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Basic obedience is about teaching your dog good manners, and keeping the dog safe and under control. Quite simply, not everyone is a fan of dogs. Imagine the scenario in a park and your dog runs up to a toddler and bowls them over. The child creams and irate parents push the dog away. He then thinks this is a great game and bounces and jumps even more. The situation rapidly spirals out of control and could end in threats to call the police...when all the dog wanted was to play.
Not everyone understands the difference between a playful dog and an aggressive one, so to avoid confusion it's essential your dog is obedient to your commands. The good news is that using reward-based training methods means the dog is eager to be obedient as he realizes good things happen when he does as requested.
Reward-based training represents a quantum leap forward in dog obedience. Older training methods that rely on dominating the dog have no place in today's world and are not only outdated, but flawed to their very core. With this in mind, let's find out more about how to train your dog to be obedient while having fun at the same time.
Obedience is about having the dog respond promptly to your commands. Key to training this skill for life is to motivate the dog so that he's eager to respond. This is the principle on which reward-based training methods rest.
There is, however, a fine line between rewarding a dog's good behavior and bribing him. The difference depends on expecting the dog to work harder over time, before he earns his reward. In practical terms, this means phasing out food rewards and making them less predictable, as the dog gets the hang of what he's expected to do.
Rewards take different forms for different dogs. If you have a food motivated dog then congratulations, because you can use tiny morsels of treats as a reward. For those dogs less enthusiastic about food, try rewarding him with a game with a favorite toy or simply with lavish praise. All dogs have something they are prepared to work for, so it's a matter of identifying what does it for your dog.
From puppy to adult or senior, no dog is too young or too old to benefit from reward-based training. However, always keep training sessions fun and not overly long so as to tire the dog. Several shorter sessions in a day are better than one long training episode. And as a rule, end each lesson with a command the dog knows and has mastered, so you can praise him and end on a high.
When getting started, train in a quiet place with few distractions so that the dog's focus is on you. If training outdoors, then a collar and leash are beneficial to stop the dog running off. You'll also need to work out what motivates your dog to work, be that a food treat, toy, or fuss.
The basics for getting going include:
- Collar and leash
- Training treats and a pouch to keep them in
- Patience
When using food rewards, be sure to keep them teeny-tiny. The dog should get no more than a taste in the mouth, or else training will be constantly interrupted by the dog settling down to chomp his way down through a large biscuit.
Also, consider having a basic food reward (such as some of his kibble) plus a super tasty treat (a cube of cheese or sausage) for that extra special reward when he does something particularly well.
The Reward Based Training Method
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The concept
Reward based training works by rewarding good behavior so that the dog wants to repeat the action in order to earn the treat.
Teach 'sit' on command
Hold a treat in front of the puppy's nose so he can sniff but not eat it.
Follow the treat
Keeping the treat near his nose to hold his interest, describe a shallow arc in the air, over the dog's head
Encourage his butt to drop
As the dog's head follows the treat, his butt should naturally drop to the ground.
Label the behavior
As soon as his butt hits the deck, label the behavior "sit".
Give the reward
Now give the treat to reward the sit.
Reward
Work on this several times in a row. Ultimately, you can start saying "Sit" a fraction earlier, so the dog starts to anticipate what he needs to do to earn the treat.
Lose the treat
Over time, stop rewarding every "Sit" and give a treat for every second or third response. This stops complacency and keeps the dog working to earn the reward.
The Handling Bad Behavior Method
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Ignore bad behavior
Try not to shout or punish bad behavior. This only makes him fearful and may make him wary of you.
A short, sharp "No"
If the dog does something dangerous that needs instant reproof, then a short sharp "No" labels the action as unacceptable.
Don't go chasing
Be aware that chasing after a dog to retrieve that stolen slipper, only makes this into a game and he learns it's a great way to get attention
Use a distraction technique
Instead, distract the dog with another, more interesting behavior. Get his favorite squeaky toy and squeak it to get his attention. Make the toy far more appealing than the slipper, so that the drops the latter. Then reward the dog with a game of tug with his toy.
Withdraw attention
Most dogs are attention junkies, and don't mind being told off if it makes them the center of attention. If the dog is being naughty and has stopped listening to you, then make sure he is in a safe place and leave him alone. Withdrawing attention sends out a powerful message that the fun stops if he misbehaves.
Reward an alternate behavior
And last but not least, give a command you know the dog will obey such as "Sit". Then you can reward this good behavior, and distract him away from naughtiness.
