BayBriar Kennel
Uniting Dog And Owner Through Education
Jeannette Hutchison 31834 Geib Rd. Cordova, Md. 21625 410-820-2041

TRAINING SUGGESTIONS

1. When teaching your dog a new behavior or command, choose a location with low distractions. You need to be able to get your dog's attention in order to train him.

2. Practice obedience every day because dogs learn through consistent repetition.

3. Be- careful you don't pattern train your dog. This happens when you train in the same location, at the same time, teaching the same sequence each day. You need to be consistent in your commands and in the response you get each day. If your dog knows what you are going to do before you do, it could be he has learned a routine as apposed to obedience.

4. Always keep the exercises simple. If you can break an exercise into several simple steps as apposed to one long difficult one he will learn it easier and faster.

5. The pack leader must always think and act as the leader. Dogs need guidance and if you don't lead them they will lead you. Pack leaders are never wishy-washy! They know what they want and demand respect. You don't need to be a bully about it, but you must be assertive in your relationship.
Dogs are pack animals and everyone who lives in the household is part of the dog's pack Each member of the pack must establish his place in the pecking order. No one can earn respect for you. Every time you interact with you dog you are training, so training is constant. If you want your dog to listen and respect what you say you need to act like an Indian chief. Think about an Indian chief, he has a head dress of feathers. Every time you and your dog interact it’s about the feathers in your head dress. Are you keeping them or giving them to your dog.

In the morning when you get up you have a head dress of feathers. Every interaction during the day there is a feather leaving the head dress of one and going to the head dress of another. Who ever has the most feathers at the end of the day is closer to being chief. If the dog asks for something and you give it, he wins. He needs to give you something to get something. That would be an even trade, no one wins or loses. A good example would be when the dog asks to go out. He comes to you and indicates his need to go outside. You go to the door and let him go out. He just won because he asked for something and you gave it. He was in charge. In order to get even with the dog, you need to get two feathers back, the one he took and another one.The way you can make it an even trade, would be for the dog to sit at the door, and stay until you released him. That doesn't mean bolt out the door when you open it. He should remain sitting when you open the door until you tell him he is free to go. There are many examples like this one that happen frequently during the day. If your dog wins more during the day then you do, it keeps him testing to stay pack leader instead of pack follower.

6. Don't loose your temper while training your dog.

7. Keep your training lively and fun. You get out of your training what you put into it. If you are bored with training, your dog will become bored as well..

8. Always use your dog's name effectively. If he will respond to his name by giving you his attention no matter what the distraction, you have won part of the battle.

9. Give one and only one command. Numerous commands are confusing. Which one should he obey.