What do you feel are the most important cornerstones of dog training.

As the CM debate goes on and on (and mostly round and round) it has made me think about what is at the core of dog training.

Not the actual "tricks" that are taught (as Scarter puts it) but the underlying methods.

Please don't just say "clicker training". Do you feel it's important to be in a particular mindset to train your dog? Do you get angry and shout at your dog? Do you feel the need to go through doors first and if so why? Do you view your relationship with your dog as a pack and if so is this simply a metaphor to allow you to interpret your dog training?

I'm trying to get to WHY you do things rather than how you do things.

I'll add my thoughts (which I'm sure you're all dying to hear) shortly.

I've always viewed basic training, e.g. having control of your dog as a cornerstone. E.g. being able to ask the dog to sit/down/be quiet/come back

If you've got a proper hooligan on the lead, you will never enjoy your dog.

I've found that if I attend our training classes and I'm in a bad mood or stressed, everything goes wrong. I am more stressed, the dog seems stressed/disobedient etc

Same as if I go for a walk and I'm in a bad mood about soemthing - the walk isn't pleasant and it seems that the dogs aren't behaving either.

I don't clicker train (personal preference) however do train with treats etc.

That's a tough one. I guess I train my dogs how I train my kids! My attitude to dog training is this: I don't do pack leader stuff - I tried it when I had my first dog and was a little green, but then discovered reward based training and found it to be more effective. I don't believe training can be 100% positive 100% of the time however. My dogs will get told off on occasion and a tap on the muzzle (very controversial!), but tbh most of the time they are good dogs without challenging behaviour. I don't let them push past me to get out of the house, but I don't keep them behind me all of the time either. I don't have a routine as far as who eats first either and both dogs are allowed on furniture, as they have no aggression issues. Dandy struggles with new situations and is quite shy, but I do take him to shows and get him out of his comfort zone on a regular basis. I believe that if I only went as far as he is comfortable with, we wouldn't have gotten as far as we have with him.

I think it is essential to have trust and respect between dog and handler.

I guess the closest that I can describe how I interact with my dogs is that I deal with them in a very similar way to how I would deal with a human toddler.

• be firm but fair
• make sure they understand what I want
• make learning/'compliance' fun
• try to avoid giving opportunities for them to do it wrong
• ensure they don't get away with 'misbehaving'
• never use physical punishment

I think consistancy with your training is important.
I try to be in the best mood when I am training them as if you get frustrated or angry they seem to get frightened and you end up doing the opposite of what you are wanting to do anyway. If it gets too much, it is better to try at another time. If you have a really good bond with the dog that helps too as you can understand them better and I think they know how you are reacting better.
I don't always walk through the door first, it is always in the back of my mind as I was informed it is a sign of being "pack leader", but have found it impractical at times as Scratch is just as likely not follow and wander off (he is deaf so I could yell all I wanted to no effect) and I don't think it is all important in training.
I think the word "pack" can be literal or metaphoric it makes no difference, there is a kinship with your dog and they are in your world and we interact with them on a daily basis. Hell they are part of my family (there is no shared DNA I would like to say ) but it is the intent behind the word, I will protect them, care for them and give them the love and care they need, just as I would my human family. In some respects you could call your family a pack, a flock, a herd it is just grouping of animals together, we just choose to have more than one species habitating together.

I put great emphasis on the actual relationship, because without a good one it's hard to live with a dog or progress much in training

So if helping anyone say one to one, I look at the relationship before almost anything else really!

Wys
x

1. To have a accurate picture in your head of what you want to achieve, both overall & in separte exercises

2. Dont allow things to develop that you do not wish to continue

3. The dog should be confident at all times

4. Slow & Thorough training. Have a learning Chain so you can back chain if it goes wrong. So the exercise /behaviour is broken down into small pieces.

5.Sometimes its better to Forget it for the day than to make a issue if it goes wrong.

6. Keep your dog Happy & motivated throughout

Right I'll put my oar in.

I've got a bit of a different approach to dog training than most people have and it comes from the training background I have.

