field, with wide range of special adaptations.
Source: Wikipedia under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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