Training

TRAINING YOUR DOG

This involves choosing the right type of training and trainer for your dog. It is just as important as education for your children. Just as the type of school and teachers are thought about carefully so you should take time to evaluate your dog’s needs and try to select the most appropriate training programme.

All dogs benefit from some degree of training. It helps them to know what they should do in any given situation. This helps to ensure that they behave in a predictable way and reduces the chance of them taking the initiative and causing problems. It also helps to reduce their anxiety since the trained dog will wait for an indication from the handler before responding to something in the environment.

The training your dog receives is likely to have a big impact on how he views the world and the enjoyment you get from your relationship with your pet.

Training is not only about obedience or work. It is about teaching your dog behaviour in order to ensure that he is accepted in the society in which he has to live.

Types of training

There are four main ways to train a dog:

· Go to training classes

· Engage an individual trainer

· Send the dog away to kennels to be trained

· DIY – train your dog yourself at home

In part your choice will depend on your circumstances and your objectives. Apart from DIY, any training means you are going to employ an independent trainer, no matter whether one-to-one, attending classes or sending the dog to kennels.

Defining Objectives

Before you start selecting classes or trainers or even decide to do it yourself, carefully define your objectives.

· Do you just want a well mannered pet that will fit in with society or are you also interested in competition work?

· Have you got a problem with your dog?

· Is he aggressive, nervous, difficult with other dogs?

Once you have set out the reasons why you want to train your dog you are in a much better position to decide which type of trainer or training programme suits you. It is never too early to start training your pet.

Checking your trainer

If you are going to seek personal help it is important to check out the trainer and the methods used. There are many dog training qualifications and qualification is not a guarantee of practical performance, so you should see the trainer in action. If this is refused then the safest thing is to look elsewhere. Spend time with a number of trainers so that you can appreciate the differences in their training methods

What do you look for?

Watch how they manage dogs that do not obey. This gives a good indication of their skill. You will not learn a lot from a class all performing perfectly.

Assess the trainer’s control over the dogs. A single bad encounter can have a seriously detrimental effect on a dog. Such isolated incidents are inevitable. What is important is how the trainer manages the situation. Is it ignored or effectively remedied?

Entry requirements

Discuss with the trainer the entry requirements needed.

· Is vaccination insisted upon?

· What sort of collar and lead? Some ban check chains, other insist upon them.

· Are the dogs classed by age? It is generally not advisable to allow young puppies and untrained adults to mix in a class.

· Assess the responses and do not be afraid to query them.

· Consider carefully their answers.

Choosing a class

Particularly with their first dog, owners find a class the best starting point. It allows you to meet others with similar interests and similar problems. Training classes give you the basics. They are also relatively inexpensive. However some trainers do not allow problem dogs into classes, e.g. dogs that bark a great deal or show any aggression.

Other trainers will run special classes for such dogs. Specialist classes are also run for specialised activities, i.e. ringcraft, flyball etc. Owners often start in basic training classes and find that they open up all sorts of new activities; Obedience, Agility, Flyball – you name it!.

Choosing the right training environment in the first instance is important. It should lead to enjoyment and be useful for both you and your dog.

Owner training

If you are a novice with respect to dog training or have not done it for some time you will find it worthwhile undergoing some training yourself. lti media packs are available which clearly show the exercises. Do not think that DIY is necessarily cheaper. It often involves buying information in the form of books, videos etc on different approaches before you decide which approach you favour.

The problems of DIY training

The main problem is knowing what to do when things go wrong. If you are not careful you may make matters worse. In some cases owners are unaware that they are exacerbating the situation until a more serious problem arises.

Personal trainer or kennels?

Personal trainers are not just for problem pets. With some dogs it can be useful to have a few initial one-to-one sessions before joining the class especially if you have any concerns about your dog’s behaviour in the class.

In some cases they are essential if you have a problem since it is important that your dog is directed along the right path and previous bad habits eliminated. This needs experienced handling.

What are the disadvantages?

The main disadvantage of one-to-one training is the potential for your dog to get insufficient exposure to other dogs, and therefore to learn appropriate manners – canine etiquette. This may not be apparent until it is too late. Even if the trainer uses his own dog you may find that your dog bonds with this particular animal but does not accept all the other shapes and sizes of dog he encounters.

Kennels

Sending your dog away to kennels is perhaps the most expensive option. Although it appears convenient it is not without risk. Dog learning may be context specific. Your dog may be very obedient with the trainer but not with you. This is particularly so with problem cases. Sending your dog away to “get it fixed” is not to be recommended. On the other hand kennels may be a very good option for training new specific tasks if you want your dog to do a particular type of work e.g. scent work.

It is important to evaluate your dog’s needs and not rush into the first class or trainer you see advertised.

If we can help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

This client information sheet is based on material written by

Sarah Heath, BVSc, DECVBM-CA, MRCVS & Daniel S. Mills, BVSc, PhD, ILTM, CBiol, MIBiol, MRCVS

Wigmore Veterianry Centre highly reccomends

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