I've trained in martial arts for about 5 years and for the last 2 of those was actively teaching, and teaching adults rather than children. I find teaching dogs very similar to teaching people. Martial art training is a physical skill, very much like training animals.

The good thing about training people is that you actually have to motivate them. Yes you can strut around like a god and make them grovel for an hour, however they are unlikely ever to come back. You actually have to motivate them. Which is a hell of a lot harder than just letting them do what they want. Martial arts are hard and sometimes you have to push people out of their comfort zone.

In martial arts there is punishment. I gave out pressups. However it's really just a marker for bad behaviour. By the time you can do any martial arts at all pressups are generally easier than anything else you will be doing. The punishment really is for the benefit of the student. I didn't get anything out of it. I'm really not into ego trips, it interupts training and is a bit of a pest. However it does work.

The absolute no no in martial art training is to loose your temper. People are always surprised about this. They feel that as you are doing acts usually associated with anger then you should be angry. This couldn't be further from the truth. You are in a dangerous environment where people are doing their best to do very risky things safely. Loss of control is the ultimate no no and will either earn you some quiet time in the corner or being told to give the session a miss altogether today.

Another parallel is when you go in for gradings. You've seen your students do things perfectly well in the dojo (read at home) but under the pressure of the grading (see distractions) the whole thing falls apart. It is important to see any failures as your fault for not sufficiently preparing your student before you let them go in for a grading.

Anyway I'll stop rambling.
I feel the cornerstones of training are:

• Trust is earned, not a right.
• Never, ever loose your temper. This is absolutely key and the most unforgivable thing. It's fine to shout, it's fine to slap your dog (I slap my dog on the rump all the time) (as long as the dog doesn't mind of course) but never be angry. If you get angry you loose perspective and you will erode the trust between yourself and your dog.
• Build up trust before expecting a dog to trust you. If a dog refuses to do something it probably doesn't trust you enough.
• Any errors are your fault. Your dog is trying it's best, if it isn't then you haven't found the right motivation. Dogs and people do not do things wrong on purpose.
• If your dog doesn't understand what you want then you aren't explaining it properly. They aren't "stupid" you just need to think up another approach. Don't expect everybody to be the same.
• Your dog getting everything it wants will not make it happy. Dogs and people like to have and know boundaries. Establish rules, and STICK to them at all times. Nothing is more frustrating than inconsistent training or expectations.
• Dog's and humans like to be successful. Build them up to succeed. Don't expect your dog to clear a 9 foot long jump the first time you take it to working trials. Start with 2 foot and build it up. No one likes doing something they are bad at.
• This is an interesting one. According to sports psychology the worst thing you can do to erode confidence and trust (actually worse than punishment) is to praise something that the participant knew was bloody awful. Eg someone does an absolutely dire technique and you effuse that was the best **** I've ever seen you do! With dog's I basically equate this to never praise incorrect behaviour. Ever.
• Another one I got from martial arts. Don't punish (repremand?) your dog. Get it to punish itself. If our dog is badly behaved we send it to it's crate or it's bed (like pushups for dogs) for a few seconds. Of course you need to teach the dog to go there first...

The dog should understand what you want
....and want to do it.
So it`s communication and reward for me.

Communication meaning that you make it clear to the dog what is wanted, in stages if necessary.
And reward so the dog is motivated to do it .

Some activities are self-motivating of course - if Daisy gives me the ball (requested action) I throw it for her again (reward)

I find the more you work with your dog, the more you both get out of it.

I strongly believe either the dog is in charge, or your are. Power flows to a vacuum. I even think CM is right about leadership. However, I am completely at odds with him on how you manage it. As I have said many times, the pack leader isn't a drill sergeant, but more of an old fashioned, strict, but loving parent. I use positive methods as much as I can, but even many positive advocates use things such as denial of attention.

Yes I do get angry and shout at my dog at times. I regard it as a weakness on my part and find it non productive.

I have been around the internet answering dog question for almost 10 years. Time after time I have seen questions from somebody that is letting a 10 pound dog run the household. Newer theories on not, dogs will take over if you let them.