Pets
Devloping a Good Relationship
Training begins the moment you acquire your puppy. Structuring everyday interactions with your puppy will help you and your puppy learn to cooperate with one another. Your puppy needs to learn, early on, that following your directions results in enjoyable outcomes for him. Teaching your puppy to trust you improves your relationship and his quality of life.
These are effective procedures to help you establish a trusting relationship with your puppy.
The "Name Game" -- Your puppy should learn early on that when you say his name, it means, "pay attention because something important is going to happen." Your puppy was not born knowing his name. He knows nothing about our language until you teach him what these "sounds" or "words" mean. His name is just a sound to his ears and nothing more. Several times a day, look at your puppy, say his name and, as soon as he looks at you, praise and reward him or do something that he will find really exciting. Make sure you never use your puppy's name in conjunction with something unpleasant, like scolding. You want him to love his name and expect good things when he hears it.
Earn the Praise -- Puppies love and need attention. You may find your puppy so irresistible that you can't help but dote on him. However, no puppy should always get attention whenever he wants it. If your puppy attempts to get your attention by nudging your arm, barking, jumping up at you, or some other obnoxious behavior, do not pay attention to him (i.e. refrain from talking to him, looking at him, touching him, etc.). If you do, you will be reinforcing unacceptable, demanding behavior. This does not mean you can't give your puppy a ton of attention but it should be on your terms. In addition, attention can be a very powerful reward so you should use it to reinforce good behavior.
Demanding Behavior -- On a similar vein, you shouldn't reinforce your puppy for demanding food from you. For instance, you shouldn't feed your puppy when he is standing at his bowl, the cupboard, or treat bag and barking or whining. Instead, put your puppy on a schedule and feed him when you want to. If you feed him 2-3 times a day, he will not starve. We recommend that you don't leave food out for your puppy to nibble on throughout the day. Food is a very powerful motivator. Don't waste it. Use it to enhance your dog's training.
Control Play Sessions -- Play is also a very powerful motivator, so don't waste it. In addition, play is also an extremely important way for you to bond with your puppy. People and puppies who play together, stay together! Make sure your puppy always looks forward to playing with you. When you play, end the game before your puppy gets bored -- always end the game when your puppy still wants more.
Manage Your Puppy's World -- Puppies with good manners don't hog the furniture. Instead, they wait for an invitation. You may or may not want to allow your puppy free access to the furniture. If you do, then you need to teach your puppy to get off willingly when you ask. To teach your puppy to get off willingly, tell your puppy "off" and toss a treat on the floor. Do this many times and your puppy will always expect a treat when he gets off -- this doesn't mean you always have to give him one but make sure you do occasionally.
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PETsMART Accredited Training Instructors, in addition to their previous experience, receive a minimum of 120 hours of training in a curriculum which includes: Canine Behavior, Learning Theory ("How Dogs Learn"), Problem-Solving, Classroom Management, Equipment, Handling Skills and more. Where possible, hands-on training is completed in partnership with local shelters, using shelter dogs to demonstrate training methods, behavior assessment and handling skills. This enables us to accredit our instructors while contributing to the community, as we help to make these dogs even more adoptable.
Suzanne Hetts Ph.D. is certified as an applied animal behaviorist and co-owner of Animal Behavior Associates, Inc., in Denver, CO.
Terry Ryan is the well-known author of training books such as The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog and The Bark Stops Here.
Pia Silvani is the Director of Pet Training and Behavior at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J.
Mary Lee Nitschke, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Linfield College, an Animal Behavior Therapist and the Director of Training for Animal School in Portland, OR.
Trish King is the Director of the Animal Behavior and Training Department at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, CA.
Pamela J. Reid, Ph.D. is a certified applied animal behaviorist and assistant professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, where she teaches veterinary students courses in Applied Ethology and the Principles of Learning.
Information and advice contained on this site is for your consideration only. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet.
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