There are many reasons to begin a training regime with your pet. You may want to stop an animal’s bad behavior such as clawing or chewing the furniture. You may want to keep him under control in social situations. Or you may want to teach him to perform tricks on command. In any case, the animal will benefit both from the mental exercise required and from the time and attention you give him. The most satisfying form of pet training uses positive reinforcement.

Training with positive reinforcement involves rewarding pets when they perform the right action, rather than punishing them for doing something wrong. Rewards are typically in the form of small food treats combined with praise. Once animals learn to associate certain actions with positive consequences, they become eager to repeat them.

You’ve probably already trained your pet through positive reinforcement without realizing it. If a dog or cat scratches at the door and you open it, they learn to associate the behavior of scratching with the reward of going outside. You reinforce the behavior every time you let them out when they scratch.

To train pets to do what you want them to do, you’ll need to get them to perform actions in response to commands. Decide on a specific desired behavior and think of a cue word to prompt it. Single syllable commands such as ‘down’ or ‘shake’ are easier for animals to understand than two word phrases like ‘lie down’ or ‘shake hands’.

As soon as your pet performs an action in response to a command, reward him with enthusiastic praise and a tasty treat. Always give the reward before the animal engages in any other behavior. If you are teaching a dog to obey the command ‘sit’, praise and feed him while he is still in a sitting position. If he moves first, he may think he is being rewarded for standing up.

To teach an animal to get off the bed or sofa, chose a simple command like ‘off’. When you find your pet sitting on the furniture, get a food treat and hide it in your hand. Stand over the animal, loudly and clearly say ‘off’ and gently push her to the floor. Immediately praise her and hold the treat to her mouth. Do this every time you catch her sitting where she’s not allowed. Eventually, she will jump off the furniture in response to your command, without the accompanying push.

When an animal has learned to reliably respond to the cue word, you can gradually stop rewarding her with treats. But do persist in offering praise and affection in return for good behavior. Dogs are eager to please their owners and generally require no other motivation. Depending on their individual personalities, and the extent to which they have bonded with their owners, some cats and birds will also continue to obey commands once the food incentive is withdrawn.

Pet training requires a degree of patience and some sessions will go more smoothly than others. When an animal is excited, distracted or tired, he may not perform at his best. Avoid the temptation to chastise your pet if he refuses to cooperate. It could lead him to associate the action you are trying to teach with negative consequences. If your pet gets only positive attention during dog training Kelowna, he will be eager to learn new commands.

Training a puppy can be frustrating, dog training requires discipline and consistancy. When experiencing problems, consult a professional. Bark Busters offer a reliable and affordable service for house puppy training.