Training Basics

In this blog there will be lots of tips and fun ideas for training your dog. If you are new to training or need a reminder at any point you can visit this post for the basic terminology and tips for an efficient training session.

Reward – a positive thing given to the dog for the correct behaviour. Food is the most common reward as it is easy to deliver but you can also use toys and play, use whatever works best for your dog. By rewarding the dog for good behaviour, they are more likely to repeat it, the higher value the reward the more likely they are to repeat.

Mark – a word or signal that tells the dog they have done and that you like that behaviour. Many people use clickers to mark good behaviour but you can also use words such as ‘yes’ or ‘good’. Before training, your dog needs to learn that the mark is positive. To do this say your chosen word or use the clicker and give the dog a treat, repeat this several times. If you say the word or use the clicker and the dog immediately turns for a treat then they have learnt the mark. The mark should always be followed by a treat or reward.

Timing – timing is everything when dog training. It is important to mark and reward as soon as the correct behaviour occurs or you risk rewarding for the wrong behaviour. For example, when teaching a dog to sit they may jump up to try and get the treat instead, if you are too late or early with the mark and reward you may reinforce the jumping.

Lure – using food to help guide the dog into the right position. For example, when teaching a dog to sit you lure the dogs nose up with a treat so that their bum goes down. This is luring the dog.

Shaping – rewarding the dog for small steps towards the desired behaviour and slowly building up to it. For example, when teaching sit you may reward the dog for its bum lowering even if it hasn’t touched the floor yet. This helps dogs learn complex behaviours by breaking them down into smaller sections.

Capture – marking and rewarding a behaviour when the dog does it naturally, such as lying down or settling.

Cue – a signal, normally a word or hand movement, that asks the dog to perform a behaviour. The cue, such as sit or down, is added after the dog has learnt the behaviour.

Extras

For the most efficient training session, exercise your dog beforehand. If this is the first time they are out the house or interacting with you then they are likely to be overexciting and not concentrate as well. You want to tire them out enough so they focus but not too much that they want to fall asleep.

Take lots of breaks. Break up the training session with play and fun. Dogs get bored doing the same thing over and over, by breaking it up with play they are more likely to be interested for longer.

Keep it simple. Break down behaviours to smaller steps and give clear cues to stop your dog getting confused or frustrated.

Build up your dogs confidence by practising things they already know. If your dog seems to be struggling with a new behaviour then go back a step or take a break and start again with things they are good at. Dogs can get disheartened just like people, being rewarded will build confidence and make them more likely to try new things.

Always end on a success. End the session after a good behaviour and reward your dog highly. Your dog will be more excited for future training if you end the sessions on a high note.