Training Your Pyr

My Facebook feed is full of dogs.  Dogs in need, dogs being cute, dogs going to their forever homes, training questions...but last night I scrolled past a picture of a horse going over a jump with this caption:

This mare used to quit at jumps one foot high.  So we just fiddled around, tried to make her calm, and NEVER punished her when she would stop.

Jack LeGoff used to say, 

"Boldness comes from confidence.  Confidence comes from success.  So it is the job of the trainer to create lots of situations which guarantee success."

We did that, and Rosie gradually lost her fear of jumping.

It seems so simple, Jack's little "mantra" but many riders and trainers still use force.  Which is maybe why Jack won all those gold medals, and the others do not.

There it is.  So simply put.  One of the main secrets to dog training too.  Help your dog be successful.  So many of their "bad" behaviors come from fear, stress, boredom, or not knowing what to do instead.  Set your dog up for success.  It's exhausting to constantly tell your dog "no" or get frustrated with them.  Help them feel safe, give them repeated practice with the appropriate behavior, and reward them for the right thing.  

Natalie and Grace

Behavior is fairly predictable.  The thing you reinforce is what you will get more of.  Quiet in the crate?  Yes!  Calmly walking by another dog?  Yes!  Looked at the cat without chasing it?  Yes!  The funny thing about dog training is the principles apply to people too.  Imagine learning something new and being rewarded with money, chocolate, or praise when you did something correctly, with the reward increasing depending on the difficulty of the task.  Chances are, you would want to do it again.  How would you feel instead if you were yelled at or punished whenever you made a mistake?  What if the task scared you, or was much too difficult?

So, consider your dog's behavior.  Think about what you would prefer it to be.  Break the task into small, manageable parts, practice each step, have patience, and reward the success!

Natalie Wolf

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

GPRS adopter and volunteer