Part II: Basic Training

HOW DOGS LEARN
Dogs are great observers of their environment, and they pay attention to the results of their actions. In a short period of time, a dog learns which behaviors get him what he wants and which behaviors don't. If a dog is barking at you or pawing at you and you pet him and ask him what he wants, you just rewarded him for barking and pawing! Most dogs have a few strong "motivators:" food, petting and affection, chew toys, play, walks, and access to other dogs. These motivators can be used as rewards for behaviors we want, rather than given "for free." You can use these everyday rewards to "shape" the behaviors you want. You are constantly training your dog, whether or not you realize it! Most people would like their dogs to sit rather than jumping all over the place at feeding time, when the leash goes on before walks, when greeting visitors, and when the owner arrives home. For safety's sake, a dog is better off learning to sit first, rather than dashing out through an open door. So, each of these daily activities (rewards) is an opportunity to reinforce the "sit" behavior.

DAILY INTEGRATED TRAINING
To begin your training, decide right now that there are no "freebies" for your dog! Treats, petting, play, walks etc are all rewards for behaviors you want. Remember, every interaction with your dog is an opportunity to teach manners, so no "free lunch"! The leadership you show by using these methods help teach your dog to look to you for rewards and for direction. It makes him feel secure. And it makes training faster and easier, and the results reliable. "Sit" and "Wait" are the two most important behaviors to train in your new dog. They can make everything from putting on a leash, to getting in and out of a car, much easier.

Teach Your Dog to Sit:
Get some small tidbits of food. Tiny pieces of hotdog work very well. Food treats should be tiny cut-up pieces of hot dog, tiny bits of jerky treats or cheese, not kibble or milk bones! You need a strong motivator. Show him the treat, and bring it up to your face so the dog follows it to look at you. You need eye contact to communicate with your dog. Bring a treat down toward him and give him the treat. Repeat this several times. Now that you have his attention,show him a treat and this time, slowly bring it down toward him, to just over his head, and backward in a straight line over the back of his head. He should be following the treat with his eyes, and naturally drop back into a sit. Give him the treat. He will get up, and you can repeat this over and over until he does it on his own when you show him the treat and begin moving it. Now begin telling him to "sit" while he is moving into the sit position. Do it over and over until he sits when you show him a treat and say "sit." Most dogs learn this very quickly if you do it correctly. Then have him sit without showing him the treat ahead of time.

Teach Sit and Wait:
Start with a "wait" duration of a few seconds and work up from there. Have the dog sit and wait before:

• Each meal time. Have the dog sit and tell him to wait, using an open-palmed "stop" motion in front of his face. Set his bowl down, edge back from it, and give him the "okay" to go to it. If he lunges ahead before the bowl hits the ground, start over. If your dog is finicky, nip it in the bud by removing any food he doesn't eat within a few minutes. He will soon learn to look forward to meals and sit for them.
  
• Before going outside or for a walk. Have him sit and wait while you put his leash on. Open the door a crack, at first. If he starts dashing, put your open-palmed hand in a "stop" motion in front of him, and repeat the sit and wait command. Try it again until he can wait for a few seconds, then give him the okay and open the door. Eventually you will have a dog who will wait for the okay command no matter how long the door is open or how wide the opening is!
  
• Before jumping in and out of a car. Use the same method as for doorway training.
  
• Before taking a toy from your hand. "Take it" is the "okay" command for taking treats and toys out of your hand. If he grabs treats, place the treat inside your closed fist and the dog will have no choice but to nuzzle your hand rather than snatching. Then slowly open your fingers so that he takes the treat gently.
  
• Before coming out of his confinement area or crate. AND before greetings.

COMING WHEN CALLED
It is amazing how many people call their dogs in a stern, angry voice, and expect them to come willingly! People also call their dogs only to snap the leash back on and end the dog's fun, to dispense medicine, or even to scold or punish the dog! Why would an intelligent animal come when called, then? For rewards, not harsh words or punishment! Again, have your hot dog treats ready. Start inside the house, with no distractions, calling your dog in a sweet tone of voice by name and giving him a food treat every time he comes. If your dog has a better motivator than food, such as a ball he is crazy about, use that. Do "recalls" in the house over and over before graduating to the yard, while walking on leash, and finally, in a safe area such as a fenced dog park. A truly reliable "recall" takes months of practice, and even then most dogs will sometimes choose a tempting distraction (squirrel, cat, other dogs) over the owner's rewards. That is why this command must be drilled over and over, thousands of times. Don't graduate to the next level of distraction until you have perfect recalls within the level you are currently working. Having the whole family stand in a big circle and do round-robin recalls with food rewards is a great way to drill recalls. Remember, even a trained dog needs periodic rewards to keep behavior strong.

WHEN TO PHASE OUT REWARDS?
Once a behavior is very strong (you get a reliable response each and every time), you can vary the frequency of your rewards. Keep the dog guessing and continuing to play the training game. Instead of giving a treat for every sit, use verbal praise for each sit but only a treat for every fifth, third, tenth sit. Or have the dog sit, wait, and come before giving a treat. Start to use praise (“good!!”) along with treats early on, and substitute a “good!!” for a treat for six out of seven good behaviors. Mix it up. Don’t phase out the treats altogether: carry a handful of biscuits in your pocket and surprise the dog with rewards. This practice will keep behavior strong.

Think of each phase of training a certain behavior as a new baby step. For instance, if your dog comes to you in the house and yard reliably, but doesn’t in the park, you would reward EVERY correct response in the park but only every few in the
house and yard. When you move to the next level of distraction, or new location, you must boost the quality (hot dogs vs. biscuits) and frequency of rewards to make your incentive strong enough to compete with the environment.

TRADING OBJECTS
Your dog should get used to you being able to remove things from his mouth. Give him a toy, say “drop it,” show him a small treat, and wait. When the dog drops the toy, give him the treat to trade for the toy, which you then hide behind your back before beginning the next round. You can use this method to get the dog to “trade” anything he has in his mouth -- his own toys, things he’s picked up and shouldn’t have, etc. This should be practiced frequently. (While trading should be practiced, with supervision, by all members of the family, children should be helped with this, and only if the dog is easily dropping objects for adults).

OBJECT GUARDING
If you are practicing the "no free lunch" and object trading religiously, your dog will not likely develop an object guarding problem. He will know that you give and take away all of his favorite things and that is part of his relationship with you. Object guarding is intimidating for most people, as the dog growls and becomes possessive of his food, toys, even favorite sleeping areas. It is a warning sign that needs to be addressed, as it may escalate into biting. If you notice an object guarding behavior developing, consult with a trainer immediately.

BE CONSISTENT!
For training to work, everyone in the dog's household must practice the same rules. If Grandma doesn't want the dog jumping up on her, then 12-year old Bobby should not be encouraging the dog to jump on him. Don't let some people in the household take the dog out for play while someone else is trying to housebreak him. The rules are for everyone!

DON’T BE TOO SERIOUS
Dogs have a wonderful sense of humor! If you bring a spirit of fun and encouragement to training, your dog will respond to it. So, lighten up! For more information, visit http://www.canismajor.com and http://www.dogwise.com

PART I: Housetraining; Home-Alone; Appropriate Chewing
PART II: Basic Training
PART III: Exercise, Socialization, Recommended Reading