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Teaching Deaf
Dogs
RK Anderson
Puppy Vaccination Recommendations
Don't leave your dog
Home Alone!
Ask
your veterinarian about
Doggie Daycare Programs.
If
your veterinarian does
not offer daycare, check your local
PetSmart.
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Taking Your Dog to Obedience Classes
Should my dog be six months
old before training?
No!
The BEST investment anyone can make with a new
puppy is joining a reputable puppy socialization
class, puppy daycare, or attending a puppy
socialization while the pup is 2 to 4 months
old.
Most pups are ready for an adult
on leash obedience
class at about 6
months of age. Look for classes that use
positive reinforcement and not pain to teach
dogs.
Teaching your dog a basic
vocabulary helps establish you
as higher ranking in status than
your canine. Dogs see
relationships in a structure
much like the military where
everyone has a ranking. Dogs
look for higher ranking leaders
to follow or try to become
leaders and expect others to
follow them.
If your dog sees you as a higher ranking
member of their group, your dog will be more motivated to learn from
you and follow your instructions. However, you need to teach
your dog exactly what you want and help the dog to understand what
certain words mean like come, sit, down, wait, stay, watch, shake,
back, touch, off, give, drop, leave it, etc.
Dogs will follow and try to
please a reliable, benevolent
leader. If the dog does not
perceive a worthy leader in the
pack, the dog will try to rise
to the occasion, fill this gap,
and provide leadership. Dogs
that misbehave are typically
either confused about the rules
or have the misguided notion
that they family needs them in
the leadership role.
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Remember, dogs are a proud
member of a different
species. When we teach our
dogs basic words to follow, we are, in fact , teaching
them a foreign language. |
Dog obedience
classes help you learn ways to teach your dog an English
vocabulary. Before you.jpg)
begin teaching your dog, try to learn more about how
dogs learn and communicate. It's only fair to learn
"dog language" before we expect dogs to learn "human
language".
Most animal behaviorist agree that dogs
that are labeled "bad" are simply "confused" about
what people have been trying to communicate to them.
How do I find a good class?
Avoid teachers who rely
heavily on firm collar
corrections. This is called
"compulsion" or "force training."
Although
force training may appear to
produce results and rapid
learning on the part of the dog,
there are unacceptable
disadvantages.
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Force training damages
the bond between the person
and the dog and may create
lasting fear or defensive
aggression.
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Why should
I look for reward-based training?
Reward-based obedience training shows the dog
EXACTLY what to do and what is right instead of punishing the dog for
what is wrong until the dog figures out what you
want.
Look for
classes that use food lures and treats. Food
lures show the dog exactly what words mean and produce quick and fun learning
for both of you.
Food lures
are phased out. Food rewards are used occasionally
along with praise and other reinforcers like games or toys. Would you
work very long without ever getting a paycheck.
Let's be reasonable! Always praise your
dog for good behavior. Reinforce the best responses with a variety
of rewards, including food. Keep your dog excited about learning and
pleasing you.
The
American Kennel
Club (www.AKC.org)
offers basic courses like the "Canine Good Citizen"
(www.akc.org/love/cgc)
and "Obedience Champion," "Search and Rescue" or
"Therapy Dog" certifications (www.tdi-dog.org).
There are many FUN classes that you can take with
your dog, including agility training, tracking,
tricks class, and flyball.
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Improving Relationships
between Pets and
People