Archive for the ‘How to: Tips’ Category

Breaking New Ground With The Clicker

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

For anyone thinking about trying to train their dog, be it for the first time or to try and eradicate unsavoury behaviours, investing in a “clicker” trainer is an absolute must. This relatively new method, originally used for training dolphins in the 1960s and adapted for dogs in the 90s, is quite simply the most human, the kindest and also the most effective aid to training a dog of any age. Even if you are trying to retrain an older dog who first learnt without the clicker, it is still a valuable asset.

A “clicker” is essentially what it says it is; a small, plastic hand held device which when depressed produces a high and noticeable clicking sound. There are a huge variety of clickers on the market, from every possible purveyor of dog training aids, but there is no need to spend a vast amount of money procuring one. As long as your chosen device can produce the distinctive click noise immediately when depressed, you’ve got all you need.

The clicker is not, in itself, a way of training a dog. It is simply a reinforcement, but one that has proved to be overwhelmingly useful, to the point that most dog owners regard anyone trying to train without one as somewhat odd. Clickers are not big money spinners for the manufacturers of dog training aids, so one can trust the efficacy of clickers all the more in that they have no received huge promotional hype. They sell and are talked about for one reason alone; they work.

A clicker is used, as mentioned before, as a reinforcement. The purpose of a clicker is to ‘mark’ or identify a good behaviour. Dog behaviour specialists have recognised that dogs repeat behaviours that they find pleasurable. The clicker uses this already formed thought process and expands it; when a dog does something good, such as sits on command, then by using the clicker the behaviour is identified instantly as good. The click is then followed by a treat of some sort; this can be food, such as chicken, or even just praise and fussing of the dog.

Soon, the dog learns to identify the sound of the click with good things – namely, the treat or praise they receive moments after hearing it. Therefore, the dog begins to engage in behaviour that it feels will gain a “click” and therefore the treat. By clicking good behaviour and not clicking bad, you are teaching your dog habits for life and encouraging them to return to good behaviour so they can garner that click and its associated praise. Over time, the clicker can be phased out without effect on the dog’s behaviour – the clicker is a way of ingraining habits that will last them a lifetime.

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House Training: Everything You Need To Know

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

There is no doubt that house training is one of the most difficult things to get right when it comes to training a new puppy. It is one of the major causes of people seeking outside help with dog obedience, and is also sadly one of the main reasons that people take young puppies and dogs to rescue centres. A failure in house training is also usually indicative of a bigger behavioural problem, so getting it right is absolutely essential.

It is important to remember that, to a dog, house training is rather bizarre. When a puppy needs to go to the toilet, they are more than happy to go wherever is convenient – the idea of it being bad or wrong to go inside a house is completely alien to them. This is the nature of an animal and, while inbuilt, it is not impossible to overcome. It should, however, be remembered; if your puppy isn’t taking to house training as quickly as you’d like, just try and keep calm and remember how strange the entire concept is to a young dog.

Ideally, the younger a dog is when you begin house training, the better. However, it can be achieved at any age, so even if you have an older dog who has problems with house training – don’t despair.

Alarmingly, many people – usually inexperienced dog owners – simply expect a puppy to understand. A recent online survey discovered that around 40% of new puppy owners expected their puppy to just, completely without indication, comprehend that outside is where the potty is. These owners simply opened the back door to their house every few hours and were then baffled when their puppy didn’t use the garden to relieve themselves.

Put simply, the most effective way of house training a dog or puppy is ‘show and tell’. The more intensive this can be, the better. A much advocated method is to take the dog outside every 60 minutes and wait there until they have relieved themselves; once this has happened, take them back inside. As soon as the job is done, reward your puppy with praise and affectionate beyond measure.

Remember, the odd slip is going to happen, and resorting to physical punishment will do nothing but upset both you and your dog. There is also no use in the oft ill advised method of rubbing a dog’s nose in their mess; they simply don’t understand. Instead, where good house training should illicit a positive and warm response, if your puppy should foul inside the house then withdraw affection from them for a period. By shouting and even physically harming your dog, all you are teaching them is that fouling gets them attention; and that is something no dog owner should encourage.

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Electric Aids for Dog Training

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

On first impression, the idea of using electronic aids in dog training sounds inhumane and cruel. Simply, the word electronic brings to mind – quite without invitation – images and ideas of a dog receiving an electric shock, and this being extremely painful. If this were true, and electronic training devices did indeed produce an electric shock that was painful to a dog, then the allegations of inhumanity and cruelty would be justified.

However, these thoughts are incorrect. While a shock is produced by any electronic training device, the feel – and pain rating – of it are more akin to those produced by static electricity. This is the kind of sensation given sometimes by touching a car or just switched on television screen. While this sensation is unpleasant and indeed shocking, it is by no means painful – it is the shock of it that causes the upset, not the pain. This is the kind sensation that any electronic training device provides; it is no more painful than other, non-electrical, training aids such as claxons or air blasters.

The intention of these devices is indeed to distract, not harm. They are designed to inform a dog, silently, that their behaviour is unacceptable. This is performed in a quiet, non-intrusive way and is therefore preferable to other aids, such as claxons, which are noise-based in their training. Noise-based aids may be effective, but they are extremely irritating, particularly for any irate neighbours.

If you have worries about the effect an electronic training device will have on a dog, you can test it for yourself. Aids like collars and fences will usually produce a similar shock when tested on a human. The effect will not be identical to what a dog will feel, due to different genetic make ups, but it will at least assure you that the intention is distraction not pain.

Most electronic devices for dog training come in various strengths, which is usually altered for the weight and breed of the dog. This is because a mild shock for a big breed, such as a German Shepherd, will be far more shocking for a smaller breed, such as a Jack Russell. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and adjust any strength of signal depending on the size of your dog. Then all you have to do is look forward to a more effective training regime, and therefore a happier life.

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