Dog Training, Dog Behavior

  Dog training helps your dog exhibit desired dog behavior in specific circumstances. Find out more about dog training.

Dog Training & Dog Behavior

"Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired dog behavior in specific circumstances." Some examples are:

• Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training).
• Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts.
• Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind.
• Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster.
• Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times.

The specific dog behavior taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.

In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.

Basic Dog Behavior Training

• Dog Training Online

Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makes them pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience and dog behavior on their own; it must be trained.

Basic Dog Training Classes

• Fido Problems Dog Behavior Guide  

Professional "dog trainers" usually do not train the dogs, but actually train the owners how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to send a dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learn what the dog has learned and how to use it and reinforce it. Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more about each other, dog behavior and how to work together under a trainer's guidance. Training is most effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training to ensure consistent commands, methods, dog behavior and enforcement.

Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy has completed all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainers offer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediately after being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk is minimal and puppies have received initial vaccinations. In most cases, basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 months old.

Communicating With The Dog

Fundamentally, dog training and dog behavior are about communication. From the human perspective the handler is communicating to the dog what dog behavior is correct, desired, or preferred in what circumstances. From the canine perspective the handler must communicate what dog behavior will give the most satisfaction to his natural instincts and emotions. Without that inner satisfaction a dog will not work well.

A successful handler must also understand the communication that the dog sends to the handler. The dog can signal that he is unsure, confused, nervous, happy, excited, and so on. The emotional state of the dog is an important consideration in directing the training, as a dog that is stressed or distracted will not learn efficiently. Source: Wikipedia

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