Reward training is used to train dogs to perform all kinds of activities including police work and military jobs. This type of training is used extensively in the training of dogs for movies and commercials. But you don't have to have a police dog or movie star to use reward training - it's very effective to teach your pet basic obedience commands.



As the name implies, reward training involves a reward of some sort. Typically a special treat, but even praise and a few pats on the head can be considered a worthy reward by your dog.

By using rewards, you can train your dog to do most anything. You simply need to follow a set of steps to get your dog to perform the desired task and then reward him right after. So if you want your dog to learn to sit, you might hold the treat above his head and move it backwards until he sits automatically - all the while say the command ?sit? then once he has sat, praise him and give him the reward. Soon he will associate the word ?sit? with the act of sitting and the subsequent reward.

Clicker training is one form of reward training that can be used if you want the dog to obey you without using verbal commands. The dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with the reward. 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.

Reward training can be used to teach your dog complex behaviors if you have the time and patience. In many cases, the training uses a lure to get the dog into the position desired by the trainer. This lure gets the dog to do the ?trick? of his own free will. Once the dog has performed the behavior he is given the reward. This is a great way to get the dog to do something without being touched by the trainer and is used a lot in the entertainment business.

When training your dog, it's important to make sure he will pay attention to your commands when there are other distractions around and not just when the two of you are alone in the house. You need to know your dog will obey you with distractions as this can be one of the most important times for him to listen to your commands because obeying you can be what stands between your pet and some sort of danger. Once you have perfected a command at home - take your pet to the park or other place where there will be distractions and practice the command until he learns to obey you in public as well as in private.