Archive for the ‘Dog Tricks’ Category:
Why Teach Dog Tricks?
Why Teach Dog Tricks?
The main reason for teaching dog tricks is the fun. It’s a challenge, it’s a game, and in the end it’s a new skill for your dog.
Teaching dog tricks gives you practice at communicating back and forth with your dog.
Your dog will learn to “try, try again” when you teach dog tricks.
Do you or your dog like to show off?
The physical and mental work of practicing dog tricks, burns off your dog’s energy.
Some dog tricks can even defuse tense situations! (Check out the “take a bow” trick.)
How to Teach Dog Tricks
Dog training methods are finally a science, and that science of dog behavior and learning will benefit you as you read these pages about teaching dog tricks.
The key parts of teaching anything to a dog, are:
Breaking the lesson down into small bits your dog can learn gradually.
Keeping the training sessions short, high-energy, focused and fun.
Start with easy goals and add challenges only after your dog masters a step.
Be consistent and give your feedback instantly when the right behavior is reached.
Karen Pryor, the developer of clicker dog training, has a website that explains both clicker training and proper conditioning for dog training.