Training, how do you go about it, what is acceptable to you?

1. I use a variety of tools including operant reward based training and corrections.

2. I use corrections depending upon the situation. For reinforcement of a command that a dog knows but is choosing not to respond to properly..... or to eliminate inappropriate behavior.

3. I require the dog follows any command I give.

4. Any time I am with a dog it is being trained. Whether formally (structured training time) or informally (we're in the livingroom and all the dogs are lying nicely on the floor on a down stay). Usually I do very short (5-10 min) formal training sessions a couple times a day... however, I will often have one dog working on a down-stay or sit-stay WHILE I'm working another dog on leash etc..

5. If the dog is not following commands it is because:

a) I've failed to train the dog what the command means

b) I've failed to train the dog that he MUST do what he's told

c) The dog is testing whether I *really* mean it (see b)

d) The dog is ill.

Edit: Missed the question about breed specific traits- Yes, I do take into account a dog's breed while I'm training. For instance- My Bernese react strongly to verbal reprimand, I rarely do much physical correction with them... and simple praise and an ear scritch is a great reward. Whereas most Samoyeds don't give 2 hoots if you scold them and a quick strong physical correction will give me the results I want so I can then reward (reward being crucial for Sams) HOWEVER nagging at a Sam with small corrections seems to set them on the road to "I don't wanna and you can't make me" which leads to escalating behaviors.

I use mostly positive training, but I have been known to use "corrections" when needed (more in actual obedience training than real life situations.) I feel like a good treat or game of tug is the most powerful reward. My idea of a "correction" is when practicing heeling, after the dog KNOWS his/her job, then if he/she doesn't sit, I will give a very quick "pop" on the leash- the effect is more like startling the dog than anything else- and depends on the personality of the dog.

I will usually only train about 5-15 minutes at a time- I find my dogs learn more if I don't stress them out. Plus, I find that with my dogs, if I repeat an exercise too many times, they get confused- they act as if they've done it wrong, and will start offering alternate behaviors. So, if I do 2-3 reps of something, reward highly, they end happy, and learn quicker.

I want my dog to follow my commands 100% of the time! PERIOD. I have found (with my first girl, a dominant girl), that if I let her slide even the least bit, then things get out of control very quickly, and I've suddenly got a huge problem on my hands! Dogs need things in black and white- it's one of the reasons you shouldn't let them chew on an old shoe- they don't distinguish between old shoes vs. new shoes.

There are only 3 reasons a dog doesn't follow a command

1.) The dog doesn't know what you want (occurs in early training)- like, if I looked at my dog right now and said, "Mow the grass"- he would just sit there- dogs will react to a command before they really "understand" it, which I think is something many people don't understand.

2.) The dog is confused- (this is what I see as most common)- I've seen people who say "down" to mean lie down, but then will use "down" to tell a dog not to jump up- this is only confusing the dog, as he/she doesn't understand what you want. Also, when someone has the dog in a sit stay, but then rewards the dog when it stands up- you are rewarding the dog for standing, not for doing the sit stay- you are confusing your dog.

3.) The dog is unwilling to respond- this is usually if there is something that dog finds more interesting/valuable than obeying your command- chasing a squirrel is more rewarding than coming- eating pizza off the counter is more rewarding than sitting. This is the ONLY time I would ever use a correction- and it has to fit the circumstances and be administered quickly and justly- and once the dog obeys, the reward must be delivered faster and be above the top.

Hope this helps- I tried to hit the high points, but could rattle on all day! :)

WOW, what a juicy question!!!!

Ok, I do NOT train using purely positive methods and I think that anyone who does has no idea what real dog training that includes proofing is. No dog has ever been or will ever be trained purely with positive methods, period.

I do use corrections and they depend on the dog being trained and what I am training for. From a prong collar to the E collar and everything else in between.

Corrections vary in intensity on the dog's temperament, some dogs need a "pop" on the prong and some need a little more convincing....

The level of training that is acceptable to me is "the first time, all the time". At my position I cannot afford to have a dog that will work when it wants to or listen when it feels like it, ever!!

My dogs learn early on that listening the first time I issue a command is much better and easier then having to deal with consequences afterwards. This does not mean that the dog is abused, it means that the dog is corrected, every time, all the time when it does not respond cheerfully to a command.

I train a dog several times a week, from 3-5 days when the dog is learning and once we have achieved a certification otitle we train at least twice a week for proficiency.

We train for at least 2-3 hours at a time, just not all together.

I see no reason for the dog not following my commands, I see that certain dogs are more handler hard and more civil then others and they just require more work then others.

Hope I helped.

I have Siberian Huskies; not the most obedient breed in the world. They are stubborn, independent dogs that will do as they please. I don't recommend them for the first time dog owner or for the hesitant dog owner. Give them an inch, or let them sense you're unsure, and they'll completely take over.

