Dog Training for Fun and Profit
Training sessions are a great way to play with your dog. And, just like playing numbers and letters games with toddlers, itâs a great way to teach your dog whatever behaviors you want. The payoff is terrific, too. Your dog will know whatâs expected of her and become the companion you always wanted.
Dogs have enormous vocabularies for animals who donât talk. They can understand hundreds of words. Add that to gestures and different tones of voice â your dogâs potential repertoire is limited only by your imagination.
Itâs true that some dogs learn âtricksâ faster than others. It depends not only on the âsmartsâ of the individual dog, but also on what the dog was originally bred to do. Border Collies are often called the âmost intelligentâ of dogs because they were âdesignedâ to work with people, taking their cues from their humans. Other kinds of dogs, such as terriers, were bred to work independently. Once you develop a training relationship â every dog can learn new behaviors. And youâll be able to astound your friends with your dogâs brilliance!
Training should be a game you play with your dog every chance you get. And training sessions shouldnât be formal or lengthy. If you find yourself with five minutes to spare, grab a handful of dog treats and teach a new trick.
We have to âbreak downâ each behavior into small bits to teach your dog. If you want to teach your dog to âplay deadâ when you point your finger like a gun and say âBang!,â first he has to learn âdown.â Then he has to learn âroll over.â Donât try to link the parts of the trick together before he knows each part well. And you can add on as you go â you could teach him to roll onto his back and stiffen his paws â sure to get a laugh every time.
The same goes for any other âtrickâ you want to teach. If you want your dog to give you (or anyone else) a âhigh fiveâ (or four, in most dogâs cases), first he has to touch your hand with a paw. Then you can move your hand up, gradually. One day heâll be leaping into the air to deliver that âhigh five!â
Your dog loves you. He loves spending time with you and he adores being the focus of your attention. A couple of five-minute training sessions every day will make a huge difference in his behavior and in your relationship. Keep training sessions short. Keep them happy. End on a positive note. And be patient. She can learn if youâre willing to teach.
Hope Saidel
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