Dog Blog

It is possible to get your dog to have good behavior by using kindness, compassion and respect, according to dog trainer Paul Owens. Owens is a dog trainer and best-selling author who teaches step-by-step methods to train a dog or puppy through positive reinforcement. He never uses choke, prong or shock collars.

I watched the DVD, The Dog Whisperer: Beginning and Intermediate Dog Training, which is presented by Owens. I did not disagree with anything in the video and want to share a few ideas I learned. Thank you Tawna for sending me this DVD for my birthday last month.

What do you want your dog to do?

When there is a behavior you want your dog to change, Owens said many dog owners get caught up in what they don’t want their dogs to do. Instead, he said dog owners should ask themselves what they want their dogs to do. For example, I want Ace to sit when someone comes to the door. I want him to go to his bed while I’m eating. I want him to chew on his bones. I want him to run at my side as I ride a bike. Once I pinpoint what I want my dog to do, it is easier to begin training him to do the wanted behavior.

Dogs are contextual.

Dogs see things in context, according to Owens. For example, if I teach a dog to sit in my living room, that doesn’t mean he will understand the command “sit” when he’s in the grass, on the pavement or on the kitchen floor. He has to learn the command under all these circumstances. Once the dog learns the behavior in several locations, then he will start to automatically respond to the command in all situations. It just takes time. This is one reason why so many dogs behave perfectly in obedience class or at home, but then seem to forget everything as soon as they are in a different environment. It’s not that the dog is stubborn, she is just contextual.

Reward a dog the second she does something right.

It is important to encourage good behavior while the dog is actually doing it, Owens said. Vocal praise or treats work, and he also recommended using a clicker.

Owens also suggested owners should reward their dogs throughout the day for the good things they do without being asked. If Ace goes to his bed without me asking, I should reward him. If he is rewarded throughout the day for doing little things unasked for, he will learn to do them more often on his own.

Life rewards can work in place of a food treat, Owens said. Anything your dog wants can be a reward. He suggests always making your dog do something before she gets what she wants. Make her sit or stay before she gets a ball, rides in the car or comes in the house. I always make Ace sit before he gets fed or before he goes for a walk.

Teach your dog to be calm by using the magnet game.

The point of Owens’ magnet game is to encourage a dog to sit in order to get a treat. The magnet game works by tethering a dog and then backing away from it. As soon as the dog begins to sit, walk towards her again and give her a treat if she remains sitting. If she pops up again, then start to back away. The idea is to reward calm behavior. The dog will learn that if she sits and waits quietly, she will get the treat and your attention. If she stands, barks or wiggles around, then she gets no treat and no attention. I am going to try this outside with Ace, because he has a barking issue when he is tethered outside.

Remember to look at training from your dog’s point of view.

Owens reminds dog owners to consider the dog’s environment. Maybe if your dog won’t sit, it’s because she is standing on hot pavement. Or maybe there are too many distractions for her. It’s also possible she could be sore from a long run. It’s easy for owners to forget these factors because dogs aren’t able to tell us.

For those who are interested in learning basic training ideas, Owens goes over all the commands every dog should know, such as heel, sit, stay, leave it, come and down. The DVD shows how to teach your dog to do these things step by step. This would be perfect for a first-time dog owner, or for someone who is new to dog training.

For those of you who have read my blog before, you know I use a pinch collar for my dog almost every day, and he also wears a shock collar for an invisible fence. These are tools Owens never uses on his dogs, and he claims he is successful without them. Although I would like to get to the point where my dog doesn’t need a pinch collar, I see nothing wrong with using them for training purposes.

The DVD was short and to the point. Owens got his messages across very clear. He is able to reach out to first-time dog owners and also able to teach longtime dog owners some new ideas.

What are some ways you use positive reinforcement with your dog?

Related posts:

1. How to introduce dogs

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Behavior, Paul Owens, Training, choke collar, obedience, pinch collar, positive reinforcement, training collar, treats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.