Episode 3: Does EVERY Dog Need Training?

Have you ever wondered, “If I didn’t have to train my last dog, then why should I have to train this one?”

Don’t worry, you are not alone. My first dog, Mocha was very easy going and I  didn’t do any training with her, well, not really. But when I adopted Sadie and then Robi, I started questioning everything that I had ever known about dogs and training a dog. I couldn’t understand why they behaved so aggressively on walks, was this behavior part of their breed, or was it something that I was doing wrong?

In this episode of the Naughty Dog Podcast, you’ll learn:

• what dog training is,
• how you know if your dog needs training, and
• what kind of training you should be using with your dog.

And if you tune in until the end, I also share 6 questions you should be asking yourself to determine if your dog needs training.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN

• What is dog training?
• Why it’s fair to say that all dogs need training
• 6 questions to ask yourself to help determine if your dog needs training
• What kind of dog training you should be using

What is Dog Training?

Dog training, put very simply, is providing your dog with some direction. Imagine that you get hired for a job, and your first day in office, they don’t tell you what they want you to do. They walk you to your desk, and say “I just want to see what you can do, and we’ll go from there.” So, a couple days later, your boss pulls you into their office and says “I don’t like what you’re doing, so consider this your first warning” and proceeds with writing you up.

Now, imagine that you still don’t get any direction, but each day you get written up for something different. This would get pretty frustrating, right? Well, this is the same for your dog! If you don’t train them on what they are supposed to be doing, set rules and boundaries, how can you get upset when they step outside of those lines?

How Do You Know If Your Dog Needs Training?

These are easy questions to help determine if your dog needs training:

1. Do you get frustrated that your dog ignores you?
2. Is your dog frightened or scared?
3. Is you dog skittish?
4. Are you worried that your dog might run out the door and not come back?
5. Do you want more control over your dog?
6. You want your dog to be calm instead of lunging and barking?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then your dog needs training.

What Kind of Training Should You Do With Your Dog?

There are a few methods or ways to train your dog, but the most effective, humane and safe is using 100% positive reenforcement. Positive reinforcement, by definition, reinforces and strengthens your dogs behavior so that he does what you want over and over (it works for kids and husbands too). 😉

The good news is that reinforcing the behavior you want is simple. The bad news is, you may be reinforcing or strengthening the behavior you don’t want. For example, if your dog jumps on a stranger or one of your dinner guests and that person says, “it’s ok, I’m a dog person” and then proceeds to pet your dog, then your dog was reinforced for jumping. Your dog just learned that he gets attention and pets when it jumps on people. Getting mad or upset with your dog sends a mixed message and is inconsistent to him. You need to reinforce your dog for sitting, instead of waiting for him to jump.

So…does your dog need training? The answer is, YES!

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

01:10 – 07:34 – A human experience

07:45 – 9:45 – Why all dogs need training

09:53 – 13:55 – How do you know if your dog needs training?

14:01 – 16:43 – What kind of training should you do with your dog?

CONNECT WITH ME

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AllAboutTrainingDogs/

WEBSITE: allabouttrainingdogs.com