Brushing up on Dog Obedience

by Kimberley Case

Brushing up on Obedience: Treat Reinforcement for your Dog Everyone knows the saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." This is actually not accurate. Dog's of all ages are anxious learners, provided you know how to communicate with them. On the other hand, an old dog can actually start to forget his old tricks if they are not put into practice. If you have noticed your canine companion slacking off lately, consider using treat reinforcement to get him back on his toes again! Treats and Positive Reinforcement Dogs are good at learning to associate what they do with your reaction. Have you ever noticed if your pet does something wrong, he puts his tail down and lowers his head. This is because he has been punished before and, even though you did not see him doing the "bad" activity, he assumes since he did it you will react. This can be used in reverse to encourage him into good behavior with positive reinforcement. Let him see that when he does something correct, he gets a good reaction from you. Surprise, a Treat! If your dog has been ignoring you a lot lately, it is time to get his attention again. Even a simple recall (coming when his name is called) can be ignored if he knows he can get away with it. First, practice the command in a calm, quiet setting. As soon as he responds correctly, give him a surprise treat. In many cases, your dog is not "stupid" or "forgetting" what he is supposed to do. It is a test of wills. He knows you won't follow through, so he doesn't bother. On the other hand, he may not be receiving a positive reward for following through, so he has no motivation to do so. Never get into the habit of treating every time your pet listens, especially with basic commands. Instead, offer an occasional treat to keep him interested and the rest of the time praise and pet him. Many dog owners do not realize the value their canines' put in petting and an enthusiastic "Good boy!" You might be surprised at the results from just that type of award alone. Click � Treat � Click Even if you did not use clicker training when your dog was a puppy, you can still turn to this efficient method of communication. The idea is you get your dog to associate the click of the clicker with a positive reinforcement (praise and treats). Once he learns, give him a click and reward each time he does what he is supposed to. Now that he is conditioned for clicker training, and you know how it works, it is time to begin going back over his old list of commands. Start with the easiest, a basic recall, sit, lie down, stay, and then work up from there. He may become so responsive, you might want to teach him new, advanced commands he did not know before. Treats can be a valuable tool when reminding your dog about his obedience training. Age has nothing to do with how much a canine can learn. If you are patient and willing to put in the time, you can get your pet back on track and even teach him a few additional commands along the way!

Kimberly Case is a popular contributor at http://www.dogtreatstogo.com Where you can find hundreds of Treats that your Dog will love
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