Of course, a dog that listens to every word, obediently obeys commands and can also do tricks is the dream of every dog owner. However, there are a few hurdles to overcome on the way there. Before you start training your dog, you should think about the requirements for successful dog training.
We will help you step-by-step to understand your dog better so that you successfully train your dog.
Before you get started, ask yourself the following questions:
- How do I get my dog’s attention?
- What does my dog like best?
- What is the best way for my dog to learn?
- How do I properly reward my dog?
Requirements for Successful Dog Training – Get Your Dog’s Attention
Without the dog’s attention, no communication can take place. Therefore, getting your dog’s attention is one of the requirements for successful dog training. With the following tips, you can already lay a good basis to get the best possible attention from your dog.
Build Bond
Like us humans, the dog is very social and likes to live in a community. It is therefore also understandable that he pays the most attention to his caregiver.
Are you wondering how to become a caregiver? Build a close bond with your dog. Easier said than done, don’t you think?
Bonding is a complex issue and depends on many other factors. But the first step is already taken when you put yourself in your dog’s shoes. Only if he feels comfortable with you and trusts you will it be easy for him to pay attention to you, be it voluntarily or by training. It is especially important to encourage the dog when it shows positive behavior during training and not to punish it when it is inattentive. Because learning under fear or pressure doesn’t work for dogs any more than it does for us humans. When your dog associates something positive with learning from you, that’s the first step to successful training. This brings us directly to the next point.
Be a Good Choice
Be a good choice for your dog. If your dog knows that learning with you is worthwhile, he will be happy to do so in the future. You motivate your dog by using the right reward. The type of reward is very individual and depends on what your dog likes best.
Do you know which reward is right for your dog? Perfect! Use this knowledge to incorporate it into the training. The best reward is even more effective with a little enthusiasm on your part. Without enthusiasm, sometimes even the best treat won’t motivate him to train with you. So, motivate him and rejoice with him. This not only strengthens the bond between you and your dog, but also creates a happy and species-appropriate dog existence.
Read Body Language
Your dog’s body language tells you a lot about whether he is comfortable at the moment and whether he even understood the exercise. Of course, not every dog ticks the same way and the body language has to be interpreted depending on the situation. In order to avoid frustration in a training session, you should take the time to get to know your dog’s signals.
In addition to body posture, position and tension, you should also pay attention to your dog’s tail, ears, eyes and mouth. Many very sensitive dogs, for example, quickly “buckle” with their body and tail posture when they are overwhelmed. If this is the case, the exercise was still too difficult and you should take a step back.
Communicate Clearly
Many people make the mistake of underestimating the power of communication when it comes to dog training and education. By this we mean everything that verbally lets the dog know what we want from him. This includes the pitch of your voice and the right choice of signal words, which you should think about before you start training. It is important that you stick to the signal words you have chosen and do not add any more words. For example, if you are a person who likes to put the dog’s name in front of every command, ask yourself whether this is really necessary.
Similar words such as “well done” or “great” should also always be used for verbal rewards, which should of course also be used in good time.
If you also tend to use negative reinforcers and too many termination signals such as “No”, ask yourself whether this is really useful for the exercise. We often ask something of our dog that he doesn’t even know or understand. That means we are also responsible for showing him how to implement it. It’s not the dog’s fault if he hasn’t figured it out yet.
Requirements for Successful Dog Training – Know What Your Dog Like Best
A reward doesn’t always have to be in the form of a treat. Is your dog very playful? Does he love chasing prey or is he very greedy? Only by knowing your dog will you know what reward is most appropriate for him. So sit down and think about what your dog likes best. Use the preferences of your favorite to actively incorporate them into your practice sessions.
Here are a few ideas for different types of rewards. Requirements for Successful Dog Training
Treats
Biscuits or dry food: is more suitable for greedy dogs, as they can quickly become boring.
Cheese or sausage: ideally should not be used often, although it’s particularly tasty for the dog.
Toy
Ball : is particularly suitable if the dog likes to rush or run to fetch it.
Dog rope toy : is a popular form of reward when the dog has a strong prey drive. The advantage is that you can play with the dog and the toy is always at hand to continue the exercise.
