Don't Shoot the Dog A must-have book for any pet owner. The author explains how to teach new behaviors using positive reinforcement in pets, kids... even yourself! Click the buy button to go to the Only Natural Petstore and find out more.

Sara Edans Guide To Clicker Train Your Dog

Show your dog your care with Clicker Training
Did you know that you can teach your dog to do amazing tricks, run and jump, do short turns and obey your commands without having to hit or yell at the dog repeatedly? There are strategies that you can use that are the same methods used by Hollywood based dog trainers to make dogs and other domestic type animals perform amazing tricks and obey commands on demand. And the beautiful part about it is it doesn’t have to be unpleasant for your dog. Click training is a system that is built entirely on positive reinforcement and is built complete around you and your dog having a good time. If the system is implemented well it will show your dog how much you love him and care about him.

For example, let’s take the situation where you are walking your dog along the footpath. Instead of yanking on a leash to make your dog stop, or pulling on his leash or shoving him into a spot to make him sit, or instead of giving your dog some occasional praise and hoping that your dog is just going to get to eventually understand what you’re talking about, with the Clicker Training method, dogs are taught to obey commands using scientific principles that have worked consistently over time – a clicker. A clicker is a small device that can be purchased at any reputable pet store and when pressed it emits a short clicking sound which is used to deliver commands to the animal being trained.

Get motivated and get started
It is important when you are considering training your dog or indeed any other domestic animal that you remain motivated, as it can take some time for the commands to be fully integrated. To remain inspire, study some of the dogs on television. For example, the dog Eddie on the popular television sitcom, Frasier is very well behaved and follows all of the commands of his master. But this is not by accident. Eddie is in fact well trained using the Clicker method of dog training. The fact the Eddie enjoys what he is doing is the key here. After all, the animal’s enjoyment is what’s really appealing about using positive training with a Clicker and some carefully chosen bridge words.

To get started you should start with a simple training exercise so that you and your dog become familiar with the clicker or bridge word process. The first exercise you should embark on is known as ‘targeting’. Targeting teaches your dog how to touch something with his nose on cue, or on command. It is best to start with this very basic exercise because it is the best way to teach both you and your dog exactly how clicker training works. It also helps your dog to use its natural instinct to seek out something that smells good.

To begin, stand in front of your dog and have some treats ready to go. Rub some of the treats on the palm of your left hand so that your hand smells good to your dog, anyway. Don’t let your dog see the treats and after you have rubbed them, leave them hidden in your left hand. This is step one. Step two is to take your left hand and bring it towards your dog’s nose, almost right up to his nose, hand out. Now, he is probably going to stick his nose or his mouth in your hand which is what you want him to do, because you want your dog to touch your hand with his nose. At the exact moment that he touches your hand with his nose, click your clicker and give him a treat. That’s all there is to it. Simple! by: Sara Edan

About The Author
Sara Edan is a professional Dog Trainer in New York and provides free information on training your dog.

Dog Training Techniques Revealed

Though there are several dog training techniques, all of them can be categorized by the way they address behavioral issues. Thus, there are two main categories: techniques based on learning theories and techniques based on canine ethology.

The former category focuses on behavior modification, usually disregarding typical and natural behavior of dogs. The latter one focuses on natural dog behavior and often ignores current learning theories.

Dog training techniques based on learning theories

This category comprises techniques that use positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment as main ways to educate dogs. Since those techniques are very different among each other, they are better organized under three subcategories: traditional dog training, positive training and mixed techniques.

1. Traditional dog training

Traditional dog training was developed to train war dogs and it was successfully used during World War I and World War II. After World War II, this technique gained enormous popularity because of a lot of stories about heroic dogs.

Negative reinforcement and punishment are the main teaching ways of traditional training. Thus, this technique works by physically forcing the dogs to perform a desired behavior, until dogs learn that behavior.

Choke chains, prong collars and shock (electric) collars are common tools in traditional training and all its variants. Also, this kind of training is usually targeted to dog obedience exercises, disregarding behavioral problems.

The main advantage of traditional dog training is the high reliability of the trained behaviors. On the other hand, main disadvantages are potentially dangerous collateral effects, such as fear biting and damages to the dog's trachea.

2. Positive dog training

Positive training was developed under the principles of Skinner's operant conditioning. While it's not a new technique, it didn't get enough attention until the nineties, when Karen Pryor's book "Don't shoot the dog" became a bestseller.

Choke chains, prong collars and shock (electric) collars are not needed in positive training. In addition, training sessions tend to be very fun for dogs as well as for trainers.

Positive reinforcement is the main teaching way of these techniques. Thus, this kind of training is also known as reward-based training, though rewards are not the same as positive reinforcement.

Clicker training could be the most popular of positive training techniques at these days.

Main advantages of positive dog training are: highly reliable trained behaviors; no need to physically force your dog; positive training is fast, fun and simple. Ironically, the main disadvantage of positive training arises from its simplicity. Many novice trainers get so amazed with how easy and fast is to teach a new behavior that they forget to work on reliability and fluency of those behaviors. Thus, their "finished product" is a half-trained dog.

3. Mixed training techniques

Mixed techniques use both positive and negative reinforcement. Therefore, these techniques are friendlier than traditional training, but not as much as positive training.

Mixed dog training techniques are widely used in tough sports such as Schutzhund, Belgian Ring, Mondioring, etc.

Although trainers who use mixed approaches also use positive reinforcement, they usually avoid using food as a reinforcer. When they have to use a positive reinforcer, they tend to prefer games over food.

Dog training techniques based on canine ethology

Techniques based on canine ethology take into account those behaviors that are natural in dogs, but usually ignore the principles of learning theories. These techniques are also known as "dog whispering".

The fundamental premise of these techniques is that the owner should become the leader of the pack. Thus, the owner will achieve the higher hierarchy in the pack: the alpha dog status.

While these techniques are very popular, their actual efficacy is questionable. Besides, there's no clear standard for these techniques, so the procedures used by one trainer could be very different from those used by another trainer.

Many trainers don't accept that these are actual training techniques. In addition, several of its practitioners don't consider themselves as dog trainers. Instead, they claim they are people who can communicate with dogs by a deep understanding of dog behavior and proper body language.

by: Rodrigo Trigosso

About The Author
Rodrigo Trigosso is a biologist and professional dog trainer.