The Four Elements of Dog Obedience Training

Training your dog to be an obedient member of the family can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have if you have a dog that is more like Marmaduke than Lassie.  But the fact is that successful training revolves more around psychology than action, and even the most out-of-control pet can be tamed with the right strategy.  By learning the core elements of dog obedience training you will better understand how your dog associates right from wrong.

1.  Your Dog is Always Learning
When you first begin your training efforts, it is important to realize that there really is no such thing as “off time”.  Your dog is always learning at some level.  She watches how her environment reacts to everything she does, and this makes the first few weeks of instruction so important.  Never let good or bad behavior go unrecognized in your presence.  Every behavior is an indication of future behavior, and should be reinforced or reprimanded.

2.  The People are In-Charge
In order for you to be successful in training your dog you need to maintain the upper hand.  Make sure your pet understands that you are in charge at all times.  For example, anytime your dog pulls ahead on the leash, you must stop walking and instruct her to sit.  Do not advance until she has completely stopped and obeyed your command.  Building this level of authority may take time and patience, but it is the only way you will be able to move on to more advanced instruction.

3.  Enforce Your Commands
Because dogs do not understand human language, it is not really about what you say but rather how you say it.  Use sharp and well defined commands that are clearly different in volume and pitch from your normal speaking language.  Develop a consistent voice that you use to command our dog and don’t waver on your demands.  If she does not sit after the first command, then force her to sit while repeating the command in the same tone.  Do this continuously until she recognizes the cause and effect of the words you speak.

4.  Name Bad Behavior
While it can be tiresome to keep uttering the word “no” time and time again, it is important to associate one particular word with bad behavior.  Using adjectives like “bad dog” and “stop’ can be confusing if they are used sporadically.  Choose one negative word and use it forcefully in your reprimands.  This does not involve physical abuse, but rather a system of interrupting the behavior and identifying it as wrong with the negative word.  The key is consistency.  Create a powerful negative command that will be recognized across all situations.

Finding success in training your dog is more about mind control than punishment and reward.  By understanding the way your dog thinks and reacts to their environment, you will be able to instruct them more effectively.

Find more strategies for effective obedience training.