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Pet Training
There are so many different ways to train dogs that it gets
extremely confusing for the new dog owner and the dog. What do you
do? What is best for your dog?
Proper training performed with or without the proper
training tools to produce the desired behavior. Improper training is
training performed with or without the proper or improper training
tools, that worsens the dogs’ behavior problem.
Halters: The Question Of Pleasant Or
Effectiveness
I would be lying if I said halters are totally comfortable or
any method of training but something needs to be used to correct bad
behaviors like biting. Sure there are more comfortable training
tools out there, but what will work best for the problem, is the
question that is most important for achieving the proper correction
sufficiently. Another words sure you can choose a more comfortable
tool but what is most important is the effectiveness the tool has
for that particular problem. And from my own experience most more
comfortable tools and correction methods don't work much or if they
do, it only lasts for a short time depending on the dog. Then the
owner has to find another method anyway. The Halti is a very
effective tool because it is not too comfortable or too
uncomfortable. It applies the proper amount of correction to get the
best and sufficient correction to stop the bad behavior. Halters
whether uncomfortable or not, don't cause pain, so if the end result
is a non-biting dog then that's wonderful to the owner.
Any training to a dog is not going to be totally pleasant either
physically or mentally or both but this is necessary to correct a
dog. That is what correcting a dog is all about, especially if it is
stopping a biting dog. When I state physical corrections, I am not
talking about abusive actions. Abusive actions are very improper
training and should never be used.
The Jolly Routine and Pavlov Method
The Jolly Routine is not like the Pavlov method because you are
doing training at the same time and you are diverting the dog's
attention from its current behavior to another more pleasant
behavior. Pavlov tricks the mind and we are not tricking the mind
into thinking something untrue to the dog naturally. The Jolly
Routine takes what is in the dog naturally and uses an item(s) or a
different situation that trigger happiness to train the dog to see
the situation to be pleasant.
Food Rewards
I'm a trainer who uses food treats or rewards as a last resort
because it takes away from the main focus which is you. I feel that
food rewards take away from the bond of you and your dog because the
dog is only responding to the food and not you. Sure they will obey
with food. They'll do anything to get the treat because the food
reward is the focus and not the person holding the treat. I believe
in focus training through your pure love and affection or rather the
bond between you and your dog. This is more powerful than a treat.
You want the dog to respond to you and not the treat. To do this,
forget the food rewards and start rewarding your dog with your love
through lots of petting praise and lots of vocal praise. This is
just my personal opinion. If you still want to use it, then go on
ahead. You just won't find me using it during a dog obedience
training lesson unless all other dog training methods have been
tried. However, the use of treats in dog shows and for the pure
purpose of coaxing and calming the fearful or nervous dog when not
in a training session, is a good a way to use food treats. I truly
agree with using treats this way. Some dogs, especially the fearful
or nervous dogs, won't have any interest in eating the treat but the
sight of it may raise their spirits. The some nervous or shy dogs
may not be at all interested in the treats.
How To Train Your Pet
I recently read a book on how to train your pet that completely changed the way I now work with my
dogs. After using some of the techniques Adam wrote about, my little
German Shepherd stopped bolting out of the door every time we opened
it, and now waits patiently for us to go through and then call her.
I would highly recommend it to anyone that has problems with their
puppy or dog, it's definitely the best book on dog training I've
ever read!
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