Many dog owners consider the “Go lie down command” as their favorite dog obedience command. The “GO lie down” not only tells the dog to assume a reclining position, it tells him to do it elsewhere. When you are talking on the phone, drinking hot coffee, or working out, “Go lie down” is the command you need to send your overly affectionate dog someplace else. Do not feel guilty if you cannot give attention to him every time he asks you to. If he’s just had his walk, he’s eaten well, you’ve exercised Read more [...]
Why You Absolutely DON’T Want To Give Your Dog “Double-Commands”
November 29, 2012 by
Never give a command that you cannot enforce. Another way of saying that is: Always make sure that you have some way to enforce your commands, until your dog is 100% conditioned. When training new commands–or even enforcing commands that your dog already knows–give the command only once and then make your dog do it. (Just Do It, as Nike says!) I don’t advise repeating a command over and over again. Even for a puppy. Say it once. Don’t get in the habit of issuing double, triple or quadruple Read more [...]
Here’s Why Off Leash Dog Training Is Like Playing a Jedi-Mind Trick On Your Dog
July 4, 2011 by
There are two phases to getting your dog to work off leash, reliably: 1. Making your dog think he’s on-leash (that you can correct him consistently for unwanted behavior, like running away or not responding to the come command). and 2. Building a conditioned response to off leash commands, through repetition and proofing. It’s the first phase that most people have trouble understanding. The trick is to let your dog wear only the tab (a one-foot short leash) when you’re close enough Read more [...]
The Command to Come When Called
July 1, 2010 by
One of the most basic and important commands that you will need to teach your dog is to come when called. No matter what else happens, if you have taught your dog this command you will always be able to maintain control whether at home or in public. Should your dog ever get off it’s leash or escape from your property you will know that when you call it that it will come back and this certainly makes life a lot easier for the dog owner. For working dogs, this is a vital skill as a handler needs Read more [...]
Training Your Golden Retriever To Come With A Treat
June 22, 2010 by
The come command is one of the most important commands your dog needs to know. Not only is the come important around the house and yard, but should he be out in front of your house, the come could save him from dashing into the street and getting hit by a car. If you take him out to run, or decide to do field or gun dog work with him, he must have a good, reliable come. Because the come is so important, you will use two different techniques for teaching this command. The first method will Read more [...]
Teach Your Golden Retriever To Come With A Long Line
June 22, 2010 by
The second method will teach your dog to come when he’s a little farther away from you. It will also help teach your dog to come to you for those times when you don’t have the treat container. With this technique, you will need a 20 to 30-foot length of cotton clothesline rope. Don’t use nylon that is too rough on your hands. Fasten the rope to your dog’s collar and let him go play. When he is distracted by a bird or his toys, call him by saying, “Spot, come!” If he comes to you right away, Read more [...]
How to Teach Your Dog to Drop the Ball on Command
October 30, 2009 by
We’re teaching our dog to fetch a ball and then “drop it.” I have several questions: 1. When you first start teaching a dog to drop his ball, how many times does he have to do it successfully before it’s automatic? [Adam replies: It depends on the individual dog. Usually not more than one or two training sessions.] 2. In your experience, how difficult is it for pet owners to teach their dog to drop the ball on command? Very difficult, Somewhat difficult, Not too bad, Fairly easy, Very easy [Adam Read more [...]
How to Fix Troubles With the Long Distance Recall
October 30, 2009 by
I purchased the 5 tape kit and I am glad I did. There is one problem: When my dog (beagle-border collie mix) is pretty far from me, like 100 feet or so, I have a difficult time getting him back tome. Would you please advise. Thanks, Steck Dear Steck: Your dog has become leash smart. Remember, your dog has very limited use of logic and reason. She only learns through association. Please review the section in my book about how to use the long line and undo what you’ve inadvertently done. There Read more [...]
How to Change Your Dog's Correction Word
October 30, 2009 by
To consistently keep my dog aware of his negative behaviors even during his obedience training, I always say, “NO!” without attaching his name to it, and then give him a quick pop (prong collar) to reinforce my morivational correction — all in a timely manner. And it works perfectly all right. He’s now in fact a very obedient dog that any owner can be proud of. The only thing I’d like to alter is my constanct use of “NO!” I just don’t want to use it anymore as it’s already common in our place. Read more [...]
Verbally Correcting One Dog When You Have Two
October 30, 2009 by
“I have two dogs- – a Pit Bull and a Boston Terrier. I have read that you should not use the dog’s name and [the word]“No” together so that the dog does not associate negative feelings with his name. So how do I tell one dog “No,” without both feeling like they are both in trouble? Situation: The Pit Bull is happily playing with her chew toy. The Boston Terrier is chewing on my sofa. How do I let the sofa chewer know that he is in the wrong (the Boston knows better. I have corrected him using the Read more [...]
How To Teach Your Dog To Come Every Time You Call Him– Summarized Down To One Sentence
October 28, 2009 by
First of all, let me just say how much I have enjoyed your book. I cannot believe the difference in the behavior of my two dogs since I started using the pinch collars and your techniques. I accomplished in about 15 minutes what two obedience classes could not – I got both of my dogs walking on loose leads. Amazing. Also, both will do a good down stay around most distractions – we’re working on proofing now. I have a 19 month old border collie cross and an 11 month old lab cross. Both are females Read more [...]
More Tips For Training Your Dog To Come On Command
October 28, 2009 by
Training Your Dog To Come When Called! One of the greatest joys of owning a dog is to be able to go for a walk in the park and let him run, knowing he will come when you call. Dogs that do not come when called are prisoners of the leash and, if loose, a danger to themselves and others. If your dog does not come when called, you don’t have a reliable dog. Below are five tips to help you teach this command to your pet: 1. Exercise. Many dogs do not come when called because they do not get enough physical Read more [...]
Come On Command: Some Advanced Theories On Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called
October 22, 2009 by
[Adam's note: Remember, the difference between using food as a bribe versus using food as a motivator: As a bribe, you're bribing the dog to do the behavior, and if he does... then he'll get a cookie. Bad, bad, bad. Instead, use the food as a motivator by MAKING THE DOG do the exercise, and then after the exercise is complete, you can reward with praise and a cookie... if this is what motivates your dog.] Wscott52 on our discussion forum made this excellent post: “I think for most people, the long Read more [...]
Dog Training Commands: How To Talk So Your Dog Understands
September 11, 2009 by
Everything in language (including “Dog-lish” — the international dog training language) is based on associations. And even if we have prior associations with a word, if those associations are not maintained properly, then the word will lose it’s meaning– or association. Or it can take on a different association. Ever been in a relationship where the words, “I love you” no longer hold any meaning? In some parts of the world, you can tell a person, “Go jump in a lake” [insert local expletive] … Read more [...]
