Keep these things in mind once you’ve decided upon new skills and manners you want to teach. You can maximize both of your enjoyment and potential results by following these basic guidelines.
Sessions
Keep your training sessions short and sweet. Perhaps only 15 minutes or less working on one skill. To keep your dog engaged try doing 5-15 repetitions of one skill and switch to another skill for 5 to 15 repetitions. Don’t miss an opportunity to practice throughout the day with single repetitions. End training sessions on a good note, quit while you’re ahead before frustration, bored or tired. End with a skill your dog knows which allows you to praise and reward them.
Keep it Simple
Dogs weren’t born speaking English, even English Pointers! Keep commands to one word or syllable and not within phrases. Also speak clearly, using the same word for the same thing. It’s confusing if you use, “Fido sit down” or “Sit down Fido” compared to “Sit”. “No, no bad dog” is not my name or training!
Moving Too Fast
One small step at a time. Completing tasks using small baby is how we all learn best. Start small and increase difficulty slowly. If you notice confusion or frustration, go back a step and repeat. Try staying for 3 seconds, after mastered move to perhaps 8 seconds. Then 15 seconds. Start over as needed. Eventually, slowly with patience and time you can back away and even leave the room!
Be sure to not over complicate. Only one task at a time. Sit-stay are two commands. When your pup has grasped one, then add the other, not before. Work on only one part of a skill at a time. Work on “sit” duration. Then “sit” distance. Followed by “sit” with a distraction.
Focus on “sit” duration while you stand next to your dog with no distractions. After mastering, add a little distance. Then greater duration and distance, add as you move around, still without distraction. Slowly, over many sessions you should be able to add distraction to “sit” which is now “sit-stay”.
If you are both having trouble, the difficulty may have been increased to rapidly. Go back and repeat. Remember to slow down and master each small step in turn and practice previously completed levels. Your dog can become rusty if it’s been too long since your last session. Start over as needed to refresh.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice often, at every opportunity and everywhere. Dogs don’t apply their knowledge to every situation and environment at first. Practice in the kitchen, living room, in the yard, on a walk, the park… Multiple places not only enforces the task but allows dogs to learn to complete the task everywhere.
Rewards
Make sure your reward is worthy of the task. Your dog may not want kibble after eating kibble, cheese or a good rub may be more rewarding. The park may be too distracting for a rub when other dogs are running around and your dog wants to join. Always praise and reward accordingly for the task and time.
Always be patient while training. It takes effort and time on both your parts. Have fun, enjoy each other and your time together. With constant persistence and patience your hard work will pay off with a well-mannered obedient friend for life.