Rooting from a dog’s natural desire to accommodate and please their owner, training provides the knowledge a dog needs to understand their owner’s desires. It’s about finding and learning a common language. Once this communication is created, the possibilities are endless with your pet. They begin to understand the difference in your voice, and what that means for them.
Dog training, when done appropriately, provides the dog with understanding of behaviors that are desired and those that are not. Most importantly, they are being taught and trained in a manner that is without aggression. Training also helps a dog exercise their brain for better cognitive development as well as sustainability.
Reinforcements for positive behavior can be primary, such as a treat after task completion, or secondary such as a clicker. If a secondary reinforcer is used, the dog must be trained to understand it is their reinforcement before it can be used in place of the chosen primary reinforcer.
The bond created through this communication is powerful and can be a wonderful lifetime experience for dog and owner. If you are having trouble training your dog, we suggest the lovely ZE Canine Manners (zecaninemanners.com)!