How to Train your Dog

Things to Remember

Dogs, being individuals, vary in intelligence; some are smart, some average, and a very few just plain dumb. Whatever their qualities in this direction, they can all be trained to be reasonably well behaved. The smart ones will naturally learn more quickly, but even the slowest plodder will eventually turn out well if you play your part and take an interest in helping him along the road to happiness.

Whether you own a dog as a family pet, a show dog, or because you are interested in obedience trials, you will have the same basic problems in training him.

A point to be kept in mind is that a dog is a dog; he is not a human being with reasoning powers, and he will learn only by the practical and immediate result of his actions.

Dogs have certain needs and requirements in life, and if left to themselves will try various ways to satisfy those needs. If a dog finds whining get him what he wants then he will soon develop into a first class whiner.

Training a dog depends on showing him what you want done and how to do it. His ability to pick up what the psychologists call 'acquired skills' will do the 'rest. In training your dog 'the right way is the easy way'. He will learn quickly with methods which obtain the maximum results with the minimum effort or discomfort for him.

Commands should only be given to the untrained or partly trained dog when he is actually under your physical control. As the dog cannot reason, base his training on the two 'R',s Reprimand and Reward - and these must be given at the time of the action or not at all.

As an example of this take the dog which strays or runs away. In due course he returns of his own accord or comes back in answer to a call. The owner grabs the dog and administers a 'good hiding'. The dog is unable to think back and relate the thrashing to the running away, and if it is received immediately he comes home he thinks the punishment is for coming back.

'If that,' he says to himself, 'is the result of coming home then I shall take jolly good care that I stay out of reach in future', and so another canine commercial traveller is on the road to ruin.