If you’ve never trained a dog before, it can be easy to revert to disciplines that we have seen others use or methods that we would use with children. At times, these can actually make matters worse. Hitting or causing pain to a dog in any way is not only inhumane, but it can cause your dog to either become more aggressive or to cower in fear. Below are listed ten humane, and widely used, training techniques for dogs.- Spray bottle. Having a small spray bottle with water in it can be a very handy and effective disciplinary tool. A quick squirt of water in its face will be unpleasant but not harmful. When this technique is consistently repeated when the negative behavior is happening, the dog will begin to recognize that the behavior has unpleasant consequences.
- Chin taps. A couple of firm taps under the dog’s chin combined with a firm no can communicate your displeasure in a much stronger measure than you may expect.
- Tone of voice. Your tone of voice is one of the most effective tools you have. Understanding this one thing can make a huge difference in the training process for your dog. Yelling and shouting will not affect a dog in the same way it does another human being. It is important to calm a dog when disciplining them, and a raised voice will tend to excite them and even cause them to bark back, on occasion. Commands should be firm and consistent. Praise should also be delivered in a calm but soft voice.
- Time out. This is one form of discipline that you can carry over from your children to your pets. Placing your dog in their kennel for a short period immediately after the behavior can help reinforce your direction for them.
- Positive reinforcement. Discipline is not just about your dog’s negative behavior. You should also be providing positive reinforcement when they do the right thing. Doggy treats immediately following their successful trip out of doors is just as important as the discipline that follows an accident in the house.
- Ignoring. Dogs love attention from human. Scolding them is attention. Hitting them on the rump with a rolled newspaper is attention. You can often be reinforcing negative behavior when you use these methods. Keep your reactions calm and removing them from human contact can be a much better solution.
- Physical relocation. To housebreak a dog, or train them stay off a rug, for example, you may want to simply pick them up and place them where they are supposed to be. If they urinate on the floor, immediately pick them up and bring them outside. If they are on your oriental rug, and aren’t supposed to be, pick them up and place them back on the wood floor.
- Distasteful consequences. Providing negative consequences to replace positive ones can quickly change a dog’s behavior. Some hot pepper mixed in the trash will make it much less appealing in the future. Bitter spray on chewable items can eliminate their appeal.
- Collars. Correction collars can be another good training device when used correctly. They allow you to maintain control and administer the discipline immediately when the behavior happens.
- Remove the reward. If your dog is doing something you don’t approve of, they are mostly likely gaining some positive reward from it. If you can eliminate the positive reward, then you may also eliminate the behavior.
With any of these discipline techniques, the key is consistency. If you aren’t consistent, your dog receives mixed messages and will not understand what you are trying to communicate. If something is ‘wrong’, it should always be wrong. If the rug is off limits, it must always be off limits. When attempting to train a dog, you must be willing to discipline yourself, as well.
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