Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Whether you have just gotten a new puppy or have an older dog that you would like to train, positive reinforcement dog training is the most effective way to teach your dog to obey your commands without having to resort to punishment. Dogs are sensitive to the wishes of their owner, and are usually willing to obey their commands after they understand what they mean.

Positive reinforcement dog training is a great way to teach your dog commands, and the method works on a very simple principle. The first step to training your dog is to identify a reward. Dogs are typically very motivated by food, especially if there is a certain food that they really love but only get occasionally.

After you have found a reward which you can reserve especially for training your dog, you can begin using positive reinforcement to successfully train him. The first few times you try to teach your dog using positive reinforcement you may or may not be successful, but remember to be patient, especially with older dogs.

After a few tries, your dog should be able to associate your command with the action you want him to perform. After this happens, you can slowly begin to wean your dog from relying on a treat to perform this particular behavior. Other commands that haven't been taught yet will still use the reward system however, always remember that just because your dog understands one command word like "sit" doesn't mean he will understand other commands.

Once you know that your dog understands a particular command you can begin to use the reward system less. Over a short period of time, you should be able to only give the reward occasionally. Giving the reward every once in a while will let your pet know that his behavior is good, and since he knows his good behavior will eventually be rewarded, he is more likely to repeat it.

If you don't take the reward away quickly enough, you may find that your dog will only obey your command when the reward is present. Even though you should use a reward in the initial stages of training, don't be afraid to wean your dog from the reward. He will still occasionally receive the treat, but won't be dependent on it for good behavior.

Perhaps the most important advice for those who are just beginning to train their dog is to just be patient. Your dog wants to please you, and needs to learn which behaviors you like, and which are unacceptable.

Don't expect your dog to know what you want him to do the fist time you use positive reinforcement and try to wait until your dog is calm and relaxed before you begin your first training sessions.

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