Before you head outdoors, think of some ways to include your
furry family member and build a stronger connection with their four-legged
BFFs.
These fail-safe tips are from OneMind Dogs [https://www.oneminddogs.com/],
a dog teaching method out of Finland:
--TIP #1: DOGS DON’T
MAKE ‘MISTAKES’: A dog’s behavior is a direct response to the signals they
get from us humans. Instead of blaming your dog, consider why the confusion or
accident occurred. Remember, the behavior that is reinforced (consciously or
not) is the behavior your dog will continuously display.
--TIP #2: BODY LANGUAGE
COUNTS: While voice commands are useful in training, body language is what your
dog naturally understands and responds to first. For example, if you teach your
dog to sit and lie down using words and accompanying hand gestures, and then
you tell your dog to “sit” but use the gesture for “lie down,” your dog will
lie down – following the gesture, not the word.
--TIP #3: SMALL TREAT
PORTIONS WIN: When training with large treats as rewards, your dog will become
full and lose motivation quickly -- so treat often using smaller bits of
treats. To keep your dog interested, spend time finding what treat works best
as incentive.
--Tip #4: EMOTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS: Dogs automatically
associate the emotion surrounding an experience with the event itself– so if
you’re having a bad day, it’s probably not the best day for a training session.
However, you’ll find that keeping an upbeat attitude will lengthen your dog’s
attention and eagerness to learn. Also, the tone of your voice is always more
important than your words.
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