dog behavior training

Positive reinforcement is one of the most popular modern methods of training your dog. It basically means rewarding good behavior and ignoring bad behavior. It works very well, confirming that ignoring your pet dog is one of the most effective methods of communicating your disapproval. Repeating and being consistent with positive reinforcement methods achieves results.

One of the best aspects of positive reinforcement is that it enables your dog to learn almost of its own accord and through this the appropriate behavior seem to be learned so much more effectively. Beyond the simple idea, there are several techniques for rewarding and ignoring that are worth familiarising yourself with.

Use meaningful rewards

The most effective rewards are treats and physical affection. Too many treats might lead to an overweight dog but also become boring for a dog after a while. So do simple pats on the head, so variation should be included in order to maintain your dog’s interest and motivation to improve again in future. Dogs like being stroked on their back near the tail, and on their chest. Scratching near the ears also appeals to most dogs. These are just examples of ways to vary the reward; others include favourite toys, ball chasing, etc.

Time things properly

Required behavior will be much more quickly understood by your dog if you ensure that rewards or positive signals are given at just the right moment, immediately following the correct behavior. A positive verbal sound or gesture will work if timed right, but clickers are also highly appropriate here. A separate post will follow about clicker training.

Be consistent

Positive reinforcement lends itself to planning and preparation, especially because it can be done in short bursts until it becomes part of your natural day-to-day interaction with your dog. Part of the planning is to be clear from the outset which commands and gestures you want your dog to understand and then consistently train using them.

Ignoring is a technique

A key aspect of being consistentwith this process is for the trainer (you) to understand that the negative reaction of ignoring means precisely that. The failure to react at all to the poor behavior registers with your dog. A negative reaction also registers and some dogs will seek that rather than total ignoring in order to get any kind of interaction with you. Showing no reaction also emphasises the effect of the positive reaction you give for good behavior, so uncomfortable as it may seem to some pet owners, ignoring is the right thing to do.

A healthy dog is easier to train, and as diet is very important to health then a good diet will support your training process. A common ratio for an appropriate dog diet is 40% meat, 30% vegetables and 30% starch.

A good quality dry dog food should be a key constituent in what you feed your dog. It helps both offset the cost of meat and starts to balance the diet. Dog foods are labelled with a list of ingredients, with the highest proportions listed first, through to the smallest at the end.

In the “Ingredients” or “Typical Analysis” section described on the packaging, a good dog food will have little, and in many cases, no “waste” animal content, which are sometimes described as “by-products”. These products are often unfit for human consumption. Any dog food that does have waste or by-products in any sizeable amount should really be avoided. It might be cheaper and the products themselves do not necessarily make the product dangerous, but they do carry higher long-term risk to muscles, bones, coats and the general health of dogs, especially if a part of their regular daily intake.

A number of points pertinent to achieving the 40/30/30 ratio:

• Meat - Lamb, beef and chicken provide protein, good for healthy coats and musculature. As an aside, it’s a bad idea to let dogs, cats and similar pets have chicken bones as they splinter easily and can cause choking.
• Vegetables - carrots and greens are a good balance for dog nutrition, providing the vitamins and minerals essential to good bone development. They also provide the right levels of hormone and enzyme for good health. I’ve always found that different individual dogs are partial to a particular vegetable but don’t like others, which is useful to explore when assessing what to feed your dog.
• Starch - the usual provider of this for a dog is brown or white rice, though not in too large a quantity, especially not in an older dog. Starch provides the carbohydrates to build energy and maintain strength.

Some breeds are often stated to be sensitive to certain foods but this varies in individual dogs. There will also be exceptions when a dog is unhealthy for a little while.

Small amounts of water can be added to dry food to make it more palatable for some dogs.

The sheen on your dog’s coat, the state of its eyes and what is coming out at the other end are the most easy indicators to allow you to assess your dog’s health, but a balanced diet helps provide these. Spending just a little more on better food for your pet is worth it in the long term.

Click here for a free 6-day email course. It will give you a LOT of information and includes solutions to:

• dogs ignoring commands
• dogs pulling on leashes
• dogs jumping up
• manic barking

and a whole lot more. Or you can click here if you like. It’s well worth a look.

Tricks don’t have to be complex routines but might be perfectly simple, such as sit up and beg, shake paws, etc. On the other hand, complicated tricks are usually taught, and learned most easily, by building up a series of short, simple routines. Also they can be done in stages, building, for example, distances and complexity.

