Ahhhhh obedience! It is the age old struggle between canine and human.

Decades ago, we were told that our dogs needed corrections and an alpha.

Yank the leash up for “sit” to force the dog into the position.

Pop the dog on the nose with a newspaper; use a hand signal and force him into a down, so that he will submit to your commands.

This kind of obedience isn’t exactly conducive to building a great relationship with your dog.

It also works around the concept of letting your dog adopt bad behaviors and then correcting them. Both ideals, I think, are ludicrous.

Bonding With Your Dog Through Obedience Training

Next came the reward based trainers, luring and rewarding good behaviors.

This is where “Dog Obedience” went from being tedious for the dog AND the person, to actually being a little bit of fun for both.

The dog enjoyed the training and being rewarded.

And, the human half of this situation began to enjoy shaping behaviors and “teaching” their dog in a way that was not unfair or abusive.

Avoiding Bad Behavior

This mentality also teaches the human and the dog to AVOID bad behavior.

Instead of watching and waiting for the dog to make a misstep or mistake so that the human can swoop in and “correct” the dog, we are encouraged to avoid the misstep or mistake.

Let’s Take Counter Surfing

Old school dog training would tell you:

Use tabasco or hot pepper sauce so that when the dog steals the food his mouth will burn and he will learn to leave your food alone.

Attach a shake can (a can filled with pennies) to an item of food so that when the dog steals the food, the shake can of pennies will scare him.

Set him up to make a mistake: set food out close to the edge of the counter and then hide and wait, using a spray bottle, shake can or other means of correction when the dog steals the food, which should keep him from stealing in the future.

New school dog training would tell you:

Teach the dog that you keep the best rewards and that you reward him for the good behaviors of “sit” and “down” and “four on the floor”.

Set the dog up for good behavior by setting low level food at the edge of the counter for the dog to see/sniff.

Teach the dog that “leave it” or “sitting” or “down” will bring rewards from you; rewards that are better than anything that is on the counter.

By using jackpots and training, you can decrease the desirability of the item you are leaving on the counter with success.

Situation one waits for the dog to show the bad behavior.

Situation two teaches the dog to never steal food in the first place!

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in and of itself increases the human/pet bond because it alleviates depraved feelings that come with bad behavior.

Add Some Fun

Now, how about you up the ante just a little bit and begin playing with your dog while you train?

My motto, and what I am known for in this business, is “dog training fun for the whole family”.

I find that if the dog is having a great time and playing games, the family, by default, is also having fun.

And, we are much more likely to do things that are FUN!!!

Dogs Can’t Train Themselves

Dogs can’t train themselves, no matter how badly they want their training that’s where Double D Dog training comes in.

It requires a human to teach them, and let’s admit that we will make more time for something if we find it enjoyable.

How?

First make sure your dog can play and feels comfortable doing so with you.

And, devote at least a couple weeks trying to engage your dog in play!

Can you train your puppy without play?

Yes.

But you will both get more out of it if you can play together.  It just makes life more fun!

Take him shopping and find a toy and a game that you both enjoy.

Ask him to perform a task he knows.

When he performs this task with perfection reward him with a game of tug or throw his toy to retrieve (if he enjoys retrieving).

Laugh!

Praise him!

Pet him!

And, play for a moment or two.

Then, when you ask for him to release the toy, ask for another sequence of obedience.

“Watch me, Heel…….. Sit, Down, Sit”, then reward with another burst of the joy that comes from a game!

You see, positive reinforcement and communication will improve your bond with your dog. But adding a few games here and there will bring that bond with your dog and enjoyment down to a level that you will both adore as you get to know one another on another level.

We have all had an excited dog at one time or another…

After all, I think dogs have “cornered” the happiness and excitement genre of life.

That is why we love them. 😉

If I just had an ounce of my dog’s energy and joy, I could get a lot more done around my house!

But, it makes them difficult to deal with, on occasion, when their energy level and excitement leads to their inability to control themselves.

I liken dogs to toddlers a lot! I think they are so similar in so many ways.

So before you go losing your temper, understand that taking your dog for a walk is like taking your 3 year old child to the zoo or to Chuck E. Cheese’s and expecting him or her not to get excited.

So then, how do you deal with an overexcited dog when you want to take them on a walk?

First off you must teach them manners and how to control themselves.

Just like we have expectations for our children as they age and we are constantly teaching them, so must we also have expectations for our dogs and be constantly teaching them what we want!

And, leash manners and walking nicely on leash should be a teaching priority!

Letting him pull you until your arm hurts creates a bad habit that neither of you should have to endure.

And, remember that habits are hard to break.

But, sometimes we want to take our dogs for walks or our children out to dinner before they have completely mastered all of their learning.

What is the best trick or tip to having a successful and enjoyable walk?

Wear your dog out first!

A tired dog is much less excitable and much more controllable!

People often tell me that the second half of a long walk is much more enjoyable than the first half.

Right?

It is because the dog is more tired and over the hump of being excited.

Why not use that to your advantage?

The majority of people think that taking their dog for a walk IS the exercise and IS the best way to wear them out physically.

Walking is actually not the best way to a tired dog.

So before you go to take your dog on a stroll, throw the ball for him for 10 or 20 minutes, run him next to your bike, or teach him a new trick or game (mental stimulation works, too).

Then you can both enjoy a walk and he won’t be pulling your arm out of its socket!

It’s Imperative for You to Teach Your Dog to Come When Called

And there are many ways that you can do so.

But, my favorite way to teach my dog to come when called is by playing “hide and seek”.

However, I understand that many people can’t find the time or another person to help them. For them I would say… TRY HARDER. 😉

Single-handedly, this, and restraint (someone holding your dog away from you when you call him), is THE BEST way to teach your dog to come when called.

Simply put, it is fun!!!

And, fun games make for reliable behaviors!

However, we need a multitude of ways to teach our dogs to come to us, whether it be formal obedience style or just functional style.

So, what is the quickest way to teach your dog to come when called?

I think the quickest way (minus the aforementioned style), is teaching them when they are on leash and you are working on leash training and obedience.

Let’s be clear, if you have absolutely NO leash manners, you can’t expect your dog to listen to any other command. He is simply out walking and pulling and yanking and sputtering to fulfill his own needs and do what he wants.

This, by the way, is not a great way to work with a dog.

Dogs should learn leash manners and learn to listen to their human while they are on leash.

It isn’t easy, but it is worth it. If you need help, read this and ALL of the highlighted articles within, because leash manners is one of the most difficult things you can ask your dog to perform.

From here, we can learn to back up and call them!

So while I am walking down the road with my dog (with possibly no destination in mind), I simply run backwards and call my dog to come.

Why would I do that?

Sounds crazy right?

I mean, he is right there on leash next to me, and I don’t NEED him to come!

But that is the kind of consistency that he needs.

Also, that is the kind of positivity he needs.

There is literally no conflict when you walk backward and call him to come (unless you do it in a very distracting environment).

He simply turns around and comes and sits in front of you.

You also have control!

Volume creates habit.

And, when that volume is also accompanied by reward and positivity, you are building a bridge of happiness.

You are creating a habit.

Come = GREAT THINGS!

This increases your chance that even if your dog is accidentally off leash, he will still listen!

My Recommendation

Do it often!

Reward handsomely!

Make it fun!

And, never make it’s meaning change to something negative.

Also, never think “My dog has got this…. We can stop this training and move on to something else.”

I don’t care if my puppy is 8 weeks or 15 years old, his recall is the most important thing in his and my life.

And, literally, all it takes is a few minutes of fun a day to build the bridge that helps him to remember how fun the “come” command is!

So, you’d better get started!