Dog Training Exercises Need to Be Fun

Training your dog should never be a chore, although unfortunately it seems to end up that way for many dog owners. Dog training exercises should be fun and satisfying both for you and your dog. And they can be as long as you approach things properly.

Dogs can sometimes get moody just like we can and if they don't feel like paying attention to you and performing, the training session probably won't be efficient. But if your dog thinks it's play time and you get him really interested, the training will be much more effective.

One of the most basic things we can teach a dog is to come to us when we call. This isn't just because it's convenient to us - it's also a safety issue. Dogs are easily distracted and if they're chasing something, you're asking them to conquer some deep instincts if you want them to break off and return when you call. The only way to train them to do this is through continual re-enforcement so that you program them to come whenever they hear you calling them. It takes a lot of patience and time to get the consistency you need. However, it doesn't have to be a chore. We use a game - hide and seek - to re-enforce the recall and the whole family has a blast!

Get some of your dogs favourite treats (ours loves chicken dogs) and make sure he's a bit hungry. Put him in a stay and then go hide in a different room. Make it fun get behind a door, stand in the tub something unusual. Then call him. He'll come running. If you've really hidden, it may take a minute or two to find you. It's hilarious watching them sniff around, run into a room and then out looking! And when he does find you, of course give him the treat!

The kids could play this for hours. The joy they get out of it really brings home why we have dogs in the first place - they teach all of us about unconditional love. And the game is fun - not just for the kids, but for our dogs as well. This isn't a chore for them. They could play this game all day long! (Actually, not true. After an hour they get a bit tired and less enthusiastic.) And all the while the recall is being re-enforced. The dogs are being programmed to come when called. An added benefit with having the family participate is that the dogs are learning to respond to all of us and not just the primary trainer.

Of course, you can't make every dog training exercise a game. But dog obedience training doesn't have to be anything but rewarding. Use play whenever you can (there are several games you can use when leash training as well) and your dog training program will never feel like just a chore.

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William Dexton is an expert dog trainer specializing in making dog training exercises fun for the whole family. You can find more of her articles at aboutdogobedience.com

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