Many principles of modern reward training date back many decades. It is possible that reward training for dogs has been around as long as there have been dogs to train. Early humans probably used some informal kind of reward training when taming the wolf pups that eventually evolved into modern dogs.
However, what is called reward training today has only enjoyed is remarkable popularity for the past 10 or 15 years.
Many reward training enthusiasts are less enthusiastic about other methods of dog training, such as the traditional leash and collar method. However, the best approach to training any individual dog is often a combination of leash/collar training and reward training.
In addition, a training method that works perfectly for one dog may be totally inappropriate for another, and vice versa. Some dogs respond wonderfully to reward training and not at all to leash and collar training, while others respond to leash/collar training and are not at all motivated by reward training. Most dogs fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Clicker training is one of the most popular forms of reward training today. While clicker training is not the answer for every dog, it can be a remarkably effective method of training many dogs. In clicker training, the dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with a reward, like a treat. The trainer clicks the clicker when the dog does something good, followed immediately by a treat. Eventually, the dog learns to respond to the clicker alone.
Most reward training uses some sort of food reward, or a reward that is associated with getting food. In most cases, complex behaviors can only be taught using this kind of positive reinforcement, and you will find that the people who train dogs for movies and television use reward training almost exclusively.
Reward training is used in all forms of dog training, including police work and military applications. Most scent detection, tracking and police dogs are trained using some form of reward training. Reward training is also a very effective way to teach many basic obedience commands.
Reward training often incorporates the use of a lure in order to get the dog into the position desired by the trainer. The lure is used to get the dog to perform the desired behavior on his or her own and of his or her own free will.
It makes a great deal of sense to get the dog to perform the desired behavior without any physical intervention on the part of the handler. Getting the dog to perform a behavior without being touched is important.
After the dog has performed the desired behavior, it is given a reward, also called a positive reinforcement. Treats are often used as reinforcers, but praise, such as ?good dog? or a pat on the head, can also be effective rewards.
Ensuring that a dog that has been reward trained is a reliable dog is important, especially when the dog has an important job, like police work or drug detection, to do. For that reason it is important to get the dog accustomed to working around distractions, and to properly socialize the animal to both people and other animals. Certainly it is possible to reward train dogs with important jobs to do, although often the leash and collar method is the preferred option for such dogs.
Many dog trainers make the mistake of only training the dog inside the house or back yard, and only when the handler is there. In order to become a reliably trained companion, the dog must be taken outside the confines of its safety zone and introduced to novel situations.
It is also important to teach the dog to pay attention to you at all times. Having the attention of the dog means having control of the dog. Reward training is very effective at getting the respect and the attention of your dog.
How often you bath your dog depends on his breed. If long haired breeds are bathed too often their skin and coat will not protect the dog as well as they should. However sometimes it is unavoidable if the dog has messed its self due to illness then it would be necessary for the sake of hygiene.
Ensure that bath products used stipulate that they are suitable for dogs. Human shampoo and soap is not suitable to use on your dog. Human shampoo and soap could irritate the skin of your dog. If you use a new product be sure and read the label.
Dogs love water if you take him out to where there is river or stream let him have a swim in it. Ensure that you are organized with the lease to hand and a towel. When bathing your dog organize yourself before hand and make sure you have everything you need within reach.
As with humans if you use conditioner on your dog at bath time his coat will be easier to comb.
If you don't clean your dogs ears properly you could damage them as they are very delicate. In order to clean your dogs ears properly you need to ;-
Use cotton wool balls in his ears at bath time to prevent water getting in his ears and causing an infection.
Every four weeks clean your dogs ears with a cotton swab, your vet may make a recommendation as to a mild cleansing agent but you could use mineral oil. Take the swab and gently clean both the inner and outer parts of the dogs ear but being careful not to push any wax into the ear, leave a little wax in the ear as this will protect the ear canals.
Clean under the ear flaps and remove any foreign objects that may be stuck in the fur around the ears.
Trim any long hair around his ears as this can cause an infection. The air circulation will be improved by trimming the hair.
Call your vet if necessary if you dog has any wounds, cuts or scratches to his ear flaps that have become infected.
Clipping your dog
Clipping a dog is an art. Skin disease can be caused by dirt accumulation in a dog's coat. Clipping of a dogs coat or nails must be done very carefully so as not to cause any injuries.
Clipping can expose any skin complaint or parasite that your dog may have. Pet Health Parlors are available for the clipping of your dogs coat and nails. If you you're your dog yourself take care not to cut his coat too short in the winter, also you may cause your dog injury which could cause bleeding if you clip his coat and nails too short.
If you do your own clipping sharp good quality clipping instruments are available from most pet shops remember it is not advisable to clip you dog if he is ill.
Both Brigitte Smith & Jayne Waldorf are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Brigitte Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dogs, Wedding Bells and Dog Pet Food. Brigitte Smith runs two websites dedicated to dog training, dog care and dog health:Grab your free special report here: