Training your dog is important. You want your dog to be a good citizen of the world. They aren't going to do that instinctively; you need to ensure they know how. That is where training comes in. When you are training your dog, positive reinforcement is the best way to do it. While there are other training methods, positive reinforcement works best.

Positive Reinforcement

The positive reinforcement method of training depends on giving the dog some reward when they do what you ask them to. So if you tell your dog to sit and your dog sits, then you give them their reward. Generally, you don't punish negative behavior because that can confuse your dog. Ignoring that incorrect behavior will teach your dog that acting out won't help them. Making sure to reward good behavior teaches your dog that when they do what they're supposed to, they get the good stuff. There are several ways that you can reward your dog.

Clicker Training

One method to reward your dog is to use clicker training. Clickers are small handheld devices. You just click the button when you tell your dog what to do and when they do it, you click the button, giving them their reward. Of course, it will take a little while to realize that the clicker is the reward. You have to prime it. You prime the clicker the first few times you use it by both clicking and giving them a treat. As long as you have primed the clicker and consistently use it every time your dog does what you tell them to do, they will associate it with positive reinforcement and reward.

Treats

You can also use treats for the reward. If you use treats, you will want to make sure you have their favorite treat. You don't want to give them a whole treat every time they do what you tell them to. You can cut them up into smaller bits so that you aren't overfeeding your dog trying to get them to be trained. Using treats is an easy way to motivate and reward a food-driven dog. While all dogs will like having the treats, some breeds are much more food-driven than others.

Having a well-trained dog is essential; a well-trained dog is a behaved dog and a good citizen of the world. Positive reinforcement is an excellent way to train your dog so that they will follow your commands.

Contact a local dog training program to learn more.