# How do you train?



## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

I use generally positive training, as do most people now days! I do use the odd 'punishment' though, cos Paris is very thick skulled sometimes, and telling her NO seems to just bounce off her when she's in a 'mood' and she'll just keep going! 

In those cases I use my body language a LOT, I'll stand tall & big and get really 'dominating' in both body language and tone of voice, often having to really growl and stomp to get her attention. That usually gets her to actually focus on me and she then realises I'm actually mad she tones way down and settles quickly. Once she tones down and pays attention again I'm quick to also tone down and we carry on like normal.

I often put a choke chain on her, but mainly cos they're easy to throw on and keep in a pocket or something! I do use a flat normal collar a lot too.

And yep, we use a clicker a fair bit too. Mainly I use the clicker to train something, but I faze it out to be more of 'marker' training, with the marker being my voice as well. I do find the clicker is great for being more precise while actually training something though, so I still use it a fair bit, but tend to forget to have it on me a lot too so she's accustomed to my voice working in the same way (ie "Yessssssssss!" = treat)


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

I've found positive reinforcement or marker training works best with training dogs. I've trained all my dogs with positive reinforcement and markers. They pick up things quicker than when using a method that involves punishment or correcting wrong behaviors. The clicker gives them a quicker and better understanding of what you really want from them, and by using marker training you don't create "human-fear" as there are no punishment and IMO it's overall better for a dog's self confidence.

I’ve used prong collars; halties; gentle leaders and I’ve had success with using all of those tools on my dobes and many foster dogs, but I would not to recommend it as many people use those tools incorrectly. 

My neighbor has a pit bull and I’ve given them a prong after I showed her several times how to use it correctly… she still does it wrong :rolffleyes:


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## roxy25 (Dec 18, 2008)

I use whatever the dogs response to best. I am old school and use correction collars, a lot of Cesar methods ( for dominate dogs). I do spank also ( but my own dogs only ) . I am getting into clicker training and using toys as the reward. Enzo has a high prey drive so its working out nicely.


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## Raiko (Aug 26, 2009)

When ever I have trained a dog I introduce the trick with praise/treats/redirection until they can get it three times in a row for three days. Then i bring in punishment, where ill put the dog back in the position he was formerly in and keep doing that until he does what hes supposed to do ((which was already introduced with treats)) then when he does it he gets praise and some play time. 

and I try to ween them off treats as soon as I can

Ive never trained my own dog though.. just friends dogs so other pple on here would have better experience.


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## Cdnjennga (Jul 30, 2009)

It's been a long time since I trained a dog of my own! I'm planning to be a positive reinforcement/ clicker trainer with corrections as required. I LOVE clicker training for basic obedience. A few months ago, I taught a PWD puppy a fairly solid down within about 10 minutes using a clicker/ treats.

As for chokers/ prong collars etc, I'm not a huge fan, but can see they are sometimes required. I will see what my obedience trainer (who is great) recommends for puppy obedience and will take it from there.


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## Harley_chik (Nov 7, 2008)

roxy25 said:


> I use whatever the dogs response to best. I am old school and use correction collars, a lot of Cesar methods ( for dominate dogs). I do spank also ( but my own dogs only ) . I am getting into clicker training and using toys as the reward. Enzo has a high prey drive so its working out nicely.


IA! I use a bit of this and bit of that. I like Cesar's philosophy and I think NILIF is great. I use the choke chain (for walking) and I think it's great. However, most people don't know how to use them, that's where you get problems w/ it. If a dog doesn't need it, then there's no reason to use it either. Harley's pretty sensitive, but I think it's important that he know I'll correct him if I have too. (I personally don't spank, I use the chain collar or just tug at his regular collar. Telling him "no" has a major effect. He hates to hear that and probably prefer to be hit. He's very eager to please.) IMO a Rottweiler shouldn't think he has an option ,when you give a command. Harley is 110lbs of solid muscle, if he decided he had choice, it would impossible to physically control him. I repeat myself once (if there's a chance he didn't hear me) and then I correct. I can often tell him, "You heard me" and I get the desired response. Yesterday, I told him to sit. He looked at me but didn't sit. I made eye contact, said, "you heard me" and voila, he sat. He was just seeing if I would follow through. I don't use treats that often, I prefer praise. It should be enough for him to get a "good boy" and a pat on the head. Different dogs need different approaches. Some are more sensitive, some hold grudges, etc. I don't think there is a one size fits all training method.


