Obedience for dogs does 2 things. First it will allow you to enjoy your dog much more and two, your dog will be happier by making you happier. Dogs can be trained to do a variety of things from work duties to performing tricks to agility competitions or just learning good manners. In many instances the dogs obedience training is carried out to a very high degree. You have probably seen dogs that have been trained to help blind people, service dogs for handicapped people. There are dogs that have been trained to sniff a particular scent, law enforcement uses them to sniff drugs, or to track people. We are still learning how much a dog can be trained to do. Dogs like people learn with their senses, and some of their senses are much more sensitive than ours. Some others are not as developed as ours.
Postive Reinforcement
Obedience training for dogs is to teach them to do what we tell them to do. When you call your dog to come you want him to obey. You want him to be well behaved. Most dog training experts now agree that the most effective way to train your dog is through the use of positive reinforcement. What that means is very simple, you reward your dog when he does something you want him to do and you correct the behavior if it’s something you don’t want him to do. It is a different philosophy than what’s been used in the past. Your dog’s naturally wants to please you and if he can learn without being physically forced, for example pushing him down while you say “down”, it is more likely that he will remember the command.
You must give your dog an incentive to do what you ask them to do. Some trainers use treats and affection. You need to give your dog their reward at the right time so they know what they did to get it. If you tell your dog to sit and they do it, you must reward them immediately and “mark” the behavior that they did to get their reward.
Some people use a clicker to mark the behavior, some people act excited and happy saying “good dog!” Make a big fuss over her achievement. You can simply use the word Yes! if you like and gush over their accomplishment. You will decide which way you want to reward your dog, and you will know what your dog’s likes and dislikes are.
When your dog does an unwanted behavior you need to teach the dog that it is something that you don’t want him to do. You can correct by saying no and ignoring the dog. Your dog will learn by your reaction that his behavior was something you did not like. But just like the reward for doing the correct behavior, you need to let your dog know immediately so they can learn what was the wrong behavior. Dog’s are social animals and they will want to be around you getting attention. When you take that attention away, you are also showing them that their behavior will not be rewarded. We recommend crate training but never use it for isolating them and ignoring them.
How Dogs Learn
Dogs learn pretty much like we do. They learn by experience, repetition, trial and error. They communicate with us in some ways like we do ourselves. You can learn a lot about your dog by watching their body language, just as they can learn from yours. Try turning your back on your dog and see what they do. Your dog can learn what you want and you can use any word you like for whatever command it is you want them to learn. But you must be consistent. If you decide to use the command “off” to mean don’t jump then you must use it all the time. You cannot use the word off sometimes and then use the word down at other times. Training a dog is not complicated, but it does take time, patience and consistency.
Check Out Our Dog Training Reviews Before You Buy
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer Review – Adam Katz of Dogproblems.com
Secrets To Dog Training Review – formerly known as SitStayFetch-Daniel Stevens
Dove Cresswell Puppy and Dog Training – Dog trainer for TV, movies and commercials
Clicker Training – 4 Secrets To Become A Supertrainer – Find out what it’s all about
When you decide to get a dog, choosing the right breed is very important. Your new dog will be living in your house or apartment, will have to be able to fit in with your lifestyle. This is very important and you need to take an honest look at your lifestyle to determine what kind of responsibilities you’re willing to take on. There are over 150 breeds of dogs that are recognized by the AKC, the most popular dog breed being the Labrador Retriever and then you can add all the mutts that are not purebred. Different breeds have 