Pointers to training your dog to do tricks include:

• Work with your dog’s inclinations and not against them. It’s worth researching some of the breed traits to see which type of trick might be relatively easy to begin with.
• Try and extend or adapt your dog’s current behavior, initially using rewards and linking a command or gesture. To give a simple example, extending the sitting position to lifting your dog’s paw then giving it a reward will soon lead your dog into doing it naturally.
• Similar examples would be training your dog to wheel around you on command with “spin” if it has learned to heel properly, or telling it to “roll” or “play dead” from a lying position, associating a gesture and initially rewarding.
• Gradually, praise will be sufficient to replace the reward, and this should be an early objective as well as the behavior itself.
• Even the initial or some of the early rewards don’t have to be food, in some cases a favorite or even a new toy will suffice.
• There is no doubt that food does work well, though, and by being a little creative with how the food is positioned relative to the dog’s body, without going to silly or frustrating (for your dog) extremes, you might be surprised how quickly your dog learns!

Above all, remember that your dog should be clearly enjoying the activity, so that you can too!

Despite its diminutive stature, the Pomeranian can be one of the more challenging breeds for dog behavior training. With high energy levels and natural friendly yet attention-seeking characteristics, they require more than normal amounts of patience and persistence than many other dog breeds. 

Kongs, the heavy duty rubber toy with a hole in the center in which you can hide things such as small treats or smaller safe toys, seem to work particularly well with many Pomeranians.

Regular short walks are the best way to keep your Pomeranian in both good health and demeanour. This will help offset their natural requirement for being kept occupied, but they do like doing tricks as well as enjoying ball games.This affinity for tricks plus their cute appearance, are the reasons why this breed more often stars than others at shows of both the public and “stage” variety.

They tend to jump a lot if not controlled, but the issue most owners have is their barking so the training methods shown elsewhere on this page for training dogs out of jumping and barking habits should be utilised as early as possible in the Pomeranian’s life, and with a good deal of patience and persistency from early on these will normally suffice.

Its worth noting that they don’t usually get on too well with cats, and they don’t know they are small so they will actually try to dominate other dogs as well, so the alpha techniques shown below will also be useful from an early stage. With this breed more than others, it’s a very good idea to get her trained to standard verbal commands and the relevant accompanying gestures, again from as early as possible.

If you would like to know more, click here for help with your Pomeranian training program.

Also be careful when leash training as although they have strong necks relative to their small size, tugging to correct poor behavior should not be overly sharp or prolonged. Nevertheless, another great dog to enjoy!

Commands

Restating the earlier post, making sure the basic commands are trained first is by far the best approach with this breed.

1. “Come” is fairly natural and the easiest using rewards, starting in the garden or somewhere else enclosed, using a leash and possibly more human assistance as the distance is increased gradually.
2. “Sit” is easily trained but probably the most important command, as the submissive position and greater control that it instils will be important throughout the terrier’s life.
3. If the first two above have begun to register, then “Stay” is the next most important, particularly because it can be used quite successfully as the warning before any aggression towards other dogs is signalled (see Part II of this post).
4. “Down” or “Lie Down” can also be trained fairly early, and reinforced by gently pushing the dog’s shoulders and/or rear end down as part of the learning process, supported by appropriate rewards and praise as it registers.

After these have all been instilled, then more advanced training can be embarked upon, but it is important that these are got across to the Staffordshire from an early age.

Leash Training

This is vital with such a strong dog, and I make no apology for restating that a chest halter is a must in my experience. No doubt other methods can be tried and may succeed but the halter gives more control and is mopre comfortable fopr your dog. The necks of many smaller dogs can be strong, but the chest, neck and muscle of a Staff are very powerful indeed, and a normal lead will not only be ineffective but also mean high risk if control of your dog is lost outdoors.

It’s a matter of preference about the leash, but I’ve found that using one of the strong nylon ribbon retractable leads was one of the best twenty-pound investments I’ve ever made. By getting the dog used to walking on a short length, when it is shortened it signals to him that he should behave and he doesn’t pull.

If your dog does pull, the halter and leash will quickly assert control. If necessary, you should simply stop walking and make him stay still or even sit befoire you signify that you are willing to continue. The same procedure will work with any jumping if it occurs.

Aggression in dogs is a huge subject due to the variety of behaviors and situations in which it can arise. This post considers two examples of the less severe forms of aggressive dog behavior.

