A Brief Introduction To Pet Training With Positive Reinforcement

Pet training has many advantages. It allows animals to exercise their intelligence in constructive ways, stops them from engaging in destructive behavior and keeps them under your control. Learning to perform actions or tricks on command can be fun for pets if they get plenty of affection and encouragement in the process. This is why the most successful form of training uses positive reinforcement.

Training with positive reinforcement involves rewarding pets when they perform the right action, rather than punishing them for doing something wrong. Rewards are typically in the form of small food treats combined with praise. Once animals learn to associate certain actions with positive consequences, they become eager to repeat them.

Although you may not be aware of it, you have probably already trained your pet using positive reinforcement. If your dog or cat stands near a door and barks or meows, and you open the door for them, they will associate their actions with the reward of being let in or out. The next time they want you to open the door, they will repeat the same behavior in anticipation of getting the same reward.

Before beginning a formal training session, you will need to determine the precise action you want your pet to perform and think of a command or cue word which will initiate the action. Single syllable cue words such as ‘come’ or ‘stay’ are easiest for the animal to recognize and for you to remember.

Each time your pet displays the desired behavior in response the cue word, you should praise him and immediately feed him a treat. Speed and consistency of reward are important to learning. If you are teaching a dog to lie down, reward him while he is still on the floor in the right position. If you wait until he is sitting up to give him his treat, he won’t know which action to associate with the cue word ‘down’.

To teach an animal to get off the bed or sofa, chose a simple command like ‘off’. When you find your pet sitting on the furniture, get a food treat and hide it in your hand. Stand over the animal, loudly and clearly say ‘off’ and gently push her to the floor. Immediately praise her and hold the treat to her mouth. Do this every time you catch her sitting where she’s not allowed. Eventually, she will jump off the furniture in response to your command, without the accompanying push.

When an animal has learned to reliably respond to the cue word, you can gradually stop rewarding her with treats. But do persist in offering praise and affection in return for good behavior. Dogs are eager to please their owners and generally require no other motivation. Depending on their individual personalities, and the extent to which they have bonded with their owners, some cats and birds will also continue to obey commands once the food incentive is withdrawn.

Pet training requires patience on the part of both the teacher and the pupil. There will be good days and bad days. Do not continue with a dog training Kelowna session if your pet seems tired or distracted. Never resort to scolding or punishment for bad performance. This will cause your animal to associate the cue word with negative consequences. Training should be an enjoyable experience that both you and your pet will be keen to repeat.

Training a puppy can be frustrating, dog training requires discipline and consistancy. When experiencing problems, consult a professional. Bark Busters offer a reliable and affordable service for house puppy training.