Ten Keys to Effective Training

Being consistent isn’t always easy. By following these guidelines, you have every opportunity of bringing up your dog to be the perfect family companion:

1. Leaders eat first, so always feed your dog after you have eaten. In the wild, the top dogs eat first, then the next dog down in the pack hierarchy, and so forth. Your dog should not be fed scraps from the table and should always eat out of its own dish. Teach your dog to ‘sit’ and wait for a few seconds before you give it the command to eat.
2. Do not play tug-of-war or rough games with your dog, as it could encourage aggressive behaviour.
3. Your dog should not sleep in your bed, or bedroom (or that of any family member). Instead, have your dog sleep outside in a kennel or in a suitable area of your home.
4. Leaders lead. Don’t allow your dog to go through a doorway before you do – you need to lead the way.
5. Height is dominance. Do not allow your dog onto your furniture, or other high places, in or around your home.
6. Do not shout at your dog. Dogs’ hearing is four times greater than our own – they do not have a hearing problem! If you reprimand your dog, it needs to be done instantly so your dog can link it to the unwanted behaviour. Although we may think the dog knows what it has done wrong, a dog does not think as we do, and may be totally confused. In addition, shouting at your dog may make it anxious, which could lead to health problems.
7. Be consistent. Do not allow your dog a privilege at one time and then chastise it for doing the same thing on a different occasion. Have family members use the same training commands, and everyone should call the dog by the same name.
8. Do not chastise your dog using its name. Calling your dog by its name should be only used in pleasant circumstances, or as a reward.
9. Make training a pleasurable time for your dog. Use treats or pats to reward the behaviour you want. Ignore behaviour that you do not want. Be patient until your dog understands what you want it to do.
10. Do not constantly pat your dog. Also, before patting your dog, it should obey a command such as ‘sit’ or ‘come’.