Dog Training

Dog Training: The Right Way For Your Pet To Learn

The simple truth is that there is no way your dog can know what you want or expect from it without dog training. Dogs don’t speak our language, and they are not the same as human babies. Your dog may never understand what you say, but they can always understand what you do. Teaching your dog and puppy training is best accomplished through classical conditioning and positive and negative reinforcement.

Classical conditioning is best known in the story of Pavlov’s dogs. Noted behaviorist, Ivan Pavlov, proved that even purely biological responses can be elicited through administration of classical conditioning. Dog obedience training has been based on these premises, and knowing how to train a dog for the best results relies heavily on classical conditioning using positive and negative reinforcement to modify behavior.

Ivan Pavlov experimented using the administration of sound simultaneously with giving dog food or treats to his dogs. Using a special device that measured the saliva of his dogs, he was able to prove that after consistent, simultaneous administration of the tone and the food, dogs eventually salivated at the sound of the tone, even when food was not administered. This proves conclusively that even biological responses can be reinforced by pairing a neutral element and a reward.

Training your dog is sure to be successful when you consistently pair a behavior with a positive or negative response, and it requires no special dog training equipment. While not advocating cruel treatment of any animal, it is important to note that reinforcement can be positive or negative. When a dog does well, it receives a treat and is shown signs of approval from its master. When a dog does something of which you disapprove, a loud (not painful) slap with a rolled paper and signs of disapproval from its master are an effective way to train dogs.

Training a hunting dog means they must not startle and run from the shot of a gun. Dog training of this sort requires desensitization. Sound desensitization is particularly tricky given the ultra sensitive nature of canine hearing. Systematic exposure to the sound of gunshots becomes a necessary part of gun dog training, but it is possible to associate the sound of a gunshot with a positive reinforcement such as a treat, to help the dog get over startling and associate the sound with a pleasant activity.