It’s Train Your Dog Month!
Secrets to modern dog training.
By
Jolanta Benal, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
Jolanta Benal, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
January 13, 2012
2 minute read
I’ve met more than one person who flinched at the thought of training their dog — not because they wanted a rude, unruly companion, but because they thought of “training” as a matter of repetitive drills, punctuated by yanks on the dog’s neck. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers sponsors “Train Your Dog Month” every January to celebrate and encourage modern dog training, because “we want dog owners to see how simple and fun training can be.”
How simple? Here’s the Big Secret of modern training:
- Know what your dog likes: food, scratches, walks, fire-hydrant sniffing …
- Manage situations so your dog is set up to do things you like
- … and so that unruly behavior doesn’t get her what she wants.
- Generously, generously, generously thank your dog for doing what you like, by giving her access to things she likes.
- Lather, rinse, repeat, until that good behavior is deeply ingrained habit. Read More »