Dog training is an ongoing journey and arguably a lifelong pursuit. In our experience, little but often is the best way to train a dog with as many microdoses as possible built into its day from when it wakes up through to bedtime.
First thing in a morning offers numerous opportunities to train and reinforce your relationship with your dog. Praise and affection when it defecates in a correct place outside reinforces its housetraining, while requiring it to sit and wait for a command before eating its breakfast reminds it of boundaries and how it should look to you for direction and leadership. Demanding basic obedience before its morning walk has a similar effect, and if rewarded appropriately consolidates all-important positive associations.
Although walks should primarily allow dogs to express their natural behaviours and receive sensory enrichment, they can also be used to microdose training and obedience. For example, it is best practice to require a dog to sit and await your command before crossing a road and loose-leash walking can always be rewarded with praise and affection. Even “checking in” with you by glancing at you is a desirable behaviour and manifestation of the relationship owners should be building with their dogs, so should also be rewarded. Recall can also be practised, with longer leashes being particularly useful.
Throughout the day, owners can also ensure that their dogs observe and are rewarded for regular checking in, observing good threshold etiquette, and appropriately greeting people or other animals they come across. Cumulatively, these training microdoses do add up and are far more effective than longer, but less regular sessions.
For more information on how we can support you on your dog training journey, please email info@protectiondogs.co.uk.
Given their versatility and high-performance potential, it is only natural that police forces around the world have long made use of working dogs. Police dogs can undertake protection work, search for explosives or drugs, track missing people, support public order, and more.
Policing requires intelligent, physically robust, and courageous dogs…
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