• CHOOSE THE CORRECT BREED FOR YOUR PURPOSE AND CIRCUMSTANCES
• BE THE LEADER OF THE PACK! TAKE NO NONSENSE BUT BE A GOOD PACK COMPANION.
• PRIMARY COMPULSION/CONDITIONING TOOL ( GUIDANCE, FORCE OR CONTROL WITH THE LEAD HAND (NORMALLY THE RIGHT HAND)
• SECONDARY COMPULSION/CONDITIONING TOOL (VOICE, AND BODY POSITION)
• POSITIVE REWARDS/REINFORCEMENTS: THE GOOD SOUND AND OFTEN FOOD OR LEFT HAND PLEASURE….STROKING, PATTING, CARESSING ETC. SOME PEOPLE USE A “CLICKER” WHICH IN EFFECT EQUATES TO EFFECTIVE USE OF THE GOOD SOUND AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME.
• NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENTS: THE BAD SOUND OR CHECK CHAIN.
• NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF PRAISE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
• MANY SHORT SESSIONS OF A FEW MINUTES INTERSPERSED WITH PLAY/FUN TIME
• REPETITION OF THE SAME EXERCISE (EG 20 RIGHT TURNS OR 5 SHORT SUCCESSFUL STAYS) WILL LEAD TO FAR QUICKER PROGRESS THAN MIXING UP EXERCISES DURING THE INITIAL STAGES OF TRAINING.
• ALWAYS FINISH ON A HIGH NOTE. IE IF FAILING, GO BACK A FEW STAGES AND FINISH ON A SUCCESSFUL ONE. EG: A FAILURE TO STAY FOR TWO MINUTES WILL NEED A GOOD STAY FOR 1 MINUTE FOLLOWED BY MASSIVE PRAISE.
• ONLY PUNISH, ADMONISH OR CORRECT AND/OR PRAISE AND GIVE POSITIVE VIBES AT THE CORRECT TIME. COVERED IN PART IN POINT 4 ABOVE.
• CHOOSE LOGICAL EASY COMMANDS/SOUNDS AND KEEP THEM AS SHORT AND SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. “BONZO SIT DOWN” IS NEITHER A LOGICAL OR SIMPLE COMMAND
• MAKE THESE COMMANDS, CONSISTENT SOUNDS USED IN CONJUCTION WITH THE BAD AND GOOD SOUNDS.
• USE THE DOGS NAME SPARINGLY IN MOMENTS OF PLEASURE/FUN AND NOT AS A PREFIX TO A COMMAND/SOUND. ONLY THEN CAN IT BE USED AS A SECRET WEAPON TO GET THE DOGS ATTENTION WHEN DISTRACTED.
• START TRAINING YOUR DOG AS YOUNG AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE GOOD AND BAD SOUNDS AND FUN BASICS SUCH AS RETRIEVE AND RECALL.
• ESTABLISH CLEAR STAGES FOR EVERY SINGLE TRAINING EXERCISE. A DOG ONLY DISOBEYS DUE TO LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS REQUIRED OR BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ACCEPT YOU AS THE PACK LEADER. THUS THE IMPORTANCE OF POINT 1 ABOVE.
• NEVER TRAIN WHEN IN A BAD MOOD. RATHER BE HAPPY!!
• TRAIN WITH INCREASING DISTRACTIONS AFTER ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN ANY EXERCISE
• JOIN YOUR NEAREST CLUB OR TRAINING FACILITY
• FENCE YOUR PROPERTY
AN UNTRAINED DOG IS A PEST AND LIABILITY
A TRAINED DOG IS A PLEASURE AND SOON BECOMES A MUCH LOVED MEMBER OF THE PACK (FAMILY)
Revised JOHN COX 5 MAR 2016