Puppy Class using a clicker

Teaching puppy class is one of my favorite things. I love puppies of all temperaments, sizes and breeds (or mixes). I introduce the clicker and at first the owners are very skeptical. However, when they see that within minutes their puppies are paying so much more attention they all want to learn more about it. Since I don't specifically teach a clicker class I give all my students a choice of using a clicker or only a marker word. Clicker trained dogs always come out on top of the class. It doesn't matter what any of the goals are. Training Manners, Tricks, Competition Obedience, Rally, Agility, Flyball or Freestyle; it is all trainable with a clicker. For more information on clicker training visit www.clickertraining.com

Inconsistently Inconsistent

Being consistent is very important in dog training and behavior modification. Being unpredictable will create a confused dog. Sometimes we let the dog jump up and sometimes we don't, is just a small example of a problem behavior we create.
How to create a confused dog:

• Be inconsistent all the time, but not always and don't do the same thing more then twice, only once in a while. Surprise your dog with different rules.
• Use more then one command for one behavior. Come, could also be "get here", "now", "this instant".
• Every human in the household should use a different word so the dog really learns better English, faster.
• Don't enforce rules when you are to tired and change them at your convenience.
• Every member of the household should have a different rule for the same behavior.

WW Red 'n White Dogs

Loves me......

.......Loves me not

Blame the Dog

He is stubborn. Nope, dogs are not stubborn, you just haven't figured your dog out yet. Find out what makes him want to work with and for you. And work withing the limits of your dogs capabilities. Are you asking a Basset Hound to race Flyball in 4.5 seconds?

He is doing it on purpose to make me mad. Nope, dogs don't want to get anyone mad.

He knows better. Nope, they sure don't, that is why you are there to teach him manners.

He feels guilty. Nope, dogs don't feel guilt. Really.

Dogs are none of the above. It's a trainers excuse for not knowing how to train dogs.