Advanced dog training exercises
Coming when called is a vital skill that every dog must learn,
both for its own safety and that of those around it. A
disobedient dog that refuses to come when called could easily be
hit by a car, get into a fight with another dog, or suffer a
variety of other bad experiences. A well trained dog that comes
when called can safely be taken out to play in the local park,
at the beach, on the hiking trail, or anywhere else the owner
and dog may wish to go.
Basic training to come when called is relatively easy and
straightforward, and involves providing praise, treats and other
perks when the dog does as his owner wants. After these basic
come when called training exercises are mastered, there are a
number of fun exercises that can be introduced to challenge the
dog and pique its interest.
Making training into a fun game is one of the best ways to
motivate dog and handler alike. It is easy for training sessions
to become routine and boring, and it is important to keep them
from degenerating into this state.
Before beginning any food based training exercise, it is
important to make sure that the dog is properly motivated and
ready to respond to treat based training. Testing the dog is
simply a matter of taking a piece of his regular food and waving
it in front of the dog's nose. If the dog shows great enthusiasm
for the food, it is ready to start the training. If not, it is
best to wait until the dog is in a more receptive mood.
The treats that work best for treat based training games like
hide and seek are cut up quarter inch or smaller pieces of
chicken, cheese or liver. In other words, something your dog
will love. It is best to use very small pieces to avoid
overfeeding the dog during he training sessions.
One great game for you and another family member or friend to
play with your dog is simply back and forth recall. This is a
great exercise for teaching your dog to come whenever it is
called by a member of the family. Dogs often learn to only
respond to one person, and this can be a problem when other
people are watching the dog. That is one reason why professional
dog trainers always insist on working with the owner as well as
the dog. A well trained dog must learn to respond to whoever is
in charge, not just the owner or usual handler.
In the back and forth recall game, two or more people stand
approximately ten yards apart, in a safe place like a fenced in
yard. One person calls the dog and asks him to sit and say until
another person asks the dog to come. When the dog responds to
the command to come, it is rewarded with a treat. Most dogs
respond wonderfully to this exercise and love playing this game.
When playing the back and forth recall game, it is important
that only the person who called the dog be allowed to give the
dog a treat.
After the dog has mastered the back and forth recall game, the
humans in the game can start to spread further out, thus turning
the back and forth recall game into a fun game of hide and seek.
The hide and seek game starts with two or more people in the
center room of the house. Every time they call the dog to come,
they spread out further away from where they started. As the
game continues, one person will be at one end of the house,
while another may be at the opposite end. What makes the hide
and seek game so much fun for the dog is that he must seek out
the person to get the treat, instead of simply running up to a
person in plain sight. This type of seeking behavior appeals to
many of the dog's natural instincts. After all, dogs are
naturally hunting animals, and seeking out food is second nature
to them.
About the author:
Tony Robinson is an international author and dog lover. His
website http://www.dogtraining4u.com contains valuable insights
into the life of our canine friends.
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