Positive Training Dog – Training Techniques That Really Work!

Does your dog embarrass you? Does he beg at the table? Does she pee on the floor? Does your dog jump up on your visitors and growl at children? Does he dig up your flower beds or tug at her leash?

Do you sometimes wish you never got a dog?

My friend Chet, professional dog trainer par excellence, says fixing these problems all starts with training your dog to learn how to solve problems. This will drastically improve his ability to learn new behaviors and start to finally follow your commands. This is positive training dogs respond to quickly.

For example, let’s look at two 8 week old puppies, neither potty trained, and we’ll show you how this works.

Let’s take one puppy and train him the crumby, traditional way. Every time he goes potty we’ll try to catch him in the act and then grind his face in his own urine and/or feces, whack him with a rolled up newspaper while yelling “Bad dog! Bad dog!” and then toss him outside.

Conventional knowledge says the dog will quickly figure out that crapping in front of you gets him a beating and if he’s smart he’ll ask to go outside where he won’t get whacked.

Maybe. Maybe not. It is definitely not a positive training technique for your dog.

It is far more likely that you are actually teaching your dog to hide from you when he goes potty so he doesn’t get beat up. Chet had one client call him and ask why her dog always went behind the sofa to pee even though she swears she has never hit him.

Chet doesn’t believe her.

The situation changes when we use positive dog training techniques. Watch what happens when we first teach the puppy to learn to solve problems.

First, we won’t start with potty training. Instead we’ll put up a make-shift doggie fence and keep the puppy confined in this area. If he has an accident in this space it won’t upset us.

Second, we pick a training exercise to teach the pup problem solving skills so that when we get to potty training the dog will catch on MUCH more quickly. Again we are creating a positive dog training atmosphere.

Chet starts by teaching his pup the “go to the mat” game. He drops tiny little treats on the floor every time the pup gets closer to getting on his mat. The puppy soon realizes that laying on his mat is the thing getting him his reward. The only clue Chet gives the animal is the treat he drops on the floor. You have to see this — it’s Incredible!

The puppy masters “going to the mat” in a few minutes. According to Chet, once you’ve taught your dog the VALUABLE skill of how to solve problems, the pup will start using this type of thinking in everything he does.

It is not hard to understand how this skill will allow the dog to pick up potty training, and the more advanced behaviors, much more quickly. This is all part of positive training for dogs that your pet will pick up on quickly.

Don’t you wish you could train your dog to change all of his or her bad behaviors? Imagine a quiet home where your animal is calm and follows your instructions. Imagine him ringing a bell when he has to go outside and peeing only where you instruct him to go. Imagine brisk walks with your pet at your side – no tugging or jumping; no barking at other dogs or other people!