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

I use a combo of clicker/treat training (or toy, sometimes Flip is more play motivated) but I will use correction, like a collar pop or a sharp word. I've worked with Bark Busters quite a bit with my old greyhound and my cavalier, so I picked up a lot of tips from them. I really train each animal differently, depending on the personality. I used those little bags with coins in them to reinforce negativity (I threw them at the ground, not the dogs) for things like barking, pulling the lead, etc. for Flip. I think my cavalier would probably have a heart attack if I did that to him. He takes the word 'no' personally, like his world is crumbling down around him when he makes a mistake. Hehe.
Flip didn't take verbal correction or clapping very seriously. The spray bottle (who someone recommended here) and the coin bags worked for him.

My old horse was great with the clicker, he thought it was a fun game. I taught him to bow, to count, to 'shake hands' and to shake his head yes or no when asked a question. He had a subtle hand signal for no, otherwise the answer to everything was 'Yes!' He'd also watch my facial expression and stop counting, i.e. pawing the ground, when I gave him another subtle cue.
He would lay down if you touched his withers in a certain way as well. He was a smart cookie, but most arabians are.  Gosh I miss him. I also taught my mom's horse not to rear up when there was a rider on him by bursting a warm water balloon over his head (when he did it). Apparently the warm water startles them, and they think they injured themselves? I don't know exactly how it worked, it was an old 'cowboy trick'...but it worked. He stopped rearing.

My african grey likes the clicker, but she's gotten to the point where she mimics the clicking noise when I do something SHE likes. For example I'll feed her something special that I know she loves, and she'll click and say "Good Girl!" to me. :rolffleyes: Sometimes I wonder who is training who with her.


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## meehkim (Sep 11, 2009)

Prior to taking puppy training class, I tried to train Titan just using treats, but he had a difficult time distinguishing down and sit..but once we started using the clicker method, he picks up everything quickly (within about 15 minutes!). 

When we tried to discourage unwanted behavior, we would yell "no" at him, and he just wouldn't listen or care, and just keep at it. But now, when we tell him no more calmly but with an element of surprise, we get his attention and he stops what he's doing. We've tried the alpha roll, and a minor spank on the behind, but neither worked...

So POSITIVE reinforcement has worked MUCH better with my mini


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I'll tell you that Cesar is completely right when he talks about you having control over the dog with the leash. If I have a leash on Harry with his regular collar he will pull me over and completely take over. If I even loop a leash into a choker and put it on him (up high under the ears) he won't dare pull. It's that control he feels on the leash because it puts pressure on the point of the neck that gives him that idea that he no longer has control over me. I could easily use a soft choke collar and gain control over him with it. I don't need the metal kind. I think they are only effective if you know how to use them and place them on the dog's neck though.


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## Teresa (Aug 20, 2009)

"


> My african grey likes the clicker, but she's gotten to the point where she mimics the clicking noise when I do something SHE likes. For example I'll feed her something special that I know she loves, and she'll click and say "Good Girl!" to me. Sometimes I wonder who is training who with her.




AHAHAHAHA! Okay, I have to say that is the funniest thing, ever. Gotta love your little bird!



I did try clicker training for Ray-Ray but he responds much better to voice commands. 

I see a behavior that I like and reiforce it, over and over again.

Like the command "Find It." I started by dropping a treat on the ground near him. He could hear it hit the hardwood floor and start to sniff. I would say " Find it!" and when he did, "Good boy, good Ray-Ray!" Then I moved to actually hiding a few treats in a small radiace around him. Not letting them hit the floor so he can't hear where they land. ... again the Find It command.

