How To Stop Your Dog From Chewing With Dog Training Techniques

Anyone who has a dog and, especially, a puppy is already aware of the fact that chewing is one of the leading problems when it comes to dog ownership. Unfortunately, chewing is one of the most difficult puppy habits to break. It is often very difficult to train a dog to stop chewing despite any tricks you have tried. Hopefully, this article can provide you with some useful tips that could help you effectively teach your dog to stop chewing on items you would much prefer your dog avoid. First and foremost, it is important that you understand that giving your dog a lot of praise will be more effective than anything else, including using your handy newspaper to spank their bottom.

Every dog loves it when their owner is happy with them and praises them for something they did, even if it is small. Praise goes a long way in the dog training process which is why it is so important that dog owners start applying some new training techniques while at the same time overflowing their dog with praise for the littlest "good" acts. The difference you see should come quickly.

Dogs naturally want to chew on something, but generally do not realize that certain items cannot be chewed on until you teach them. Teaching them properly is an important part of this lesson. Rather than hitting your dog when you see them chewing on something, try using an attention-getting tone to pull their attention away from the object.

On the other hand, pay attention when you see them chewing on something they are allowed to chew on. This is the time when you should praise them to, basically, reinforce the fact that they are chewing on something permitted. Praise to a dog is like a reward. Once you begin consistently praising them in the right moments, they will attempt to chew on these permitted items rather than the items they are supposed to avoid chewing on.

Dog training really should not be a dreadful, frustrating experience, but rather an enjoyable time for both you and the dog. It is a great time to bond with your dog and watch him or her learn and practice what you are teaching. Now, this is not to say it will be an easy task. Dog training requires a lot of time, effort and patience but the benefits are worth it. Consistency is an important factor in successful dog training, so be sure you stick with your plan. Otherwise, you will not see much progress and continue to get frustrated with your dog and his or her chewing habits.

Daniel Waser is a dog lover since his childhood. He owns 3 dogs of his own and has a lot of experiences with dogs. At his websites hes providing helpful information and tips about Dog Health Problems and Dog Training.

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Secrets of Dog Training Professionals Operant Conditioning

Have you ever wondered how really good dog trainers come up with the techniques they use to solve behaviour problems in dogs such as excessive barking, destructive chewing, toileting in the house and jumping up on visitors? Or how top dog trainers come up with ways to train dogs in top obedience and working competitions? Apart from a few naturals, most really good dog trainers have a very good understanding of how dogs learn. They have adapted theory from the world of behavioural science and turned that knowledge into real-life practical skills for training dogs. This article explains in plain English some of the science and theory behind dog training, these really are secrets of the dog training professionals!

Operant Conditioning is the term that scientists use to describe what dog trainers call training with consequences. That is, any training that involves a consequence that either reinforces or punishes behavior. There are 4 possible consequence types used in Operant Conditioning, and 1 non-consequence. These are:

1. Positive Reinforcement: when we give a reward and the behaviour increases or is maintained as a result, we call this positive reinforcement (+R). e.g dog sits when asked, we give a treat. Dog learns to sit when asked in future.

2. Negative Reinforcement: when we take something unpleasant away and the behaviour increases or is maintained as a result, we call this negative reinforcement (-R). e.g we ask dog to sit, pulling up on collar, dog sits, we release pressure from the collar. Dog learns to sit when asked in future.

3. Positive Punishment: when we do something unpleasant and the behaviour is decreased or eliminated as a result, we call this positive punishment (+P). e.g dog goes to investigate kitchen bench for food, we make a sharp noise. Dog learns not to investigate kitchen benches for food in future.

4. Negative Punishment: when we take away something the dog wants or enjoys and the behaviour is decreased or eliminated as a result, we call this negative punishment (-P). e.g dog plays too roughly with another more timid dog, we leash rough dog and remove the opportunity to play. Dog learns not to play too roughly in future.

5. Extinction: when behaviour is no longer reinforced and it eventually goes away, we call this extinction. e.g dog is used to being allowed outside when he whines at the door, but is suddenly no longer allowed out when he whines. Dog learns not to whine at the door. Extinction sometimes makes the target behaviour worse before it gets better, sometimes significantly. This is known as an extinction burst and is usually a sign that the behaviour is about to diminish rapidly. In the current example, the dog might whine more often, more loudly, and for longer periods before learning that whining doesnt work for him any more.

Lets examine the terms more closely. Apart from extinction, you will notice four words that can be used in four different combinations. These are positive, negative, reinforcement and punishment and they are technical terms that scientists use when discussing Operant Conditioning.

Positive means to add something. We add the reward, or add the punisher. By contrast, Negative means to take something away. We take away the reward, or take away the unpleasant stimulus.

Reinforcement is when we increase or maintain behaviour. The behaviour happens more often, more intensely, for longer periods, or it continues to happen without reducing in frequency, intensity or duration. By contrast, Punishment is when we decrease or eliminate behaviour using consequence. We reduce the frequency, intensity or duration of the behaviour.

A common mistake is to assume that we have reinforced or punished behaviour when in fact in future we discover that the behaviour has not actually been changed! Many dog trainers believe that praise is an effective reinforcer. It may be, for some dogs in some circumstances. The truth is we dont know unless we see the behaviour that earned the praise increase or keep occurring in the future. The same applies to punishment. Yelling at a dog might stop it from going through your rubbish bin while you are there, but does it stop your dog going through the rubbish bin while youre not there? Probably not. A more effective approach is to use a more secure rubbish bin, or put the rubbish bin in a place which is inaccessible to the dog.

For more information, please visit www.groups.yahoo.com/group/traininglevels/ for a Free program and e-book that shows you how to train your own dog, step-by-step, with the help of thousands of others using the very same program to train their own dogs.

Aidan Bindoff is Editor of http://www.PositivePetzine.com, a free ezine for people training their own dogs. Each edition has easy to use training advice based on positive reinforcement methods. Subscribers have access to a large archive of back-issues they can consult for just about any behavior or behavior problem.

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