Plenty of exercise
Bored dogs or those with too much energy are apt to behave badly. Short cut this by providing plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
The Clicker Training Method
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The concept
Clicker training works by teaching the dog that ‘click-clack’ means he's earned a treat. You then label the desired action by clicking, which tells the dog exactly what he did that earned the reward. But first you must get the dog linking ‘click-clack’ to treats.
Scatter treats
Throw a handful of treats on the floor
Click as he eats
As the dog eats the treats, click each time he picks one up.
Scatter individual treats
Now toss one treat at a time on the floor. As he eats the treat, click.
Click and wait
Now try clicking and see if the dog looks at the floor. If he does, then he has made the mental leap between click and a treat. Give him a reward.
Click to label
Now try teaching "Sit" as in the Reward Based Training method. Only this time, click as soon as his butt hits the floor. Then give the reward.
Phase out the treats
Clicker training allows you to tell the dog the exact moment he acts correctly. This allows you to lay down an IOU-one-treat on that action. Ultimately, this allows you to string actions together before giving a food reward.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/24/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Amy Caldwell
Training Questions and Answers
Buddy stands on my boobs all the time. Mostly at night on the sofa. It is painful. How can I establish on no-boob zone?
Oct. 16, 2020
Buddy's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Taryn, I recommend teaching pup Off and Out commands. Whenever pup tries to climb onto you anywhere you don't like, tell pup Off- which means get off me or get off the couch, or Out - which means leave the general area. If pup doesn't obey, use a drag leash that's kept on pup while you are home and they tend to climb on you, and use that to direct pup off the couch - as a consequence for not getting off you when told, or use the section on "How to Use Out to Deal with Pushy Behavior" to enforce pup leaving the area as a consequence for not getting off when told. I also recommend practicing Down-Stay in your lap, if that's where you want pup to cuddle with you instead, and making that the requirement for pup being in your lap - they have to be in down-stay on your lap, or else get off the couch or leave the area. Off- section on The Off command: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Oct. 20, 2020
Hi there! We are having trouble with our dog complaining to go outside during the day when we’re working. We want him to be trained to ask to go outside when he has to go potty, but right now he is begging at the door 6-7 times a day and will go potty outside about half those times. How do we fix this without undermining the progress we made on his potty training
Aug. 25, 2020
Baloo's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Caitlyn, First, take pup potty on a leash to keep the trip boring and business-like, so pup isn't just asking to go out to run around and play. When pup tells you they need to go potty and they actually go, calmly praise right when they go, quickly take them back inside and give a treat when they get back inside. If they ask to go out and do NOT go potty, bring them back inside after giving no more than 10 minutes outside on the leash to see if they need to go, and put them into the crate for an hour - they can have a chew toy in there. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Aug. 25, 2020
Hi! I have a super sweet and friendly dog but recently, he’s gotten into a few dog fights at the dog park and I’m not sure what the trigger is. It’s pretty scary and usually comes out of nowhere. Any advice on how to combat this?
July 26, 2020
Cj's Owner
Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer
253 Dog owners recommended
Hello! It is a bit tricky for me to answer this without seeing the altercations, but I will do my best to give you advice you can utilize. This is unfortunately fairly common for male dogs between 9 months and 2 years, and it doesn't matter if he has been neutered or not. I like to say, think of them as 23 year old human males in a bar. If he starts fighting, your best bet is to simply break it up and leave. And then address any potential problems at a later time. Regardless if he is instigating the fights or not, you can start working on positive associations with him. Taking him on walks, having him sit and focus on you whenever a dog is approaching or passing by. Set yourselves up at a bench, have some tasty treats in hand, and whenever a dog is approaching, ask for a sit and then give him a treat. This seemingly super simple exercise works wonders with this type of stuff. He will quickly learn that the presence of another dog means calm behavior and rewards. You can increase the intensity of this exercise by moving from the bench to walking him, and then practicing this right outside the dog park. In the mean time, you can start tiring him out before going to the dog park, which I know seems a bit counterintuitive because the purpose of the dog park is exercise. But for right now, the purpose is going to be working on his social skills. A nice long walk before going to the park will also aid in this process. As I said, this is somewhat common for dogs his age. While that is no excuse, just know that it isn't something that will likely continue. Nor is it much of a sign that he is an "aggressive dog". He is just flexing his muscles right now so to speak. It is just another phase to work through. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for writing in!
July 27, 2020