Training Dog Tricks

Your dog wants and needs a job.  Your dog being a social creature needs the attention of his alpha dog leader.  Training your dog tricks is enjoyable for you and your dog.  Training your dog tricks also gives your dog the attention he wants and needs.  The basic requirements from you are time, dedication and patience.

When training your dog to do tricks you must maintain a fun, calm and relaxed environment.  Your dog must not feel a lot of stress or pressure.  Do not spend time training dog tricks if you are in a bad mood.  Your feelings will be transmitted to your dog making him feel insecure and unresponsive.

Conditioned Reinforcement – Dog Training Tricks

Dogs do things when there is a reward.  When a behavior is reinforced a dog will repeat a behavior frequently.   Praise, food, and attention are incentives for a dog.  Reinforced behavior is a worthwhile behavior for your dog.  Your dog will voluntarily repeat worthwhile behavior.

Inadvertent desirable behavior should be rewarded with a treat.  This requires your dog to be in close proximity to you when the act is done.  You need to condition your dog to react to only one specific signal until that signal is fully ingrained.  To provide your dog with multiple signals to learn is too confusing.  A signal can be a word, a mechanical click, or a tongue click.  Choose only one.  When your dog masters the one signal you may advance to include other signals in his repertoire.  Each time you give your dog a signal, immediately give your dog a treat.  You need to repeat this routine again and again.  He will become conditioned to receiving a treat when the signal is heard. 

Click Here!  Dog Clicker Training - Training Dog Tricks

Words of Praise

When expressing praise exhibit enthusiasm in your body language and voice.  Choose only one word or phrase.  An example would be to say “Great Job!”  The next time you should say “Great Job” rather than using a new term such as “Good Boy”.  If you mix verbal phrases you will confuse your dog.  A dog that is confused will not respond properly.  He will not become conditioned to the word or word phrase.  He might become conditioned to your enthusiasm.  When training your dog tricks you need to condition him to one signal per trick or behavior.

Dog Training Duration

A training session should only last about 10 minutes at a time.  You want these periods to be enjoyable for your dog and yourself.  A dog training session that is too long becomes hard work for your dog as well as yourself.

Clicker Training Your Dog

The clicker is a device affirming a dog’s action with a clicker sound, creating a method to teach dog training tricks.  First your dog needs to be conditioned to know that the clicker sound means well done, time for a treat.  With a clicker there are no penalties.  Undesirable behavior is ignored.  Dogs enjoy learning dog tricks with the clicker because they are not reprimanded for mistakes.  Learning becomes fast and enjoyable.  The clicker improves communication between you and your dog in training dog tricks.

Training Dog Tricks – One Step at a Time

Most dog tricks are complex requiring several actions.  Practice only one trick at a time.  Divide each tricks into sections and teach only one section at a time.  Basic elements have to be in place for a trick to be repeatable.  If your dog is having trouble understanding a task back off awhile.  Remember training your dog tricks requires time, dedication and patience.