Your dog really likes treats and toys. Of course, there are countless toys and treats that can be used. You can click this link to look for more dog treats and toys.
As mentioned above ( “ You are a good choice ” ), not all rewards are the same and will vary depending on the situation and your dog’s mood. So don’t be afraid to reward your dog extensively and happily. That’s the fastest way to learn.
Vary the rewards not only based on current needs, but also based on the level of practice that has been completed. If the dog has successfully completed a time-consuming or demanding task, the reward should be correspondingly generous (see Jackpot Reward ). Or if he just doesn’t know what to do, secondary amplifiers can be used.
Requirements for Successful Dog Training – Best Way for Dog to Learn
One of the requirements for successful dog training is to motivate your dog to enjoy training. To do so, you should never under- or over-challenge him. To avoid under- or over-challenging yourself, familiarize yourself with these points:
- Frustration tolerance in dogs
- Generalization in dog training
- Learning methods
- Reward types
- Duration of the learning units
- Recognizing and increasing frustration tolerance
When learning, the dog has to think about what to do, but many dogs quickly become frustrated during the thinking phases because they want to be successful and expect a reward. If your dog has a hard time withstanding frustration, i.e. if it has a low frustration tolerance, the training can be difficult.
But here’s the good news: You can increase your dog’s frustration limit. Ideally, you start with it from an early age.
How can you implement this? For example, it already starts with not giving your dog constant attention when he demands attention, making him wait for a few minutes in front of the filled bowl or even leaving him alone in a room. Dog mothers already train their puppies’ frustration tolerance, they let their babies wait longer and longer for milk and thus teach them to be patient and to look for their own way to the food. Requirements for Successful Dog Training
Frustration Tolerance vs. Impulse Control
Both are terms that are about dealing with frustration or impulses and learning to endure them. The basis of good impulse control can be trained from an early age and is one of the most important requirements for successful dog training in everyday life with your dog. We have collected several impulse control exercises that can increase a dog’s patience.
Generalization in Dog Training
Have you ever heard the term generalization in the context of dog training? Just because the dog has linked a command with an action does not mean that it has learned it reliably. Dogs must be able to implement what they have learned in everyday life in different places, in different contexts and also with distraction . You can achieve this step by step by changing and increasing the training conditions. In other words, change the place, change the usual training time and train when there are distractions from noises, pedestrians, cyclists, other dogs or similar.
Sounds easier than it is? It is extremely important to adapt to your dog individually. Many dogs have no problem with a change of location, but others do. Pay attention to the signals and don’t generalize too quickly for yourself.
If you are just starting out, train the dog in an environment that he knows and is comfortable in. Make sure neither you nor your four-legged friend are distracted. Once your dog has learned the exercises in this distraction-free environment, change the exercise location to increase the level of difficulty. You can also actively create disruptions and distractions.
If the distraction or location is already too much for the dog, give yourself a good smack on the head and take a step back. You alone are responsible for this and were not paying attention to your dog at the moment. Just because he hasn’t generalized what he’s learned doesn’t mean he’s slow on the uptake. It just needs to be strengthened further.
Learning Methods
Not every dog learns the same way and so several learning techniques have been established in dog training, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to find out which learning method is most suitable for your dog is to “learn by doing”.
Curls
The dog is lured (a treat or other type of reward) into the desired position or behavior by using an enticement. The bait is initially placed in the hand. However, once the dog understands what to do, it is important to repeat the exercise without the lure so that the lure does not become part of the exercise.
However, baiting should always be the last choice in dog training. Because the dog only stupidly follows the hand or the toy and does not think about it itself, as is the case with shaping, for example.
Shapes or Free Shaping
With shaping, the focus of the exercise is not on the training goal, but on the way there, which the dog works out independently. This has the great advantage that he thinks for himself and it is more likely that he really understands the exercise and will also practice it reliably later on. No commands are used to let the dog think for itself at the beginning of the behavior it should be about. The result is a dog that independently thinks about what the next step could be and “offers” different things. Every step in the right direction, i.e. the desired behavior, is positively reinforced. This is how the desired goal is formed.
It is important that you observe him closely and act quickly if he even starts to show the “right” behavior for the exercise. It is best to use a secondary amplifier for this.
