Puppy training
Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:15 am
It’s been 17 yrs. since I last trained a Chow pup. In hindsight I can see the mistakes I made. Today the internet has opened up a flood of information & misinformation on every imaginable subject, including dog training. I haven’t completely sorted what’s what yet, but I want to share what I’ve learned so far and include new material & insights in the following months. I’d appreciate any training material suggestions, especially during this first year.
There’s so much on YouTube that you can spend days sifting through it all. Some material is from well known dog trainers like Cesar Millan & Victoria Stilwell. The two I’ve found most helpful are not nearly as famous. Their videos are short & fairly well made. Both follow the purely positive reinforcement training philosophy. Scroll down to their “playlist” section for a collection of their basic training videos.
• Zak George http://www.youtube.com/user/zakgeorge21?feature=watch
• Training Positive http://www.youtube.com/user/tab289?feature=watch
I’ve only read 2 books (halfway through 2nd) so far. In both cases they use a “hybrid” training method that incorporates limited disciplinary techniques to go along with the mostly positive reinforcement concepts. The broader philosophy behind both books that I find most compelling is the emphasis on developing a bond/relationship between dog & person. There are many more books, so this is just a starting point. Book titles, like news headlines, tend to be splashy. The books were better than their titles. Check your local library.
• How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend by The Monks of New Skete
• How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan
My last source of training material is not free. 17 yrs. ago I went the pet store route for puppy school. It was somewhat helpful, but the young trainer clearly was not a “professional”. This time around I was more selective. We’ve attended 2 play sessions and 1 class, with 4 more weeks of Thursday play/Saturday class to go.
The main advantage is the professionally supervised interaction between other pups and people (including kids). I think this is very important during the 8-15 week age range when the pup is still quarantined from public spaces. The main trainers in this particular dog school are regularly observing Thor and I expect to be able to ask them specific questions when issues arise. Meanwhile we have our homework assignments. It’s a learning process for both of us and the extended family.
There’s so much on YouTube that you can spend days sifting through it all. Some material is from well known dog trainers like Cesar Millan & Victoria Stilwell. The two I’ve found most helpful are not nearly as famous. Their videos are short & fairly well made. Both follow the purely positive reinforcement training philosophy. Scroll down to their “playlist” section for a collection of their basic training videos.
• Zak George http://www.youtube.com/user/zakgeorge21?feature=watch
• Training Positive http://www.youtube.com/user/tab289?feature=watch
I’ve only read 2 books (halfway through 2nd) so far. In both cases they use a “hybrid” training method that incorporates limited disciplinary techniques to go along with the mostly positive reinforcement concepts. The broader philosophy behind both books that I find most compelling is the emphasis on developing a bond/relationship between dog & person. There are many more books, so this is just a starting point. Book titles, like news headlines, tend to be splashy. The books were better than their titles. Check your local library.
• How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend by The Monks of New Skete
• How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan
My last source of training material is not free. 17 yrs. ago I went the pet store route for puppy school. It was somewhat helpful, but the young trainer clearly was not a “professional”. This time around I was more selective. We’ve attended 2 play sessions and 1 class, with 4 more weeks of Thursday play/Saturday class to go.
The main advantage is the professionally supervised interaction between other pups and people (including kids). I think this is very important during the 8-15 week age range when the pup is still quarantined from public spaces. The main trainers in this particular dog school are regularly observing Thor and I expect to be able to ask them specific questions when issues arise. Meanwhile we have our homework assignments. It’s a learning process for both of us and the extended family.