Pets
Practice, Practice, Practice
You should practice with your puppy every day. Puppies learn by repetition. Each day builds on the day before and reinforces the lesson in your puppy's mind. You do not have to do formal training sessions with your puppy in order for him to learn. If you only go out and conduct formal training sessions, the puppy will learn that he must listen and respond when he is being "trained", but not throughout the course of the day when he is just being a puppy. In fact, a puppy's attention span is so short that he will soon lose interest in training after just a few minutes of "drilling". Instead, your training sessions should occur throughout the day when you are with him. Apply what you learn in class to your daily routine. For example, sit for greetings, wait for his food, before he goes through a doorway, is allowed out of your car, down stays at dinner time, walking nicely on leash on your fun walks, sits, downs, waits and stays during play, etc. The hour that you spend in class each week is primarily for you to learn the proper techniques. It is during home practice that your puppy does the majority of his learning.Try to incorporate training into fun games so that your puppy enjoys training. Your puppy should love to do things for you and you should get a sense of success and feel proud for what you and your puppy have accomplished. In order to get this you must make sure that you are giving him plenty of rewards for good behavior. Remember, rewards are anything your puppy perceives as fun and rewarding. Examples are dinner, walks, a ride in the car, treats, play, hugs, eye contact, and "sweet talk."
Children are encouraged to help train the puppy but should be accompanied by an adult when practicing. They must be taught to be patient, gentle and kind. They also must be taught how to train your puppy. Without your supervision they can become frustrated and this will not benefit the child or the puppy.
Lastly, it is unrealistic to expect your puppy to respond to your cues in other environments outside of your home unless you practice in all environments. Puppies do not generalize easily. He does not "know better" because "he does it at home" -- he doesn't know better. You must teach him.
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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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