In Home Dog Training

Chris Smith
Dog Obedience Training Review

If you don't want to hire a trainer for your dog, and prefer to do-it yourself with in home dog training, few websites offer the clear, down to earth style of training that Chris Smiths Dog Obedience Training Review site has to offer. It offers everything a do-it yourselfer could want, in concise, easily understandable form.

We were delighted when he agreed to chat with us about training ones dog, and hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as we did doing it. Here's what Chris had to say…

Q. What was the motivating force behind your choosing to build a site dedicated to dog training in the first place?

A. I have always owned dogs and I don't see this changing any time soon. When I first considered starting my own website it made sense that I create one about something I loved, which of course was dogs. I now hope that my site dog-obedience-training-review.com is a place where dog owners can go for heaps of great dog health care and training information. I really didn't know what to expect when I first put the site together but have been really pleased with the amount of dog lovers who visit the site and put the training techniques into action.

Q. Since many new owners will be reading this interview, could you give us an idea about some of the most common mistakes new owners make when training their dog?

A. The number one issue I have with new owners is that they think owning a dog is easy. If you bring a new puppy into your household it is not an easy exercise. You have many responsibilities and deadlines that must be met for the health and wellbeing of your dog. Your puppy is totally reliant on you to provide these things.

I’m talking about things like vaccinations, socialization, bite inhibition, puppy housetraining and many other important tasks. A new dog owner who thinks they can simply go out and purchase a puppy on a whim without proper research and planning is deluded. It’s unfair on the dog if you bring him/her into your life and don’t provide the fundamentals required for him to grow into a healthy, well-balanced older dog.

A new puppy requires much more than a bowl of food once a day and a few cuddles.

Q. At about what age should one start in home dog training their new puppy?

A. It’s never too early to begin training, the sooner the better. In fact your puppy should already have some experience with training from his/her breeder before you bring him home.

Q. On your site you discuss two of the more popular training techniques being that of Clicker Training and Dog Whispering, could you briefly explain both and which of the two you favor and why?

A. Dog whispering is really about setting up a healthy and proper relationship with your dog. It’s about observing and understanding your dog and also communicating to him/her in a way that will be understood. Clicker training is a non-violent reward based training method that relies on operant and classical conditioning to shape the behavior of your dog.

As far as which method I prefer, I would have to say that they both have a place and there’s no reason why the two methods can’t coexist. If you are looking to teach your dog some obedience commands or tricks, then clicker training is without peer. Your dog will love clicker training and the simple fact of the matter is that it is unbelievably effective.

Q. You mention that properly socializing ones dog as being crucially important in the training process… why is this so? And are there better ways to socialize them than others?

The thing is that if you have a fearful, stressed dog or in other words an un-socialized dog you are going to be hard pressed to make good progress when training. On the other hand a properly socialized animal is comfortable, confident and well placed to think, learn and problem solve throughout the training process.

Puppy socialization is a big topic so I’d advise new puppy owners to have a good look at exactly what is required in the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life. It is crucial that you provide adequate puppy socialization and if you’re not prepared to do it I’d say that a dog is not the right companion for you. You can read a more detailed explanation about the puppy socialization process on my website.

Q. Also, you stated that it’s important to work with a dog’s natural drives and instincts when training. Could you elaborate further on this?

A. The important thing to note in regard to this is that you must respect that dogs are dogs and they are not little humans. They think and act differently to us and have different wants, needs and motives. Instead of trying to change our dogs natural drives and instincts (which is impossible) we should work with them, use this knowledge to our advantage. An example of this in a training context is that if your dog has a mad prey drive and loves to chase, you can incorporate this into training sessions. If you are trying to teach your dog the "down" behavior/command you can keep him really switched on and motivated by throwing a ball for him to chase as a reward.

Q. All dogs are different. Because of this, do you find that certain breeds are more difficult/easy to train than others? I would imagine some breeds are more stubborn, smarter, or more laid back than others, and this might somehow affect how one might train them?

A. Yes, certainly all breeds are different and they all have general breed characteristics and traits that usually hold true. Many breeds simply don't have the temperament or drive/motivation to progress through the various levels of obedience training.

Whilst you can generalize about dog breeds it is also true that all dogs are different, regardless of their breed type. Some other important elements that combine to shape the temperament and behavior habits of your dog include – the breeder you purchase from, the socialization you provide and also the training you provide. These things are even more influential in shaping your dog than simply what breed he/she is.

Q. Is it really harder to teach an old dog new tricks? Any suggestions on ways to make this easier?

A. Well yes it is usually harder to train or re-educate an older dog than to start out with a young puppy. Dog's are creatures of habit and once they form these habits it can be very difficult to extinguish or change them.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to train your older dog, it just means that it may be a little harder and more time consuming than training a puppy. Dogs never stop learning and we should never stop stimulating them with training exercises, games and trick training. On top of all the benefits these things provide to both us and our dogs the bottom line is that they are fun – one of the real joys of dog ownership.

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