• Food aggression - this can vary in its degree, ranging from not letting anyone near its food while it eats to being very aggressive if she thinks you are going to take it. In the most serious cases, aggression about food isn’t the only aggressive trait, but because eating is one of a dog’s greatest pleasures, its importance can often be the only area in which it exhibits such signs. ”Pack leader” status is inherent in food to a dog, so in mild cases it is important to continue interrupting her eating at various times so that she becomes more comfortable, rather than let the situation develop. In more serious cases the situation can be turned around by a range of actions ranging from adding food while she’s eating, establishing that she gets fed after the family have had their food, through to feeding in stages ensuring that there are interruptions. It can take time so that the training  evolves through each stage.
• Play-biting by an adult dog. Play-biting is natural in a puppy and can usually be overcome most simply by you over-reacting, for example with a squeal then turning away, at the level of the activity at which you wish to set the limit. This is similar to the treatment it would receive from a more dominant puppy when young ….without the normal bite it would receive as well! So it registers what is not acceptable. An adult dog that continues to play-bite has normally missed such correction either by the owner or possibly because it was removed from the litter at too early a stage. Physical force will only encourage her in many cases. The better reaction is to substitute a dog chew or toy. The cold-shoulder treatment is also effective. In the case of slightly more severe biting, a sharp “No” or an appropriate command that she is familiar with should be added. Praise should also be tagged on, but only at the point when it will be clear to her that the praise is for her improved behavior.

If you’d like to know more about dog aggression now, click here.

Un-neutered Staffordshire Bull Terriers will prove slightly more difficult initially, but the techniques outlined here will work. Points applicable to the training process include:

• It is best to do training with Staffs in short sessions, and when he is most alert, i.e. not shortly after a meal or exercise
• As always, consistency is a must, and with young Staffordshires, a disciplined approach and use of short commands will work, as will positive reinforcement techniques, with “Stop” or “No” accompanying wrong behaviors and rewards plus “Good”,”Good Lad”,”Good Boy”, etc, soon becoming recognized by the dog. Aggression with any dog is no use if training as a pet, and with a Staffordshire is likely to encourage him to return it in kind, if only as a defense measure.

Socializing

Staffordshire Bull Terriers definitely need socializing and making familiar with as many new situations as possible from young, so as to avoid surprising or startling them later and thereby producing an inappropriate reaction.

They are fine with children if socialized from young, but with these and other dogs, supervision of both dogs and children is strongly advised.

Always keep the Staffie on a leash when around other dogs. If there is any sign of imminent aggression, which is usually relatively obvious if alert to the signs but can progress quickly from “walking tall” - ears and tail up, still curious at this stage - to squaring up. By this point any experienced keeper will have sent a “No” signal to the dog, but if not, things are going to get serious when the Staffordshire starts eyeballing the other dog to try and register dominance, then lip curling, growling, snarling and beyond. The keeper must in all circumstances pull the Staff away and ALWAYS reprimand him with a good telling-off and a bit of ignoring for a while. The dog will get the message quite quickly after a few repetitions.

Consistency, persistence, patience, etc. Yep, read it, done it, got the tee-shirt?

Well, repetitive and boring as they sound, these are the main elements of training dogs and several other types of pet. But when you see someone else’s well-behaved dog while you’re still struggling, it’s probably worth a refresher of the things that don’t work in order to remind us all that the things we should be doing, the first three words of this post, are the right approach.

• Violence is a complete no-no, simply because it is going to create a timid pet dog or one that decides to respond in kind and possibly when least expected. Either way, its the end of any credible or rewarding dog-owning relationship.
• Dogs are neither children or adults and do not respond to words like we do. They respond to tones of voice, the keeper’s behavior and gestures. True, one or two words may be a simple command, but it’s the repetition of something they recognise, often in conjunction with a gesture, that they respond to, and not any literal understanding of the command.
• To quote Cesar Milan, dogs live in the “now”, especially young ones; so do the old ones, but they have also got wise to the easy path to get what they want and learned a few simple patterns in your behavior. Hence the need for consistency and recognition on your part to react quickly to communicate to your dog the right behavior has just been carried out successfully.
• Training “sessions”, i.e. in a schedule, are really only for dogs that have progressed into advanced forms of shows and exhibitions, where it may well be almost a way of life. For inexperienced dogs, most dogs as a rule, and certainly puppies, they are picking up signals from you all the time and so training is really achieved through day-to-day interaction between you and your dog, which really reinforces the opening few words above. Addressing particular issues will be helped through some of the suggestions on this site but it is still based on consistency, persistence and patience!

Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or Staffies to their friends, are often thought to be pit bull terriers and get an undeserved reputation as a result. They are exceptionally strong for their size and can be challenging to train, but if trained correctly from young, they make superb family dogs. The usual behaviors that need attention early if they are to be corrected quickly are:

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

• Pulling on the leash, relentlessly if allowed
• Aggression towards other dogs, trying to be “top dog”
• Sometimes foolhardy in the pursuit of their objective
• NEVER let them start fighting other dogs - it could prove very costly

They are naturally very friendly towards humans, as with other breeds unless trained otherwise. A few general points are relevant to training Staffordshire Bull Terriers:

1. Like all terriers they are attention-seekers, which means, used appropriately with this breed, ignoring them can work well; however, in my experience there is hardly ever a need for this if the other tips advised here are applied consistently.
2. They take to a general daily routine very easily if not too rigid. Getting into a routine quickly will contribute towards training success.
3. Food is a real driver with this breed; coupled with their mammoth capacity for exercise, when young, food treats work very well as rewards.
4. Don’t have too high an expectation of them at the outset. By keeping things simple and focusing on the basics in short sessions, the training process will be much easier.
5. Invest in a chest halter! A traditional lead will work with some, and with most Staffies it will work some of the time, but if he gets into pursuit mode, all kinds of problems can ensue.

Parts II and III of this post will go into more specific training techniques for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

The chihuahua is naturally fairly strong-willed. Behavioral problems almost invariably arise from when an owner has been too lenient with the chihuahua puppy on account of it being small and cute. Training needs to start early, especially socialization in as many situations as possible so that the pet chihuahua naturally becomes a fairly rounded character. This will also provide opportunities to gauge the puppy’s aptitude for advanced training because being energetic, alert and intelligent, the chihuahua is sometimes best engaged by varied and more difficult tasks if the aptitude is there in the specific dog. Training needs to be assertive and with exercise, play and varied rewards in place it is usually possible to train the chihuahua relatively easily.

The best chihuahua training methods work with the little dog’s nature, especially its liking for attention and need to be engaged. Given the principle of starting young, its need for variety in order to engage it is going to be accentuated. However it will also be very receptive to rewards, so by breaking the reward pattern up and only ever rewarding it after it completes the right behavior rather then during it, while keeping training sessions when young short and snappy, the chihuahua will quickly show what it made of and react fairly positively throughout.

Also, it is worth remembering that if something isn’t working, persisting with it immediately or becoming stressed will prove counter-productive for both your stress levels and the dog, so it is actually worth letting it go for another day, but without any rewards or they will lose their value very quickly.

Another productive technique with the young chihuahua is not to overdo a successful session, or else the dog will both tire and become bored, again illustrating the focus on short and snappy. So a little planning with simple objectives initially, and some patience, will be effective. Done properly, most chihuahuas will soon indicate their readiness to move onto advanced training and if so, it is well worth considering with this breed to make the most of its capabilities and fun-loving nature.

For help with training your Chihuahua, click here.

Chewing is one of the most natural things for your dog to do. Destructive dog chewing is the problem, especially when it’s our stuff that she’s developing a taste for!

Destructive chewing can often signify underexercise, boredom or loneliness. Exercise has a part to play in all of these, but it doesn’t solve the problem quickly. Really she has to be taught not to chew the wrong things and to stick to her own stuff.

Prevention is the first step:

• Keep all the tempting objects that you can out of harm’s way, and be careful you don’t get reminded the hard way that she can jump or reach up to table edges.
• In effect, especially with puppies, you need to “dog-proof” some areas of your home.
• Books, glasses, garbage, remote controls are all nice and crunchy for those sharp teeth.

Above all, make it clear which things can be chewed (her toys or dog chews) and which things are off-limits.

Giving your dog cast-off clothes, towels, slippers or shoes is going to confuse her and cost you both money to replace the item and time in reinforcing the rights and wrongs for her.

Focus her attention on her own toys. The younger she is, the more toys she might need. Keeping one or more toys in reserve and rotating them say every couple of days can help as it makes some variety, especially with a younger dog.

Try not to leave her on her own for too long if you are at home. Play with her and through this you can keep watch for any problem behavior.

It’s fairly certain that at some point she will chew something she shouldn’t. At that point a loud interrupting noise such as a clap of your hand or a firm vocal sound that she recognises as one of the telling-off type will stop her for a moment. Then by giving her one of her own toys or a dog chew quickly, and praising her when she reacts positively to the new item, will reinforce which of the dog chewing behaviors are acceptable to you.

Repeating this process as each incident occurs should solve destructive dog chewing fairly quickly.

My article on this was published on ezinearticles.com earlier today, click here to see it.

There is also an earlier one about the Key Principles of Dog Behavior Training, click here for that one.

And for a later one about Dogs Around Horses, click here.