I also foster for husky rescue and do a lot of talking about the breed to people at adoption events. Here are just some things I routinely tell them.

If you let them get away with everything you'll be miserable. If you rule with an iron fist, the dog will be miserable. You have to have common ground. Pick your battles. Have some rules that never, ever bend and some that are flexible.

For example, in my house one firm rule is you don't put your mouth on the cat. Ever. That is non-negotiable. Of course the cat knows it and usually instigates things. My poor dog will grab the nearest toy and shake it really hard. Better the toy than the cat, though!

One of the negotiable rules is no dogs on the furniture. If a dog gets up on the couch for a snooze, that's fine. If a dog gets up on the couch and uses it as a launch pad to dive bomb another dog, then their furniture privileges are revoked.

One of the rules that doesn't really exist, much as it annoys me, is I allow the dogs to wrestle in the house. I feel it's not fair to make them just sit there and be perfect little statues all the time. As long as they don't kill each other, some light wrestling in the living room is okay; I just turn the TV up louder so I can hear it over the play growling.

Since I have a lot of foster dogs that either have no manners whatsoever or have had a rough life and are over sensitive to corrections, training is a combination of positive reinforcement (90%) and some mild corrections when necessary.

Any good behavior, whether asked for or occuring naturally (or by accident) gets very happy, upbeat "What a good dog!" followed by a treat of some sort.

If the offense is minor it gets a "no, no, we don't do that in this house" in a serious, little bit harder tone of voice than usual. (aka the pee-pee voice).

If the offense is more serious, I may raise my voice more and clap my hands as a distraction.

If the offense is major (which would just be attacking another dog or cat) then I yell, loudly. I may also stand over the dog while yelling. Not to dominate the dog, but just to remind him that I'm there and capable of more than just yelling. Again, it all depends on the dog's temperament.

If a dog is a repeat offender, and I feel should know better by now, I'll usually make them sit, hold their head so they're looking me in the eye, and give them a stern talking to. Man a dog would rather break its own neck than be forced to look me in the eye. LOL!

When training specific commands such as sit, down, etc. It's always positive reinforcement. Treats for good behavior, ignore the bad behavior. Watch for cues that the dog is getting bored or frustrated and end on a positive note.

Specific training sessions are 10 minutes or less a couple times a day. Usually during the commercials when I'm watching TV. Of course any chance I have to work on a command at other times I do it. If a dog comes into the bathroom to see what I'm doing, I usually tell them to sit, lie down, give me paw, or something else. Basically, if they seek me out, they get my undivided attention, a chance to show how smart they are, and lots of praise.

Because of the breed's tendency to take off, I never work them in an area that isn't secure. A fence is a must when working on off leash stuff like recalls. And even then, I would never, ever take a husky outside off leash, no matter how good they are when we're practicing.

I currently have a husky in flyball. He does great in the practice building but if we do a demo he has to be on leash or we have to be in a securely fenced area or else he'll take off. In general, like when they're on-leash, my dogs are very well behaved and are complimented on their behavior when we're out in public or when someone comes to visit. And my adopters are always thrilled when they take home a dog I've fostered and it has basic training and house manners.

Again, this is what works with my huskies. Ideally, you should find out as much as you can about the breed, temperament and history of a dog so you can tailor your training to their individual needs.

I do not train using only positive reinforcement, I do use corrections.

I use corrections when my dog does not obey a command.

I would not be satisfied with my dogs following commands "most of the time". Depending on the situation, that "most of the time" simply will not cut it and could mean serious injury or death for the dog (ie:recall).

I train every day. I train in short sessions, but the training doesn't stop when the session stops. I expect my dogs to obey me when we aren't specifically "training".

I have a very stubborn dog who likes to "push my limits". That is why it is extremely important for me to be consistent and not let her get away with anything.

In having 2 dogs who are part scent hound, loose leash walking is a challenge. Their ears turn off when their nose turns on, it seems. That's not acceptable to me. I don't mind them sniffing at all, but I need to know that they can HEAR me and will respond when I give them a command.

I use mostly positive reinforcement. She does get corrected when it's necessary. A medium strength "no" or a holding of the leash are about it.

Because I have an Italian Greyhound, negative reinforcement and serious corrections are out. They are a VERY VERY sensitive breed and if they are so much as yelled at, it's terrifying for them. Even a harsh tone of voice freaks them out and can do serious harm to their psyche.

Because she is a sighthound, and many are deemed "untrainable", positive reinforcement is our best bet. She works for food and loves it. She's the only IG that I know that does as many commands and tricks as she does. She's also 99% potty trained (100% if we weren't a factor) - I have yet to meet another IG that is so trustworthy.

