Why dogs need to be trained?
Dogs are naturally friendly animals: always excited, ready to play, obedient and mostly happy. However, sometimes their enthusiasm and passionate nature gets out of hand, and leads to erratic behavior. Teaching them manners, dos and don'ts is an important step in dog ownership.
Fortunately, unlike cats (who don't recognize positive or negative reinforcement), dogs are often wired to understand when their actions are being punished. They have an innate ability to associate their paw parent's reinforcement with their actions
This is why dogs are always easier to train than other animals. And why are dogs recruited for police services etc?
So, what is positive reinforcement?
Dogs, given their naivety, do not see the world the way humans do. A common misconception among pet owners is that 'if you punish a pet, they won't do it again'. However, punishment almost never works. All of this makes your pet fearful and distrustful of you, and often doesn't produce real-life, long-term results.
Punishment can also cause PTSD in dogs, if they have been rescued or experienced trauma, which can lead to many behavioral problems down the road.
Positive reinforcement is when you reward your dog for misbehavior instead of punishing it. They will then associate 'good behaviour' with 'rewards' and are more likely to follow the path that gets them there.
Here are 6 methods how you can encourage positive behaviour in your dogs, and train them to be better feline friends.
Give treats and praises for good behaviour
The best way to use positive reinforcement is to reward your dog for good behavior. This can be done by inviting them whenever they do something you want to encourage. For example, if you want them to not sit on the couch, and instead sit on the floor, give them a treat every time they sit on the floor. They will then associate 'sitting on the floor' with 'getting a treat' and are more likely to do so afterwards.
Dogs are also excellent at understanding positive words and actions. Shower them with love and praise to encourage good behavior and then they will repeat the good behavior to get more love and praise.
Do not act on bad behaviour
Dogs are simple creatures. They want your love and they want your attention. They do everything because they want you to be involved. They understand the concept of 'me time' and 'opportunity activities'. So, if you start ignoring and stopping all their bad behavior, they will only engage in activities that distract you and treat them.
Use one word commands
One word commands like "no", "yes", "sit", "stop", "go" etc. are well understood by dogs. This is a great and quick way to let your pet know your feelings. Try to incorporate these words into your daily life. Repeated words will help them understand the context better and guide their behavior accordingly.
Discourage biting and nipping from an early age
Dogs bite (gently) to show affection or to get your attention and that's fine when they're babies, but it's painful when they're fully grown dogs. It is recommended that you discourage this behavior from a young age and pretend to hurt them, saying out loud that their bite hurt you. Dogs, being loving and caring creatures, will automatically back off and try to comfort you, and most likely won't repeat the process again.
Keep them busy with activities
One of the best ways to prevent your dog from misbehaving is to involve him in different activities, such as catch and throw, hiking, walks, etc. For activities they can freely engage in, you're making sure your dog doesn't have to. Plenty of time to indulge in mischievous activities. Treasure hunt with lots of interactive toys like tether balls, chew toys, treats and toys.
Do not be the only one to interact with them
If you are a large family, it is extremely important that your dog spends time with all family members. This will ensure that they are taking orders, listening, and obeying all family members equally. Even if you are your dog's primary caregiver, other family members, or your roommate, friend, etc. should provide positive reinforcement so they don't think you are their paw parent. As singular with 'prizes'. Otherwise, they will just listen to you, and be rude to your guests.
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