Training a persistent dog not to bite will vary dependent on the individual dog’s characteristics, though age and breed will have a bearing. There are a range of techniques that can be used which will normally succeed if applied patiently and consistently before a muzzle becomes necessary.

Stopping the behavior in the young dog is the ideal, by stopping it developing the play-biting it would do naturally as a puppy. A strong “No” and slight squeeze of its muzzle, without damaging the nose or sense of smell, some of which occurs from high inside the nose, is a starting point which often gets the message across after a relatively short time.

Socializing the young dog as soon as possible and establishing the appropriate behaviors will also prevent problems forming then escalating. Biting other dogs when young is often a territorial and/or fear response so socializing is very useful. By initially leashing all the dogs involved if problems are anticipated, then letting them slowly approach and sniff each other will gradually ease any tension. Stroking all the dogs and letting your dog smell your hand will also help. If any dog is showing signs of imminent aggression, it should be made to sit; failure to do this will show the extent of the problem and it is almost inevitable with some breeds and individual dogs that they will always have to be leashed when around other dogs.

Experienced dog keepers recognise the signs at the very first instant, know their dogs and know that training the keepers themselves to take responsibility is also part of the solution. Occasionally a dog will persist in biting beyond around five months of age, in which case, depending on the specific circumstances, advanced measures will be required.

Dogs are naturally sociable, and if encouraged to socialize with other dogs from early in life, they will not normally develop problematic behaviour. There are exceptions, one of the most common being the natural instinct of rivalry between the same sex of the same breed, for example female German Shepherds, even though there isn’t a male in sight! This type of exception is normal and generally you just avoid putting them together if they haven’t been together from an early age. The terrier groups of dog generally tend to be more difficult with other dogs.

It is natural for dogs to enjoy rough knockabouts and play-biting with other dogs. Normally this shouldn’t be stopped unless there are signs of more serious biting developing, in which case the dogs should be separated quickly.

Problems tend to arise with older dogs that have not had as much contact with other dogs as perhaps they should. In these cases their territorial instincts often cause them to try and dominate the other dog. The territory in question could be your house, their own “space” or in some circumstances, you. These situations can often involve other factors. They can in most cases be overcome through repeating the experience, observing and carrying out appropriate training based on understanding the whole context. However, if you are watching the dogs as they approach each other, signs of one or both taking dominant postures should alert you to possibilities that you can head off before they develop.

If your dog continuously barks when in the presence of other dogs, in most circumstances a standard training command should stop it. If it continues, over time you will know your dog better and find the right reaction; actually simulating a bark yourself at your dog has been known to work, despite the strange looks it can attract!

Pulling on the leash is a common trait when sighting another dog. The most effective response, as with most leash pulling, is to stop for a few minutes, and if necessary make the dog sit or even lie down before moving on. Repeating this, even if every few steps and many times if necessary, will normally get the message across.

I’ll return to other aspects of socializing dogs in future posts.

Clickers can be an effective training tool. Whilst verbal commands and gestures can be used on their own to achieve successful training outcomes, clickers are particularly beneficial to some aspects of dog behavior training because they communicate immediately to your dog.

This means that when used consistently and by timing the click to the instant that your dog is behaving as you require, with practice they allow the introduction of additional stages in training a behavior which can be very useful at times. This is known as shaping the behavior. With experience, the trainer can use a click to signify the beginning of a behavior as well as its successful conclusion.

Two important rules for using a clicker are:

1. Although it is good practice to reinforce the completion with a verbal confirmation such as “good” or “yes”, use of the clicker should continue unless it is no longer necessary. Your dog will be confused by any random combination or variation in use of rewards, verbal sounds or clicker and will not react as you require.
2. Any training activity using the clicker must use it consistently and accurately every time the required activity is performed or again it will lose its meaning to your dog.

To introduce your dog to the clicker, clicking it as a reward is given will begin the process. Another way to encourage your dog to associate it with enjoyable activity is to click it as she returns a ball for example, if that is something she enjoys doing. As it becomes more familiar, then it can be associated with good behavior outcomes as part of the positive reinforcement process.

Over time, as you become more experienced, the clicker can be used before the conclusion of an activity so that your dog will begin to anticipate what is required. Given further time and yet more experience, you will find that fewer clicks actually produce a greater number of successful outcomes.

To be the alpha, the leader of the pack that your dog looks to belong to, you should make use of the signs that dogs naturally recognize to continually reinforce the message.

Most good practices in dog behavior training build on the recognition by your dog that you are the alpha of the pack. Many instances of poor dog behavior arise from the dog not recognizing or sometimes challenging your position.

