Just Who Is Training Whom?
Training is a two-way street: Buddy is just as involved in training you as you
are in trying to train him. The trouble is that Buddy is already a genius at
training you, a skill with which he was born. Put another way, a dog comes
into the world knowing what is to his advantage and what isn’t, and he’ll do
whatever he can to get what he wants. You, on the other hand, have to discover
the skills of training him, just as we had to.
One of these skills is figuring out how to recognize when you’re inadvertently
rewarding behaviors you may not want to reinforce. Begging at the dinner
table is a good example. When Buddy begs at the table and you slip him some
food, he is training you to feed him from the table. You need to ask yourself,
“Is this a behavior I want to encourage?” If the answer is no, then stop doing
it, no matter what.
Most dogs eventually ignore commands that don’t lead to tangible consequences.
When he responds to a command, reward him by praising him. If
he chooses not to respond to a command he has been taught, correct him.
Now look at another situation: Buddy has taken himself for an unauthorized
walk through the neighborhood. You’re late for an appointment but don’t
want to leave with Buddy out on the streets. You frantically call and call.
Finally, Buddy makes an appearance, happily sauntering up to you. You, on
the other hand, are fit to be tied, and you let him know your displeasure in
no uncertain terms by giving him a thorough scolding. You now need to ask
yourself, “Is this the kind of greeting that will make Buddy want to come to
me?” If the answer is no, then stop doing it, no matter what..*
What is an untrained dog?
The untrained dog has few privileges. When
guests come, he is locked away because he is
too unruly. When the family sits down to eat,
he’s locked up or put outside because he begs
at the table. He’s never allowed off leash
because he runs away and stays out for hours
at a time. Nobody wants to take him for a walk
because he pulls, and he never gets to go on
family outings because he’s a nuisance.
Dogs are social animals, and one of the cruelest
forms of punishment is to deprive them of the
opportunity to interact with family members on
a regular basis. Isolating a dog from contact
with humans is inhumane. Spending quality time
with your dog by training him will make him the
beloved pet he deserves to be.
Here are two examples of how your dog is training you:
- Buddy drops his ball in your lap while you’re watching television andyou throw it for him.
- Buddy nudges or paws your elbow when you’re sitting on the couch and
you pet him.
Buddy has trained you well. Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all, provided
you can tell him to go lie down when you don’t feel like throwing the
ball or petting him.