Paws and Prayers Rescue Blog

January is National Train Your Dog Month and to celebrate, Paws and Prayers is giving its blog readers a treat. Have you recently adopted a dog? Would you like to learn more about what makes your 4-legged kid tick? How to improve the bond between you and your furry friend? Look no further—we have compiled a list of “DOs” and “DON'Ts” to help give you the tools to make you a perfect pet parent!

DO develop and keep a consistent routine in your household. Involve everyone in your family when working on obedience training. Dogs need everyone to be on the same page (kids included, as much as they are able) when learning, as dogs need to generalize behavior across a variety of settings. For example: if you have been training your dog to stay off the furniture and someone allows the dog up on the sofa to nap, the dog will begin to assume she can always nap on the sofa. If you are attending obedience classes, make sure everyone in your family attends when they’re able—that way, everyone gets a chance to bond with the dog and learn what she’s learning. A consistent routine will also help your dog acclimate to her new home and allow her to learn when she may expect to be walked, pottied, fed, or given play time.

DO use positive reinforcements. Remember the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?” It’s true! Dogs learn best by operant and classical conditioning: perform a behavior, get a reward; lather, rinse, repeat! Positive reinforcers include yummy treats (use high value treats like pieces of chicken, liver, or hot dogs for “important” behaviors or to make sure your dog is paying attention to the best of his ability). They also include affection and excited, high-pitched praise (“GOOD BOY!”).
Once this behavior is well learned, the food reinforcements may be able to be weaned; however, verbal praise and affection is always valuable! You CANNOT reward good behavior enough!

DO practice obedience training in short bursts of time. Just like children, dogs have short attention spans and can be easily frustrated when presented with difficult or repetitive tasks over a long period of time. It is more helpful to practice basic commands, for example, several times per day in 10 minute increments.

DON’T become angry at your dog for something you didn’t see them do. Dogs are not able to deduce WHY they are getting in trouble for chewing the furniture when they were home alone; rather, they do figure out that when their human comes home, they are yelled at. The dog therefore learns to fear their human, which can lead to other undesirable behaviors. Dogs do not possess the same human powers of reasoning, morality, or the ability to do things “out of spite.”

DON’T use physical punishment to modify your dog’s behavior. This includes “dominance theory.” Such approaches have been proven by research to be ineffective and is very likely to escalate unwanted behaviors. Remember, we want the dog to associate WONDERFUL things with behaving properly! The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) strongly recommends against any trainer who:

• Advocates the owner to assert himself as “alpha” or to make the dog “submit”
• Focuses training on the use of choke, prong, or shock collars
• Recommends “alpha rolls,” “scruffing,” “helicoptering,” “choking,” or any other painful or physical methods of “training” or modifying behavior
• Instructs owners to yell at their dog, knee him in the chest/abdomen, yanking the collar constantly, or hitting the dog

DON’T give your dog more responsibility than she’s ready to handle. Set her up for success! Some puppies and dogs do best in smaller spaces, especially when left alone. Especially while your dog is going through the familiarization process with her new home and learning what is expected of her, it is helpful to utilize crate training or baby gates to contain the dog to a smaller area. When you are home, it can be helpful to utilize an “umbilical cord” approach: leash the dog inside the house and keep her with you as you go about your day. She will always be within your eyesight and can be immediately stopped from undesirable behaviors and redirected to expected, “proper” behavior. This approach is also very useful for potty training. As the dog becomes more successful, you can then modify the size of the contained area and length of time you are away. You can also incorporate this with positive reinforcements by using VERY special treats such as stuffed Kongs for when you go away for the day.

Training your dog is one of the most important steps you can take to have a happy, healthy, and well-socialized dog. Obedience classes, whether private or in a group, can be a wonderful way to bond with your dog as you learn and grow together. Asking your vet for a recommendation or going to www.apdt.com can assist you in finding a qualified trainer in your area.

To help you accomplish your training goals, we’ve included some helpful resources to arm you with the knowledge you need. We hope your 2013 will be a happy one for you and your furry friend!

Donaldson, Jean (1996). The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs.

McConnell, Patricia (2007). For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend.

McConnell, Patricia and London, Karen (2011). Love Has No Age Limit: Welcoming an Adopted Dog Into Your Home.

American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB): www.dacvb.org

Rugaas, Turid (2006). On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, 2nd ed.

Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT): www.apdt.com

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Content By:  Jocelyn Alexander

Jocelyn Alexander is a rescue foster for dogs and cats, as well as a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS).  She has a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever named Dixie, who is a registered Pet Partners therapy dog and Canine Good Citizen; and Chloe, a 10-year-old tuxedo cat who rules the house with a velvet glove.

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