| As anyone who has seen the popular BBC TV | | | | behavior. |
| series "Dog Borstal" will know, getting your dog to | | | | The initial period of training with your dog will be |
| listen to you is, well, all about communication. You | | | | the most important phase of all, because it will |
| may think you know how to get through to your | | | | establish the pattern for all subsequent training. |
| mutt - but if he isn't paying any attention, he | | | | For this reason, you should be well informed |
| could be trying to tell you something...Once you | | | | before embarking on the task - and armed with a |
| have established basic communication you are | | | | great deal of patience. It is no use rushing the |
| ready for basic training. Establishing contact. | | | | building up of trust between handler and dog, so |
| Your dog has to know right from wrong, before | | | | try not to be neurotic about it. The dog will come |
| it can obey you. Your first aim will be to let it | | | | round eventually, but only if you give yourself and |
| know which behaviors are acceptable and in which | | | | the animal time to develop and adapt. Consistency |
| contexts. In order to do this, you will have to | | | | means everything to your dog. If you have |
| learn to give clear, comprehensible commands and | | | | punished him once for a particular type of |
| to provide decent feedback, so that the animal | | | | behavior, for example, you must continue to do |
| can understand if it has done what you wanted or | | | | so until he desists, otherwise the dog will become |
| not. | | | | confused. This will be distressing for him, because |
| Understanding how to communicate with your | | | | he really wants to please you. |
| dog is critical to any training that you do. The goal | | | | Once you and your dog have mastered the |
| of the handler is to let the dog know which | | | | basics of sit, stay, come and heel, you will be |
| behaviors are correct in certain situations, and | | | | ready to embark on more advanced training, such |
| which behaviors are not. The handler must also | | | | as tricks or "remotely" controlling your dog's |
| learn to give commands to the dog effectively | | | | movements with distance commands for right |
| and provide feedback so that the animal | | | | and left. It should be noted that human language in |
| understands whether it was successful or not. It | | | | itself is not always clearly distinguishable to the |
| is also very important that the handler | | | | dog's ears. After all, a dog's barking sounds pretty |
| understands how to read the dog's reactions to | | | | much the same to us, whatever the animal is |
| certain situations and to learn what motivates the | | | | trying to say. For this reason, "left" and "right" are |
| dog to obey or disobey. | | | | probably inappropriate words to use, whereas the |
| There are four basic communications that the | | | | command in Welsh, "come by" seems to work |
| handler must establish with the dog. For good | | | | very well for a left turn. |
| behavior there is a reward signal and a continue | | | | Some owners may wish to resort to an electric |
| signal. The reward signal tells the dog that they | | | | shock device as an aid to obedience. These have |
| have behaved properly and deserve a reward, | | | | been the centre of a certain amount of |
| and the continue signal tells the dog that they are | | | | controversy in Britain recently, where a private |
| behaving properly and that they should continue | | | | members bill tried to have them banned. Welfare |
| to behave in this manner in order to get a | | | | minister Ben Bradshaw has spoken out in favor of |
| reward. | | | | electric collars, which he says some owners |
| For bad behavior a no reward signal and a | | | | maintain have saved the dog from nasty |
| punishment signal are used. The no reward signal | | | | accidents or from being shot by farmers when |
| tells the dog that it has behaved incorrectly. | | | | they stray onto land with livestock. |
| Without a change in behavior, they will not get a | | | | Funding is being provided for an investigation later |
| reward. A punishment signal tells the dog that | | | | this year, aimed at establishing whether or not |
| they will be punished if they continue their current | | | | the collars can make dogs aggressive. |