Is there a correct method for training a dog?
November 25, 2009 by TopDog
Filed under Questions and Answers
I have read so many answers on here regarding dog training ,is there one method that should be used only or are there various methods that can be used to get the result you want?
The correct and proven method is Koehler of course.
Tried and true.
Trains a dogs mind not its stomach.
A dog obeys on one command and one command only.
No bribery involved!
http://www.koehlerdogtraining.com
A little about William Koehler from the International Association of Canine Professionals- Hall of Fame
William R. (Bill) Koehler dog trainer
A teacher, trainer and author who worked as the Chief Trainer for Walt Disney Studios for more than 20 years, Bill still managed to find the time to write six books and act as Chief Trainer for the Orange Empire Dog Club. His list of accomplishments in the field of dog training are too numerous to list here. It is worthwhile to note that his Koehler Method of Guard Dog Training was named Best Dog Book for the Year of 1967 by the Dog Writers’ Association of America.
Of interest is the method of dog training he developed over the course of many years. The Koehler Method of Dog Training has been praised, championed, vilified and in some cases damned. When you excel you are actually sticking your head up high enough to get shot. Only if you are truly excellent will the shots all miss and leave you standing straight and tall above the masses. That was Bill Koehler. Quiet, unassuming, soft spoken and gentle of hand, Bill gave us a way to train dogs while at the same time honoring their very dog-ness. The Koehler Method of Dog Training is just as valid and useful in the Twenty-first century as it was in the Twentieth century and we suspect it will continue to have just as much meaning for as long as we have dogs to train.
No different dogs respond differently. It sometimes depends on the breed of your dog how he/she will respond. Clicker training is always a good positive way to train your dog. here is a good link http://www.dogsindia.com/clicker_training_for_dogs.htm The main thing to remember is to be consistent
Train it with lots of praise, and don’t get mad or frustrated with it. My Aunt got a mixed breed dog for my cousin, which was a mistake because about a year later she left home to go to college, and my aunt was left with the dog which she didn’t know how to care for. She would get mad whenever it peed around the house and would shove his face in it. Now the dog is a very loud attention-barker and is just not a very well behaved dog over all.
Consistency, persistency, kindness, gentleness and lots of love.
You are absolutely right. There are tons of different techniques and each one says that they are the best method / trainer. In the end you have to find what suits you and your dog the best…….similar to raising a child there is no one correct way.
What I have been using with my GSD / Lab mix is positive reinforcement for all good behavior and a stern “No” for unwanted behavior. He is CGC certified and a Therapy dog as well. The key is after the “No” if the dog stops doing the unwanted behavior you need to shower the praise again to reinforce the good behavior. Never hit your dog or do the “Alpha Rollover”. You need to dominate your dog mentally and not physically, as you do not want to get into a physical battle with your dog.
Yes there are several ways to “skin a cat”.
Find one that works for you then stick to it.
Various methods…..and that depends on the dog AND the results you want. Each and every person has a different expectation. I sure don’t expect the same things out of my Poodle mix as I use to with my Dobes, and I sure don’t expect the same for my Bulldog. What I do expect from them is to be a good *citizen*. I train for my expectation, not what someone else expects me to. My lifestyle is not the same as my neighbors, cousins, etc.
depends on the problems u have with your dog and what u wanna train it to do, go to animalplanet.com i have found most of their training ways very helpful, thats where i learned how to teach my dog tricks and with my type of dog that it would be relatively easy and it was
hmmm, I think all dogs learn (acquire) new information the same.
What makes the dog individual is what is most reinforcing and/or punishing for the dog. That is what makes each dog and each training program for that dog so individual.
I don’t think there is a “correct” form of training. I think there are forms of training that each person is more comfortable with.
Not really just if the dog don’t't do what you wanted them to don’t hit them.
Well there is that old saying about skinning a cat, if that is what you mean.
Over the course of 60 years of training dogs (30 as a pro) I have found that developing a training program is more important than the actual method used. You will find yourself beating your head against a never ending series of walls if you don’t follow a logical progression. It really is best to teach a dog how to walk before you try to teach it how to run.
Here is a flow chart for training a Retriever for an example. http://www.totalretriever.com/rj/totalretPDF.pdf
A dog would be about 1 year at the completion of “basics”, and at the end of transition at about 2 years. Advanced would continue throughout the dogs competitive life.