Knight said:
How do you handle behavior? I'm all for the positive reinforcement but what do you do when the dog misbehaves?
One of the first steps is to show the dog you have authority, and to do this you need a deep and loud voice. Often trainers call out "BAH" just to get the dog's attention. For some dog, like mine, "Bah" dosen't work, but he is sound sensitive, so clapping scares my dog, and hence gets his attention.
The main reason for authority, is because Dogs use to be wolves. Wolves were the first domesticated animals that humans used, since they were good team players and hunters. Eventually they withered down to so many breeds of dogs. But just like our predecessors, we need to have authority, else the dog will take the job.
I personally dislike hitting a dog, it's ineffective no matter how many times I've told people and yet they still hit. Hitting is a way of training your dogs to become aggressive. My dog bites mainly because my dad kept hitting him when he was young.
It's better to punish a dog, by ignoring him constantly and giving the authority voice, like "Naughty!"...eventually the dog will come and ask for forgiveness. When the dog does that, don't forgive then get angry for the same crime he did, else that would confuse the heck out of him/her. Rather keep the dog in emotional agony for some time, like 5minutes, then forgive him and play with him.
But when the dog gets older, extend the time from 5mins to 15mins - 6hours.
For big dogs obedience is important, so it's better to have a professional train it.
For small dogs, professional training is good, but the dogs are going to be BORING!
My mum use to breed maltese terriers, I remember the puppies being trained by professionals....after that they were brain dead. The mother and the father had distinct characteristics and were so cool, but their children that were trained....they were all the same.
Which is why, when I got my Pomeranian Var semi-Alba, I trained it myself, the basic commands. And from there I've given him heaps of puzzles like puting tasty beef jerky in a jar. He knows how to crack open it, it use to take him several hours now it take around 3minutes.
Thats the joy of small dogs, not being trained. There are puzzles, like jumping from the table, onto the bed, then we make a narrow path to the closet which leads to the beef...and it's so fun to watch.
He's such an intelligent and cute dog...lol!!!