An Introduction To Pet Training With Positive Reinforcement

There are many reasons to begin a training regime with your pet. You may want to stop an animal’s bad behavior such as clawing or chewing the furniture. You may want to keep him under control in social situations. Or you may want to teach him to perform tricks on command. In any case, the animal will benefit both from the mental exercise required and from the time and attention you give him. The most satisfying form of pet training uses positive reinforcement.

Animals are naturally keen to perform actions that they know will lead to positive outcomes. Positive reinforcement means rewarding your pet for good behavior, rather than punishing him for bad behavior. The rewards most commonly used in training are enthusiastic praise and a tasty morsel of food.

Although you may not be aware of it, you have probably already trained your pet using positive reinforcement. If your dog or cat stands near a door and barks or meows, and you open the door for them, they will associate their actions with the reward of being let in or out. The next time they want you to open the door, they will repeat the same behavior in anticipation of getting the same reward.

Intentional, rather than accidental, training involves getting pets to respond on command. Envision the specific action you want the pet to perform and come up with a single word to trigger it. Cue words of one syllable such as ‘stay’ or ‘come’ are less likely to confuse an animal than more complex commands.

When your pet performs the desired action in response to the command, immediately reward him with verbal praise, swiftly followed by a treat. Consistency and speed are vitally important. If you are trying to teach a dog to respond to the word ‘sit’, and you wait until he is standing again before rewarding him, he won’t know which action to associate with the positive response.

To train an animal to get off the furniture, use a straightforward cue word like ‘off’. When you walk into a room to find your pet sitting on the sofa, get one of her food treats and put it in your pocket. Make sure you have the animal’s attention and clearly speak the word ‘off’ before moving her to the floor. Praise her immediately and present her with the treat. Repeat this procedure every time you find her lounging on the couch. Eventually she will respond to the ‘off’ command by jumping to the floor herself.

When an animal has learned to reliably respond to the cue word, you can gradually stop rewarding her with treats. But do persist in offering praise and affection in return for good behavior. Dogs are eager to please their owners and generally require no other motivation. Depending on their individual personalities, and the extent to which they have bonded with their owners, some cats and birds will also continue to obey commands once the food incentive is withdrawn.

Pet training can be frustrating at times. If the animal is distracted or tired, he may not perform as well as on previous occasions. Be patient and do not expect too much too soon. You should never resort to shouting or punishment. This will have negative consequences as your animal will come to fear you and be hesitant to engage in future sessions. If you make dog training Kelowna fun and give your pet plenty of positive feedback, he will look forward to learning new commands.

Training a puppy can be frustrating, dog training requires discipline and consistancy. When experiencing problems, consult a professional. Bark Busters offer a reliable and affordable service for house puppy training.