You don’t want your dog to be too submissive; it is her level of assertiveness that requires some control. To achieve this, yet again consistency is essential. It will take time, patience and repetition on your part with difficult cases.

In a young (6-12 week old) puppy, amongst the aptitude tests used to evaluate assertive characteristics for specialist dog training such as mountain rescue, a test sometimes referred to as the dominance-submission test is used. The puppy is placed on its back and a hand placed on its chest. An assessment is made of how much and for how long the puppy struggles before relaxing by, for example, dropping its paws, dropping its head back or looking away from the evaluator. There will be some variation by breed; most terriers don’t normally react too well to this but a Labador Retriever will often relax in a shorter time, which is fine - it’s the degree and nature of protest that tell the experienced evaluator what nature of dog he is dealing with.

Alternative forms of test are to kneel or stand in front of the dog and lift it by the chest, or to lift it gently by its front paws without being aggressive. The dog may react initially but will usually comply, which encourages it to accept its future role as well as giving the tester a further pointer to the dog’s nature.

The physical “lead position” within the pack is usually associated with the alpha. Personally I think it is the owner’s preference as to how far this signal should be taken. While it is clearly sensible not to let your dog greet visitors at the door by being in front of you, whether you want to take it as far as training your dog never to walk in front of you when out walking, under any circumstances, is a matter of choice. 

The next post will review day-to-day signs of alpha behavior and how to strike the right balance in alpha dog training.

 
If your dog’s barking and its not clear why, you can quickly identify the type of bark she’s making.

1. Aggressive or warning bark? If it is, is it directed at you or something else? This type is often the one that needs controlling and where you must avoid being manipulated.
2. Baying? This is often some form of signal, more common in specific breeds, like Beagles.
3. Whining? Some signify she’s in pain, others are again intended to manipulate.
4. Yapping? This one’s usually intending to be a nuisance until you meet the dog’s wishes.

The reasons for the barking include:

• She wants your attention; it could be she’s desperate for the toilet, more likely she’s seeking something from you 
• A reaction to someone or something outside; a reaction that you may appreciate sometimes
• Boredom or loneliness

Unless the reasons are simple and the answers are obvious, then to train the dog appropriately needs measured and deliberate responses from you. You are the owner that she depends on. If you don’t try and understand the reason, then you could confuse the dog and create bigger problems later.

If your dog thinks it can get what it wants because it barks at you, it will repeat the process over and over again.

So be aware that if you’ve “given in” before, there is a pattern forming that you probably want to stop.

Dogs need a lot of exercise and that is most often the simple but effective solution to boredom. Loneliness can be more complicated and I’ll return to this and other complexities in future.

For now, a good solution to the dog barking for less obvious reasons is to simply ignore it. Say nothing. Make no eye contact. If necessary, turn away. The dog will usually bark again. Again, do nothing. After a few minutes the dog will often stop because the barking is not having the desired effect.

If it still persists, reach out and hold her muzzle. Hold her collar if necessary; this is sending signals to her. When she’s still and quiet, hold for a few seconds more, then praise her. This is a very effective solution in the majority of cases.

This blog is devoted to dog behavior training; there will soon be a lot more content! If there is some aspect of dog training that interests you, please add your comments.

Relatively simply taught as part of leash training but by using the command “Heel” consistently and repetitively to the same length of leash and position in relation to you, and always on the same side especially when young, it will be effective.

A fixed leash will be best when your dog is young rather than even a fixed length of retractable leash as the latter does not give anything like the same level of quick control, which is made worse by an inexperienced dog.

As with all forms of leash training, if you stop walking when your dog does not comply with the Heel command, then do not move on until he is waiting for you, then you can try again, keeping sessions short and the message will get through.

The key to early success is to stay calm as any scolding or signs of frustration from you will be counter-productive as it is sending the opposite message to many dogs, namely that walking correctly with you usually signifies bad things to your dog.

A further technique for large dogs is to use a food reward held close to your side at the height of your dog’s head to encourage the dog to walk correctly but the reward must only be given for correct behavior; the process must be restarted without the reward being given if your dog is not behaving as required.

Not all owners require their dog to sit before crossing a road or the similar routines, but if you will require it then all of this should be trained together, or in very quick succession while the dog is young to help reinforce each signal to your dog.

Heel should be tried as various speeds as your dog gets used to it, to make sure that the training is effective. Changing direction can also be added in as training progresses.

In the early stages of most advanced training to heel, training the dog to heel while turning left, right or completely around uses treats while on the leash.

