Several times I have had people say to me “my dog is too stupid to learn anything”. Inwardly I roll my eyes as I try to explain how to start training a dog. There are many training techniques, and some may work better for different people or dogs, but I tend to stick to mostly positive training methods.

This doesn’t mean you never correct your dog or tell them no. A dog that is never told “no” can get spoiled or not respond well if eventually, someone tries to tell them no (almost everyone knows a person who has a child that never tells them no… think of how a child who never is never told “no” acts… similar behavior can happen with dogs)

Dogs Don’t Understand Words

Yep, I know I just told you that telling your dog “no” occasionally is necessary and now I am saying dogs don’t understand words. What I mean by this is dogs don’t understand words unless you teach them the meaning of the word.

People talk a lot and most of the time it is not directed at our pets, unless your the crazy person who only talks to their pets, it’s important to clearly teach the dog the meaning of the words you want them to understand.

When giving a command make sure you have your dog’s attention first.  Saying their name first usually works to grab their attention.

A dog needs to learn why to follow a command. This is why I like positive training methods. The dog learns to do something because they want to and get a reward from obeying not to avoid punishment. This is not the only way to train but I have had good results with it so far.

Mark the Correct Behavior

Pick a word or noise to mark a correct behavior. The word should be short. Timing is important when marking a correct behavior else your just confusing the dog. I use YES but good or any other short word works too.

A clicker can be used to mark the behavior. This is a very short noise. You can push a button faster than speak the word yes. The sound is also consistent whereas any word you say can vary in volume and tone.

I have tried clicker training, and it is very useful. I simply lose things too often. I have several clickers around my house… somewhere… and don’t enjoy carrying something else around with me so I tend to stick with yes.

No Reward Marker

Just as it is important to tell a dog when they have done something right it is important to let them know when they didn’t get it right. The no reward marker isn’t yelling at your dog it’s simply a word (like no) said in a calm voice that lets them know that isn’t what you were looking for.

It also helps the dog to have a good attitude when told no. Instead of getting frustrated and the dog stops trying you want to encourage an attitude of “that didn’t work I’ll try something else”. After a dog fails, remember to make it easier so the next time they are successful.

I’ll give an example of how to use this later on in the article.

Before You Start Training

• Start with a hungry dog – This is very important if you are training with treats and will help motivate the dog.
• Keep treats small – Treats the size of a pea for a german Shepard sized dog and smaller for tiny dogs
• Pick a spot without many distractions – Constant “SQUIRREL” moments can ruin any good training session
• Have treats near you but not where they are distracting to the dog – A donuts sitting right next to me and I’ll never get work done, a big bag of treats setting where your dog can see can be just as distracting so keep treats out of sight.

Food Lure Exercise

This is one of the first things I start teaching my dogs. Once your dog gets the hang of it using it to get them into a sit, down, heel or to go to a specific spot is much easier.

• Place a treat in the palm of your hand and close your hand around the treat
• Put your hand near the dog’s nose
• Once the dog notices the treat and has its nose to your hand, slowly move your hand forward. Make sure to keep your hand at the same high as the dog’s nose.
• If their nose stays “attached” to your hand say “yes” (or the word you choose or click) and give the dog the treat.
• Start out small only have the dog take a step before giving them the treat. Work your way up and get creative by having them follow your hand. Some very timid dogs may only make small movements. Take extra time with them. Just stretching out their neck or moving a few inches may be enough to reward them.
• If their nose leave your hand this is where the no reward marker comes in. Simply say “no” (I actually say eh) and turn away for a second or two. Typically, the dog will move around to try to look at your face to figure out what’s going on. This is a good sign, you want the dog to try to figure out what is going on and to look to you for guidance. Now repeat the training but go to an easy stage where the dog will get it right.

This exercise is actually teaching your dog several things at once. Not only does it teach them to follow your hand but also reinforces the reward marker and no reward marker.

Possible Problems

This is a fairly simple exercise but a few things can make it very frustrating (for you and the dog) quickly.

1. Your timing is off – Some dogs you only have a second or two before the start nibbling or pawing your hand. Being a few seconds too slow and marking yes to pawing your hand is going to confuse your dog. Watch closely and be fast when marking a correct behavior.
2. Moving to fast – Start out slow only having your dog move a step or two. Once your dog is consistently doing this don’t advance to across the room all at once. Increase a step or two at a time and if the dog messes up, go back to a stage where the dog will be able to do it and reward them. A very timid dog may need to start at only moving its head forward. Progress slowly until a timid dog has gained confidence.
3. Keep training short – Most dogs (especially young puppies) have a hard time focusing for long. Try to end training before the dog gets tired of it. Some dogs would be willing to work for hours others 5 minutes and they are getting distracted easy. Keep an eye on your dog and stop training if it appears your dog is starting to lose interest. Keep track of how long your dog can train before losing interest and keep training shorter than that time.
4. You’re getting frustrated – If you don’t have much experience training dogs it can take some time to get used to it. It is easy to get frustrated if things aren’t going how you imagined but keep calm. Dogs are masters at picking up body language and changes in emotion. It is better to stop than to try to continue while frustrated. Always try to keep training positive so it is something your dog wants to do.

Please feel free to leave any questions or problems you are having in the comments below and I’ll do my best to help. If the information has helped in any way please leave a comment to let me know!