Now he's moved up to toys (scented) for Find It..followed by "Bring It"
He also knows "Leave It" but that's completly basic.

He also knows.."Where's Molly?" 
It started as a game. I would hold him and she would stand near by. I'd say.."Where's Molly?" and he's start tilting his head, "looking" (remember, he's blind) away from me as if searching. She would then say "Here I am!" and he'd just about leap out of my arms into her's, tail wagging and so happy to be with her.

Next, she would be across the room and we'd do the same thing.."Where's Molly?"..."Here I am!" and he'd run for her.


Then, I lined her up with the other kids, all of them across the room. I'd hold Ray Ray and do the same command.."Where's Molly?"... then one by one they would all say "Here I am!"...he'd have to follow the sound of Molly's voice, only and figure out wich kid was her.

He has those commands perfectly, so now we are doing it without the responce and kind of jumbled. We started that this weekend. 
"Where's Molly?" and all the kids, lined up across the room, start talking at once..."Lal al la la .." or whatever they want to say as long as the conversation and sound of their voices are jumbled. He has to detangle that and find his Molly!
So far, he'd done very well with only a slight bit of confusion, but he will figure it out soon. he's a smart little cookie.

I want him to be able to find Molly by the sound of her voice from any point in the house , so once he masters this one, it'll be when she's in her room door open..
Then with the door closed... eventually. He also gives a report, a slight wining bark. I almost forgot about that. I encourage it. I want him to sound off once he finds her so we can find her too..lol That's the whole point. If he can find her by scent or sound (even just her breathing) when she is having an athsma attach and can't call out for help on her own...well, that's priceless.



He also knows other voice commands..like... 

1. Carefull- (When he's about to run into somthing, like a door, wall, chair, ect. This is perfect when he's out in public in a new places he's not had a chance to map out yet.

2. Step UP, Step DOWN.-- This is for any incline or steps he has to use. Now, he's small, about 6-7lbs, but... I don't want to baby him because of his disability. He would have to know how to move up and down steps anywhere. That's why even in public, I rarly pick him up. I have to let him work through the turain himself.

3. Harness, instead of collar.- It's just better for him. Though he dosn't pull or try to lead while on leash, the harnis is a little less intimidating, frightening for him

4. He will stop, midleash if no one is talking. He has to hear a voice, a familiar voice, to be able to walk well on a leash. So usually I whistle a tune or talk to him. So does Molly. She loves taking him to the Park (it's less than a block away).


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## highhorse (Sep 17, 2008)

Clicker training is very useful for marking the exact time that the required behaviour has occurred. You have to get your timing right though or you might mark the wrong behaviour. I use this method for training tricks and for preparing dance moves. For walking on the lead, I just turned in the opposite direction when the dog pulled. It took a while but happened without any punishment of behaviour. I prefer to deflect behaviour, rather than to punish it. To my way of thinking, if you engage your dog's mind, you don't "usually" get bad behaviour. One forum member mentioned Cesar. I agree with his method of always encouraging owners to walk their dogs. We do this and also give them plenty of off leash freedom, having taught recall with the aid of hide and seek games round trees. So from this you can see we use whatever works at the time.


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## skyprincess (Nov 16, 2009)

I have a 7 month old toy poodle,trainig her at the start with treats worked wonders,sitting,staying,walking without lead on in the park but one day in the park she got spooked by a group of young lads training with football boots on the gravel luckily she ran back to the car,thank god,since then she has been scared of everything how do i get her back to walking without the lead(only in the park).she is very intelligent and quick to learn.any hints much appreciated.


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## Mister (Sep 10, 2008)

My training is a make up on consistency and patience! A dog isnt going to learn something if you show them once or twice....consistency is key. Patience is also very important as is some sort of punishment for bad behavior. I walk Mister in a show choker, he knows not to pull and it will tighten on his neck if he does. He usually walks on a loose leash. 
I also will use my body language and eye contact as a dominating thing to show him he has done something wrong. The cesar Millan stuff is awesome, he really knows his stuff.


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