This type of learning requires absolute patience! Even if the urge to help the dog along is great, you should let it find the way on its own at first. Of course you can support him if your dog is frustrated by the lack of success.
Reward Types
As already mentioned in the point “ What does my dog like best? ‘, you can reward your dog with anything that makes him happy. There are basically two types of rewards:
Food Rewards : Dry food, wet food, treats, chews
Game Reward : Tossing games, tugging games, dummies, hidden object games (but please never hide from the dog!)
You can find a variety of dog rewards here.
Analyze your dog’s behavior and use the different types of rewards depending on the situation. In this way you maximize the success of the training and increase the well-being of your dog.
Duration of Learning
Small steps lead to success! Do short exercise sessions, several times a day. A unit should not last longer than 5 minutes. In between, you should always take breaks in which the dog can relax or come to drink.
Tip: Never end a practice session with a failure. This not only demotivates the dog, but also you. If an exercise went well, stop. This way you two will keep the training session in good memory and look forward to the next time.
Practice creates masters! What is generally good advice is also appropriate in dog training, because no master has yet fallen from the sky. But enough of the phrases!
Did you know that about 3000-5000 repetitions per exercise are necessary for the signal to work? This includes the repetitions during training as well as the implementation of the signal in everyday life.
We advise you to break down training goals into sub-goals and write them down. Be happy about every success, no matter how small, to motivate you and your dog to keep going.
How do I properly reward my dog?
Regardless of which reward you choose, at the beginning of training it is better to reward the dog once too often than too little. That means reward him whenever he volunteers the desired behavior. As soon as you are sure that your four-legged friend has linked his behavior to the reward, you can slowly wean it off. Only reward him every second, third, fourth, etc. time to generalize the training unit (see generalization in dog training ). Finally, the great art is to connect the exercise with a suitable marker or signal word.
You have already read a lot about learning, learning methods and forms of reward. Now we will explain a few terms that you have probably already heard and that play a central role in dog training.
Positive reinforcers are any type of reward for your dog. This can be food, but also toys, playing or stroking units and activities in nature, such as bathing, digging, rolling, etc. Of course, verbal praise, which gives the dog the necessary signals, is also a positive reinforcement.
We advise against negative reinforcers in dog training, as using them incorrectly endangers the bond between you and your dog. In addition, dogs with positive reinforcement learn much faster.
Primary reinforcers include anything the dog instinctively perceives as a reward. Depending on what he needs at the moment, this can be portions of food, cuddling units or living out his hunting instinct.
Secondary boosters or keep going signals can be used to announce rewards. They are used to show the dog that he is on the right path to the desired behavior. Similar to the “Warmer” signal when playing pots with children. Signals, movements, sounds or other clear cues that are only used in connection with a subsequent reward are suitable as secondary reinforcers. In this way you can show your four-legged friend, for example with new, difficult exercises or even with an exercise at a distance, that he has done everything right.
The so-called jackpot reward is used when a kind of milestone is reached during training. For example, it took the dog a long time to understand something and finally it gets it right for the first time. With the jackpot reward you should jump out of the house and be happy like never before with the dog. The dog will notice the difference and there is a greater likelihood that it will repeat the correct behavior straight away. It is important that the jackpot is not “overexploited”, it should always remain something special.
Of course, not everything can always run like clockwork and sometimes dogs and dog owners make mistakes during the exercise. When a practice session isn’t going as it should, it’s good to use a stop signal . It is important that this word does not have negative connotations, such as “No”. It is intended to be used as a means of showing the dog that it should try something else. The dog should never be punished because it is our responsibility to show him what is right.
Important! If something is not going well, or the dog does not understand the exercise, it is extremely important to stop with a positive experience so that the dog does not take away the joy of learning. For example, the exercise can be simplified again or a command can be queried that he already knows. True to the motto: “Stop when it’s most beautiful”.
To end the exercise and make it clear to the dog that the training is over, an end signal such as “Done” can be used. This is especially useful for very motivated dogs that don’t want to stop. Requirements for Successful Dog Training
If you have read this far, you are aware of the requirements for successful dog training and are well prepared for dog training. We hope we’re able to give you some food for thought on how to design the exercises with your dog so that you both have fun training and can successfully implement different ideas.