Training an older dog is more often than not a case of changing your dog’s habits where required. Allowances have to be made:

• these are established behaviors for the dog
• things will happen more slowly
• your dog is more likely to only want to pay attention for short periods
• there may be physical constraints involved, e.g. slower limbs, possibly more deafness, etc

As always, consistency is essential and perseverance on your part if trying to modify an embedded pattern of behavior. The type of exercsie need not be overly different, but your approach will need to be. A lot of repetition may well be required which, coupled with the probable necessity for shorter exercises, will mean more time spent than would be the case with a younger dog. It will also be necessary to leave longer rest periods if using physical exercise.

Rewards using food will have to be used more sparingly, not just because your dog will be more prone to putting on weight, but because she will also be getting wiser and more wily with age.

What does this mean? Simply that to be effective a little more thought and preparation is required if time and effort by both you and your dog are not going to be wasted. Ideas that will help are to make the training patterns as regular and consistent as possible so that your dog is more familiar and hence more attuned to what is required.  This can be done in terms of both time and place. It will be more routine but probably welcomed by an older dog, as it is in effect less wearing.

Another aspect to bear in mind is to recognise that the dog is older this time around, and play to its strengths; if necessary, recognise from the beginning that some things might not happen but focus on the things that do need to change.

Old dogs will learn new tricks, sometimes it just takes a little more time…

Jack Russell Terriers and Parson Russell Terriers are very similar dogs, the Parson Russell being taller, from about twelve inches in height. The two breeds’ behavioral characteristics are generally the same:

• Highly energetic, and soon bored
• Tend to yap and bark a lot as they are soon aroused
• More likely to bite than many breeds
• Can be difficult to leash train

Some of these behaviors can be appropriately trained using techniques described in other posts on this site. The standard training practices of being consistent, assertive and not indicating stress to the dog will be required but coupled with persistence and more patience than is often the case with “normal” dog training.

Russell Terriers like a challenge and plenty of exercise and activity, so much so that they do well in advanced training like agility training and the more energetic exhibition activities. This aspect lends more emphasis to the idea of completing basic training as soon as possible with the young dog, but NOT at the expense of losing sdome of the individual dog’s spirit, character and natural exuberance.

One of the most important parts of training the Jack Russell Terrier is to ensure that it is socialized when young with other dogs, pets and children, especially the latter and under supervision with all three. It is worth doing a little teaching of the children too, when a Russell Terrier is around. Teasing the Russell puppy will be risky both immediately and longer-term as if an inappropriate reaction occurs in the dog, which will rapidly become a hard-to-stop habit if not admonished.

A feisty and difficult Russell may require the use of additional training tools such as training collars and leashes, but only usually if it has not been trained properly early enough. As an owner, you will be in the best position to judge when these might be appropriate. However, help is available if required. Jack Russell Terriers and Parson Russell Terriers make great pets, but getting the right training in early is the key.

Playing with your dog has many benefits:

• provides fun, exercise and training opportunities
• uses surplus energy in your dog
• stimulates your dog
• helps your dog develop
• greatly enhances bonding between you and your dog
• considerably benefits health, possibly in you as well as your dog!

Playtime can be as silly as you like. Play is really helpful as it can be used to build on the training you may be trying to accomplish. There are lots of ways of varying playtime with your dog:

• Chasing is a natural activity for a dog so ball or frisbee games, including throwing and hiding, are an obvious choice
• Larger dogs and robust smaller ones enjoy a rough-housing session
• Old socks tied in knots make great toys for throwing
• Most dogs use their sense of smell to differentiate between a child’s ball and their own
• Tickling your dog’s tummy is a great favorite
• Carrying objects while chasing about is enjoyed by many dogs
• Hide and seek, including while out walking

In your garden or backyard you can adapt old stuff to create other ideas:

• Putting planks on blocks to make equipment for your dog to jump over or walk along
• Old children’s slides can be used for dogs to play on, and some dogs will quickly learn to climb the steps as well as the slope
• Old paddling pools can be used with shallow depths of water to put ice or apples in for your dog to retrieve
• Putting rewards or toys under one of a few old sand-buckets, a variation on magic acts, works well with playful dogs

Many of the above activities will create lots of opportunities to build on standard commands and develop various aspects, for example reducing the need for food rewards and replacing them more with praise and affection.
Opportunities for trick training will also be provided within some of the above, creating yet more variation and enjoyment for you and your dog.

Finally, some points worth bearing in mind when playing with your dog:

1. Don’t play for too long as it loses its impact
2. End all play sessions on a positive note by praising and stroking your dog
3. If playing any game of fetch or similar exercises, always get the object back from your dog
4. Young dogs shouldn’t be over-exercised as their bodies are still developing
5. Old dogs will still play but at different speeds and levels to their younger counterparts. Just because your dog is ageing, if it is in reasonable health the fun does not have to stop.

