One of the best ways to begin training any dog is to teach him to think for himself.
Go to the pet store and buy a "clicker" - a little hand-held gadget that clicks when you squeeze it.
Buy some small treats.
You should also already have a dog basket or mat where he is to sleep, but if not you need one of those as well.
Place the mat/basket on the floor.
Say "Go to your mat" Your dog will move around the room, but every time he goes towards or nearer his mat squeeze the clicker and immediately drop him a treat.
When he moves away from the mat, say nothing.
Nearer to the mat - click and treat.
Away from the mat - say nothing.
If your dog barks, simply turn your back on him and ignore him.
Just look over your shoulder to see if he moves nearer the mat.
When he does - click and treat.
Keep on doing this.
EVERY time he goes nearer the mat click and treat.
Now when he actually steps on to the mat - click and TWO treats! And say "Good Dog".
Off the mat - no treats.
Nearer the mat - click and treat.
On the mat - click and TWO treats and "Good Dog".
Do nothing else.
Just keep up this routine.
I've seen a dog trainer do this with an eleven week old retriever puppy.
The puppy got the hang of it within about eight minutes and actually lay down on the mat.
What happens here is that the dog actually has to figure out for himself that when he gets nearer or on to the mat he gets a reward.
And if he moves away from the mat he doesn't get a reward.
Furthermore, if he barks he just gets ignored.
(Don't say "bad dog" - just say nothing and turn your back).
Once he has worked it out it makes later training so much simpler because the dog now knows that he can work things out for himself - and equally importantly knows he can't pull the wool over your eyes and pretend he doesn't understand! Training this way - using the system of "markers" as they're called (a marker is when you squeeze the clicker) - is so much simpler and quicker than reward and punishment.
It's easier on both the owner and the dog and once the dog has got the idea he's not going to forget it.
Go to the pet store and buy a "clicker" - a little hand-held gadget that clicks when you squeeze it.
Buy some small treats.
You should also already have a dog basket or mat where he is to sleep, but if not you need one of those as well.
Place the mat/basket on the floor.
Say "Go to your mat" Your dog will move around the room, but every time he goes towards or nearer his mat squeeze the clicker and immediately drop him a treat.
When he moves away from the mat, say nothing.
Nearer to the mat - click and treat.
Away from the mat - say nothing.
If your dog barks, simply turn your back on him and ignore him.
Just look over your shoulder to see if he moves nearer the mat.
When he does - click and treat.
Keep on doing this.
EVERY time he goes nearer the mat click and treat.
Now when he actually steps on to the mat - click and TWO treats! And say "Good Dog".
Off the mat - no treats.
Nearer the mat - click and treat.
On the mat - click and TWO treats and "Good Dog".
Do nothing else.
Just keep up this routine.
I've seen a dog trainer do this with an eleven week old retriever puppy.
The puppy got the hang of it within about eight minutes and actually lay down on the mat.
What happens here is that the dog actually has to figure out for himself that when he gets nearer or on to the mat he gets a reward.
And if he moves away from the mat he doesn't get a reward.
Furthermore, if he barks he just gets ignored.
(Don't say "bad dog" - just say nothing and turn your back).
Once he has worked it out it makes later training so much simpler because the dog now knows that he can work things out for himself - and equally importantly knows he can't pull the wool over your eyes and pretend he doesn't understand! Training this way - using the system of "markers" as they're called (a marker is when you squeeze the clicker) - is so much simpler and quicker than reward and punishment.
It's easier on both the owner and the dog and once the dog has got the idea he's not going to forget it.
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