The first in a video series showing some of the many awesome things your dog can do to be helpful around the house.
Yes, your dog CAN be this amazing.
In this series we will discuss some of the most common errors made by dog owners, and how to address them.
Training the dog to run away when called.
This seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many pet owners accidentally train their dog to run away from them!
Coming when called should always be a happy occasion.
Once your dog is off-leash, the only control you have over him is your past history of rewarding him for returning to you. If you have not built this history strongly enough, then reclaiming your dog may be quite a challenge.
Like this:
Clicker Training can be a controversial topic in the dog training world. Some trainers heartily endorse it as a positive and fast way to interact with your dog, while others call it “bribery” and accuse clicker trainers of being unable to deal with behavior problems effectively.
What is Clicker Training?
“Clicker Training” is another term for “Using A Conditioned Reinforcer To Positively Reinforce Desired Behaviors.” Most people find that “Clicker Training” rolls off the tongue more easily.
All it means is that you teach your pet to recognize a unique sound (such as a distinctive click) to indicate that he has earned a treat. You use this sound to clearly communicate to your pet that he has done something right.
At Wag The Dog, we incorporate many different training styles, but we recommend it to all our clients as an excellent tool to add to their training toolbox. When we do this, we usually have to help bust certain common misunderstandings about this outstandingly useful training method.
Like this:
Watch as our trainer Carol Millman demonstrates how quick and easy it can be to teach your dog a new skill in a matter of minutes!
Using clicker training, she trains her Sheltie, Odin, to push a button with his nose in a single 5 minute session. The video footage is one continuous take to prove that we aren’t using any editing tricks.
If you live in the Vancouver area and you would like your dog to be able to learn great tricks like this one,
email us at team@wagthedog.ca
or
call us at 604-781-8448.
Yes, your dog CAN be this awesome.
Like this:
There are many different schools of thought on how to train dogs.
Ask three different dog trainers how to teach a dog to retrieve, and you’ll likely get three different sets of answers.
- One trainer will advocate pinching the dog’s ear.
- Another will advocate using a clicker and a bag of treats.
- The third will say that the only way is to use the dog’s natural prey drive, and that neither treat rewards nor negative reinforcement are the answer.
All of them will argue vociferously against the other two, each convinced that their way is the RIGHT way.
So how do you know what is best for your pet?
The argument spreads everywhere. Your local bookstore is filled with books written by trainers, all claiming to have the answer. Look on the internet and you’ll become even more confused.
“Is it okay to let my dog up on the bed? Will this foster closeness and bonding, or will this upset the pack hierarchy?”
“When my dog jumps up, is it submissive, or dominant behaviour?”
“If my dog tugs on the leash, is it because he doesn’t respect me, or because I have rewarded him for pulling?”
Every trainer has a different answer, and each is convinced that his answer is the truth.
Who do you believe?
