Dog Training

Once you've determined that you and your pet need some professional help to keep your household harmonious, consider what kind of training or treatment you need.

Positive reinforcement is the most effective and humane way to train animals. The basic principle is to reward a desired behavior with something pleasant. As with so many things, correct timing is essential. To get the animal to associate the reward with the correct behavior, the treat or praise must be delivered immediately. Consistency is also essential. Always reward the desired behavior and don't ever reward undesired behavior.

A well trained and healthy dog is one of life's great pleasures. If you're an ordinary person who loves dogs and has one or would like to have one, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of information on dog ownership, training and nutrition available to you online and elsewhere.

In the teaching stage, you offer positive reinforcement whenever you ask for and get the desired behavior. No corrections are given. Once we move to the correction stage, we correct undesirable behavior. Every time you correct a dog for unwanted behavior (negative reinforcer), you must praise him (positive reinforcer) when he fixes the behavior.

One of the first things to do while leash training your dog is to put aside all prejudgements regarding dog behavior. The misconception is that dogs who pull while walking on a leash try to be in 'control' or 'alpha' over their owner. That thought process can harm the training process and create barriers during training.

Proper training is essential for a long, happy, and safe relationship with your dog, setting the foundation to ensure your dog stays physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged, and emotionally happy. Remember, training a dog takes time, understanding, patience, and consistency.