Because we don't scream, yell, hit, smack, or scare her, she's also very outgoing and fairly self-assured. Another thing that's rare in this breed.

When she doesn't follow commands, it's because she doesn't want to. She plays the "sighthound" and "companion dog" card. And frankly, they are true. If she's running on the lead, it's her sighthound blood that compels her to see everything and chase everything. If she won't "sit" or "shhhh", it's because she's a companion animal and doesn't have to, lol, according to her breeding.

I won't even attempt to correct out traits that are genetically ingrained from 2000 years of breeding. I work with them, but I'll always know that she's not 100% "trained".

I use positive training, but that doesn't mean that there are no "corrections" or consequences for doing wrong. Typically a stern "no" is enough for most corrections. I do occasionally "tap" my dogs if what I am asking for is their attention and them not giving it is potentially dangerous, but I do not tap them any harder than I would pat them when we are rough-housing.

When do I use corrections? That depends on what the dog is doing and how bad it is. Stealing food ALWAYS earns a correction...this is why my dogs don't do it when we are around. Pulling on the leash when a squirrel runs by so closely that we nearly step on it...that's not something that deserves a strong correction. maybe an "ah-ah" or calling their name to get their attention back on me.

PEOPLE can't follow directions correctly every single time. Why should we expect that strict level of obedience from our dogs? I do expect my dogs to mind me, but I also understand that under certain circumstances they are distracted or overstimulated and they just block me out. This isn't them being bad dogs, this is them being living breathing beings with a mind of their own. People make mistakes and we've come to accept it as part of being human so why shouldn't dogs be allowed to make mistakes from time to time too? Certain things do need to be done every time the dog is asked to do it...like giving up a toy, waiting before going out the door, not biting people. But for most commands, if the dog is distracted and doesn't listen the first time it's not something to get horribly upset about. Just get the dog's attention back on you and repeat your command.

People train their dogs every day, whether they put in a concentrated effort to do so or not. So, I take advantage of the times where I have to interact with my dogs and I have something they want. We do a little training every time they go outside, every time they are fed, whenever we get in or out of the car. Probably about 20 minutes total over the course of the day. I like to try to make an effort to have a 15 minute training session with them at least once a week...but I typically run out of time. When I have the extra income and free time, we take weekly classes that last about an hour.

What reasons do I see for my dogs to not follow commands? Well, if they are scared out of their minds I can hardly fault them for not listening to me. High stress situations can make it difficult for them to listen. Any dog that is in a lot of pain is not going to act normally, let alone follow commands. But even under stressful conditions I still expect a certain degree of attentiveness and obedience from my dogs.

I first established my self as the alpha by walking through doors first , eating first and not running up to my dog but him coming to me , now that he knows I am the leader he will take commands much easier although he has tried to text my leadership but failed.

When training and he does something right i use a lot of praise , as far as corrections I do not and will never HIT my dog Its either a loud and firm NO! or I turn around and he gets no attention , the moment he realizes that he has done wrong and waits patiently I turn around and continue , He won't get no attention from me by misbehaving.

I am no professional dog trainer and take my dog to obedience lessons but that is what i personally do.

(add) Everyday for me is a new day which means there is something new to learn so I am always training.

As for not following commands the owner has failed to get their commands across.

The training that I have done with my dog came because he had no respect for me and bit me. It was so bad that I almost needed stitches. This is not all just my opinion, it is how a trainer/ behaviouralist trains dogs and how working dogs are trained.

The only corrections used should be: a low toned command with the right body language to get across the point "I'm not happy with you" (remember, you are the boss!!), turning your back to the dog (be careful with this, it really hurts their feelings) and in some cases not giving them what they want.

My dog will always do what I ask him by the third time I ask. This is when I use my, "I'm not happy with you voice". I ask him to sit and shake a paw for every one of his meals and if he doesn't do it, I put the food away and ask him to do it again in 10 minutes. This teaches him that he isn't going to get what he wants unless he earns it. It will also teach him respect for you because he will know that you'r the one who controls the food! I always expect him to follow through with my request.

Training with this method should be done all the time every day.

Only do this if you feel that you can follow through with it because it will be bad to start teaching him that he has to earn everything and then just stop and give him everything in return for nothing

I mostly use positive methods, but will use corrections if I deem them necessary..

There are commands that MUST be obeyed, and there are ones that I will cut them slack on. The ones I insist on are the ones that are related to their safety (like "come", "stay"), but a lot of training we do for fun. The world will not end if my dog does not retrieve.

I do take into account that my breed is bred to think independently. You have to provide them with a reason "why".

"Because I said so" is not a good enough reason if you want to get the best work out of your Basset.

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