Have fun!

It is not uncommon for a dog to be nervous when separated from its keeper for a time. The most common problem is a dog that is left alone when its keeper is out at work. With some dogs the anxiety increases quite quickly. It can have several causes:

1. Some breeds are more predisposed to the condition than others, for example Springer Spaniels and Airedales.
2. Dogs from shelters, possibly because they have been “deserted” before. 
3. Dogs separated too soon after birth from their mothers and other puppies.

Symptoms of dogs suffering separation anxiety include:

• When recognizing that you are about to leave the house, your dog starts whining, trembling or in some cases even becomes aggressive to try and prevent you leaving.
• When you are absent, she may start barking almost continuously or for long spells, or  attempt to scratch or dig her way out of the room, damaging doors, windows or carpets. She may also chew the wrong things or eliminate in the room.
• When you return, she greets you in an over-excited way and goes through a long greeting routine, way beyond the normal minute or so.

If events of this type are recurring, then clearly the behavior has to be corrected or it may deteriorate further. Solutions include the following:

• Do not over-indulge her on your return! This can be a major contributor to encouraging the wrong behavior.
• Exercise her before you leave, in the form of an energetic walk of at least 20 minutes and if possible longer, especially if she will be left alone for most of the day.
• Provide distractions for while you are out. For example, give her something appropriate to chew and/or enable her to see through a window. You could possibly even leave the radio on a soothing channel - it works for some dogs!
• Practice some “false starts” which effectively acclimatize her to you going and slowly build them up, moving to the next stage as she shows no stress with the completed one. Initially for example, put your coat on, open the door, then close the door and sit down. Whenh she stops reacting, praise the good behavior. At this point you can slowly escalate the routine, by going out, closing the door then coming back in again and sitting down, etc. You can prolong the period before you come back in through a couple more stages.

These actions will normally remedy the problems. For more advanced techniques to deal with separation anxiety, click here.

Stay naturally follows on from the Sit command. Remain facing him after he sits down, and walk backwards as you say “Stay”. By repetition at lengthening distances as your dog gets used to the training, eventually your dog will succeed at this.

An accompanying gesture is useful; don’t confuse this with another gesture, and because “Stay” will be one of the most frequent commands, use something really simple, for example pointing at where he is sat or a slightly raised hand always in the same position in relation to your body.

In case of any difficulties, Stay is one of those commands that can be reinforced simply with persistence with most dogs. If he comes back to you before you want him to, lead him back to the same spot he was in, get him to Sit then back slowly away again and repeat the process.

A retractable lead could be used but is not advisable in any early stages this might confuse your dog into thinking that you actually want him to come to you because the lead is attached to him. I have seen it recommended and it might be suitable for some situations, especially with a slightly older dog being trained for obedience trials, but with most puppies in my experience this will not work very well.

Stepping over or around your dog while he is in the Stay position will measure your success and may form part of the Stay training. As with Sit, encouraging your dog to Stay until you release him will prove useful. Try to succeed with this command without using food rewards as they will usually be counter-productive.

The wide range of breeds of terrier have one thing in common, their strong will. They can test patience to the limit and beyond, so you need patience in abundance to train terriers. The key is to align what they want with what you are trying to train them to do.

Full of energy, terriers like attention. Praising your terrier for doing the right thing generally works better than being negative, as they are highly inclined to react, and not for the better, in the latter case. However, keep rewards to an absolute minimum or they will become overweight quite quickly. So lavish praise and affection works best, when it is deserved.

In terms of commands, a snap of your fingers works well to achieve “sit”, couple with an outstretched arm to achieve “sit away”. You should use the words “sit” and “away” as well, but they will be less effective than with other breeds. Standard verbal commands do not work quite so well, unless your terrier is gaining what she wants, which might be a toy, playing a game or something that makes use of their affinity for running, chasing and the like. Hence small obstacle courses can be a useful and enjoyable training aid and if they incorporate hurdles and/or tunnels, so much the better.

With terriers, I’ve found that combining commands and gestures are most easy to reinforce while out walking - after a little while rather than too early when they are still expending some of that pent-up energy! For an excellent training course that I applied with our Staffordshire Terrier and wholeheartedly recommend, click here.

Terriers will learn the basic commands, but as you can gather from the above, usually through slightly different commands and over a longer period than some other breeds. Keep your expectations realistic, be prepared for your patience to be tested, stay calm, consider the alpha mentality and techniques and you will get there - eventually!