Obedience training is not just teaching basic commands. Most dog trainers sell their service as a "heel, sit, stay, down" business and do not take the time necessary to educate the dog owner to what they actually have - once they get their dog "obedience trained".
The owner thinks that teaching a dog obedience commands itself is training - it is not - it is a language.
Obedience training and real behavior modification comes with what you do with the obedience commands. Making them into a working routine or exercise is one way to teach a dog 3 basic things every dog should know.
1. You are his leader and he works for you
2. Calm down and pay attention
3. Ignore distraction.
It is the "act" of getting a dog out and working that dog that tells the dog that "you are his leader and he works for you." Long drawn out exercises are not necessary.
Just getting the dog out several times a day and working for 10 minutes at a time for a week or so will get his accomplished. This is the most basic concept a dog must learn when entering in any pack.
Routines set up properly can help build trust, confidence, reliability in stressful situations, consistency in difficult situations and ultimately full offleash control over the most overbearing of dogs.
- We as a whole need to put more energy into helping the dog owner understand their dog ...not just collecting supplies or training revenues.
I am a Master Obedience Trainer of 23 years living in Cincinnati.
Article Source:
http://www.dog-training-talk.com/article/page/the-dog-training-language-153.html
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