Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Take K9 Dog Training to the Next Level With Dog Clicker Training

By Henry Smoot

For years now the majority of us have used the two basic methods of dog training -- correction-based training and positive training. Both, when used correctly, can have a positive effect on your dog's behavior. That, however, has not stopped it's respective critics from teeing off on both programs in the last decade.

Correction-based training is exactly what it sounds like. The trainer will verbally and physically "correct" the dog when unwanted behaviors arise. For instance, after your dog urinates on the carpet you may give the dog a firm "no!" and then put the dog's nose near the urine to re-iterate how that particular act was unacceptable. Critics have called this "violent" and "abusive" (which some may find too harsh), but nonetheless the trainer is using fear as a training tactic. The dog only comes when called because it fears the consequences of not coming.

Positive training has been called a "cop out" for years. At its worst, positive training lures -- bribes! -- the dog into acceptable behavior. For instance, the dog is not going to its designated outside bathroom area because its learned that that makes sense. It's going out there because its been trained to learn that doing so will mean a bribe after completion. So in the end, your dog is only humoring you so that it can cash in on that treat or other token of bribery.

Clicker training is the process of training your dog using a "conditioned reinforcer" which indicates to the animal the precise behavior that was correct. Efficient in practice and easy to pick-up for dogs, clicker training has been used successfully in a variety of animals and is the training method of choice around the world for service and rescue dogs.


If you're eager to learn more about dog clicker training, especially when it comes to K9 dog training, check out http://www.TrainingDogProblems.com and scroll down to the #3 on the Top 5 list. There you will be able to find the internet's best website when it comes to dog clicker training.

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