The Basics of Wuff Treatment

As anyone who has seen the popular BBC TVbehavior.
series "Dog Borstal" will know, getting your dog toThe initial period of training with your dog will be
listen to you is, well, all about communication. Youthe most important phase of all, because it will
may think you know how to get through to yourestablish the pattern for all subsequent training.
mutt - but if he isn't paying any attention, heFor this reason, you should be well informed
could be trying to tell you something...Once youbefore embarking on the task - and armed with a
have established basic communication you aregreat 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, beforetry not to be neurotic about it. The dog will come
it can obey you. Your first aim will be to let itround eventually, but only if you give yourself and
know which behaviors are acceptable and in whichthe animal time to develop and adapt. Consistency
contexts. In order to do this, you will have tomeans everything to your dog. If you have
learn to give clear, comprehensible commands andpunished him once for a particular type of
to provide decent feedback, so that the animalbehavior, for example, you must continue to do
can understand if it has done what you wanted orso until he desists, otherwise the dog will become
not.confused. This will be distressing for him, because
Understanding how to communicate with yourhe really wants to please you.
dog is critical to any training that you do. The goalOnce you and your dog have mastered the
of the handler is to let the dog know whichbasics of sit, stay, come and heel, you will be
behaviors are correct in certain situations, andready to embark on more advanced training, such
which behaviors are not. The handler must alsoas tricks or "remotely" controlling your dog's
learn to give commands to the dog effectivelymovements with distance commands for right
and provide feedback so that the animaland left. It should be noted that human language in
understands whether it was successful or not. Ititself is not always clearly distinguishable to the
is also very important that the handlerdog's ears. After all, a dog's barking sounds pretty
understands how to read the dog's reactions tomuch the same to us, whatever the animal is
certain situations and to learn what motivates thetrying 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 thecommand in Welsh, "come by" seems to work
handler must establish with the dog. For goodvery well for a left turn.
behavior there is a reward signal and a continueSome owners may wish to resort to an electric
signal. The reward signal tells the dog that theyshock 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 arecontroversy in Britain recently, where a private
behaving properly and that they should continuemembers bill tried to have them banned. Welfare
to behave in this manner in order to get aminister Ben Bradshaw has spoken out in favor of
reward.electric collars, which he says some owners
For bad behavior a no reward signal and amaintain have saved the dog from nasty
punishment signal are used. The no reward signalaccidents 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 aFunding is being provided for an investigation later
reward. A punishment signal tells the dog thatthis year, aimed at establishing whether or not
they will be punished if they continue their currentthe collars can make dogs aggressive.