Any dog owner who has spent time with children realizes how very much alike dogs and kids are when it comes to positive praise vs. raised voices, anger or frustration. Taking a positive approach to dog training (and child rearing) has proven to be a successful method.
Positive reinforcement dog training works by using praise and rewards vs. punishment or correction, to teach a dog desired behavior. The key to this training approach is to determine what it is that motivates your dog, and use that motivator as a reward upon correct performance. In positive reinforcement dog training you can use treats, toys, physical affection, verbal praise or a combination of any of those, to reward your dog for correct behavior.
Selecting a set of cue words for prompting specific actions is the first step. “Sit”, “Down”, “Come”, and “Stay” are basic cue words for training a dog. It is critical to give a reward immediately upon getting the correct response to the cue when given.
For example, if you ask your dog to “come” and he comes toward you – perhaps not even all the way to you – let him know right away he’s done the right thing by praising and rewarding. Rewards must be something your dog really loves in order to motivate the correct behavior. Most dogs are motivated by food, but some could care less about food and seek their owner’s praise and affection over treats or toys. I have three small dogs, and of the three, one is completely unmotivated by food. She would much rather please me and receive pets and hugs, than a treat. The other two, however, come running like Mighty Dog when the words “come get a treat” are spoken!
