What Is Dog Training All About?
Think. When you train a dog to do ANYTHING what are you really dealing with? You're teaching him to make certain decisions and to avoid making other decision. You're teaching him to move in certain directions and to avoid moving in other directions. So, it's all about decisions (choices) and directions isn't it?
If you're teaching your dog to stay, you're teaching him to avoid moving in any direction. If you're teaching your dog to come, you're teaching him to move from the place he's at to where you are. If you're teaching your dog to down, you're teaching him to move from a sitting or standing position to a down position.
So, how are you going to control his physical movements for enough consecutive repetitions in order to condition him to perform the required action? You could try using food, but if your dog wants to chase the cat more than he wants your silly little piece of hot dog, he's going to ignore you. You could try to push him around with your hands, but all you're going to get is resisting force. So, how the heck are you going to get your dog to move in the directions you want him to move in? WITH YOUR LEASH. YOUR LIFELINE.
Your leash is the only thing that connects you to your dog. It's the only thing that can get your dog to move in specific directions for enough consecutive repetitions to condition him to perform the actions you want him to perform. Therefore, if you don't know how to handle your leash, your pretty much out of luck. You may get your dog to perform certain actions when the distraction level is low, but you're not going to end up with a dog who listens to you when it really counts.
A dog who performs when it is convenient for him is not a trained dog! A trained dog is a dog who responds appropriately to the instructions of the owner even when it isn't particularly convenient for him. A trained dog is one who thinks through his emotions and responds to his owner even when he wants to do something else. That's a trained dog.
So, if you think your dog is trained because he sits in the kitchen when you have a piece of chicken in your hand but, won't listen to you when you're at the park, think again. There is a big difference between intellect and will. It's obvious your dog understands what the command "sit" means but, he's only willing to do it if the circumstances are to his liking. A trained dog is one who both understands your instructions and is willing to perform them even when he's tempted to do something else.
So, now you understand that the key to every problem and every obedience command is leash handling and you understand the difference between intellect and will. Keep in mind, your dog's the easiest part of the training process. It's always more difficult to train the owners than it is to train the dogs. So, if you stop thinking about your dog's training and start thinking about your own training, you'll get the kind of dog you always wanted.
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If you're teaching your dog to stay, you're teaching him to avoid moving in any direction. If you're teaching your dog to come, you're teaching him to move from the place he's at to where you are. If you're teaching your dog to down, you're teaching him to move from a sitting or standing position to a down position.
So, how are you going to control his physical movements for enough consecutive repetitions in order to condition him to perform the required action? You could try using food, but if your dog wants to chase the cat more than he wants your silly little piece of hot dog, he's going to ignore you. You could try to push him around with your hands, but all you're going to get is resisting force. So, how the heck are you going to get your dog to move in the directions you want him to move in? WITH YOUR LEASH. YOUR LIFELINE.
Your leash is the only thing that connects you to your dog. It's the only thing that can get your dog to move in specific directions for enough consecutive repetitions to condition him to perform the actions you want him to perform. Therefore, if you don't know how to handle your leash, your pretty much out of luck. You may get your dog to perform certain actions when the distraction level is low, but you're not going to end up with a dog who listens to you when it really counts.
A dog who performs when it is convenient for him is not a trained dog! A trained dog is a dog who responds appropriately to the instructions of the owner even when it isn't particularly convenient for him. A trained dog is one who thinks through his emotions and responds to his owner even when he wants to do something else. That's a trained dog.
So, if you think your dog is trained because he sits in the kitchen when you have a piece of chicken in your hand but, won't listen to you when you're at the park, think again. There is a big difference between intellect and will. It's obvious your dog understands what the command "sit" means but, he's only willing to do it if the circumstances are to his liking. A trained dog is one who both understands your instructions and is willing to perform them even when he's tempted to do something else.
So, now you understand that the key to every problem and every obedience command is leash handling and you understand the difference between intellect and will. Keep in mind, your dog's the easiest part of the training process. It's always more difficult to train the owners than it is to train the dogs. So, if you stop thinking about your dog's training and start thinking about your own training, you'll get the kind of dog you always wanted.
Back To Podcast Page
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