Positive Reinforcement Training Tips

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a dog (or currently do) that exhibits behavior you wish could be corrected… Things like chewing inappropriate objects, barking at the doorbell, begging at the table, or even going potty in the house are all easily fixable with the proper training. Below are a few of our positive reinforcement training tips.

Often, it’s easy to get frustrated and resort to dominance and punishment training. Dominance and punishment training techniques are outdated and can create barriers in the dog-human relationship. These methods lead to more behavior problems down the road.

Think about it, dogs are born with their own ways of communicating. Things like using their teeth and voices are the most common. Its important that we teach them in a fun and positive way.

The 5 Positive Reinforcement Steps

There are five basic steps to these positive reinforcement training tips. These, over time will help curb your pups unwanted habits.

• For each new behavior you wish to teach your dog you should use short one-word commands. Action words like come, sit, stay, off, and heel are all great examples of what you should use.
• Once your furry friend has completed the desired behavior you should reward them. Do this immediately with a pea sized treat and verbal praise.
• Keep training sessions short and fun, its important that your dog associates learning with positive emotions.
• Once you’ve noticed improvement in your dog’s behavior you should gradually lean them off treats. Continue to engage them with positive verbal praise.

Praising Your Dog

How you praise your dog is very important, you don’t need to go over the top every time you verbally reward your dog. A simple “good work” or “good choice” followed by a pat on the head accompanied by a smile is enough to enforce the behavior. However, if your dog does something exceptional such as coming back to you instead of chasing a squirrel it’s okay to amp up the praise to let him know just how good of a decision they’ve made.

Teaching and learning with these positive reinforcement training tips will strengthen and create a more enjoyable bond between you and your dog.