Pet Behavior Solutions: The Hidden Benefits of Training Your Dog

It is widely accepted that dogs need obedience training. Research shows that only 4% of dog households attend obedience classes, and 94% of dog households do “at least some training” at home; 90% report that their dog knows to sit on command.

Unfortunately, many dog ​​owners do not continue to take advantage of dog training except in very rare circumstances. The most common uses of obedience in a typical household include sitting for a snack, sitting or staying for a meal, and coming when called, but only about 60%. Even if these dogs are taught all the basic behaviors such as sit, sit, stay, heel, come, etc., the dog’s compliance with these behaviors will depend on the situation in which each family member uses it. It becomes a habit inside. We quickly become frustrated when our dog won’t sit or stay in other more difficult situations, such as when people come over or when a barking dog passes by on a walk. The scope of dog training experience is too limited.

Training with your dog is more dynamic and more beneficial. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of continuous training with your dog.

1. Teach your dog how to problem solve. Problem solving is best described as the act of identifying a problem. Identify the cause of the problem. Identify, prioritize, and select solution alternatives. and implement the solution.

   1. Dog Problems: I want my dog ​​out of the crate.
   2. Cause of the problem: Mom won’t open the crate door.
   3. Identify solutions: bark, scratch at the door, jump, sit quietly when the mother asks.
   4. Prioritize solutions: sit quietly when mom asks, bark a little, scratch at the door, jump up once, bark a lot.
   5. Please choose another solution. Sit down when your mom asks.
   6. Please implement the solution. I was sitting there when my mom opened the door!! I was free!

2. teach your dog to concentrate. Concentration is the key to increasing your dog’s concentration and helping them prioritize between what’s happening in the foreground and the background. When your dog can’t concentrate, the foreground and background blend together, creating a big pile of random stimuli that activates your dog. Training helps your dog prioritize focus and problem-solving instead of simply reacting because they are overstimulated.
3. becomes more relevant. In all things with dogs, relevance is key. This is what being a “pack leader” is all about. Your dog will find you the most relevant in your environment. Focus and relevance go hand in hand with training.
4. Teach your dog how to organize his thoughts. At any given time, we have various thoughts running through our heads. Dogs are no exception. They are warm, fuzzy piles of random thoughts and impulses that turn into actions. Training helps dogs organize their thoughts and become more intentional through problem-solving.
5. Teach your dog to think in terms of “if/then”. There is a central principle in dog training known as the Premack Principle. This principle manipulates the probability of an action. When a parent asks a child to eat vegetables (a low-probability action) before eating dessert (a high-probability action), they use Premack’s principle. Over time, the child will learn to eat vegetables in order to acquire the desired behavior of eating dessert. We do this when we ask our dogs to sit (high probability) before going outside to play (low probability behavior). The dog then learns how to sit in order to acquire the desired behavior of playing.
6. Teach your dog to look to you for clues when he’s lost or in conflict. Conflict is defined as a struggle or clash between two opposing forces, thoughts, actions, feelings, etc. Conflict is everywhere. As an example, your dog is nervous when meeting a child for the first time. He wants to get closer and investigate, but his fear of the new situation is strong. Do we want our dogs to resolve this conflict on their own? Probably not, because we might not like his choices. When your dog is in a conflict, it’s much better to look to you for guidance. That’s one of the benefits of domestication. You will be able to teach your dog to look to you for guidance rather than relying on your own initiative.
7. Teach your dog more intentional thought responses in emotional situations.. When dogs are faced with emotional situations, their circuits short out and they tend to repeat behaviors such as barking, lunging, withdrawing, and hiding. This doesn’t actually resolve the conflict of the situation, but it certainly consumes a lot of adrenaline. It entered their system. When we have to think through a situation rather than just react, we find alternative solutions. We tend to feel less anxious in emotional situations when we have additional options.Consider a police officer learning to run. to Crash when the rest of us are running away after that. This is because they are trained on how to handle that conflict. The same goes for dogs. Training can help anxious dogs learn to work through emotional conflicts and produce different responses.
8. The process of acquiring a new behavior involves a small amount of conflict and teaches you how to better resolve conflict.. The act of learning something new causes a small, manageable amount of conflict. Let’s take a look at a dog learning “down” for the first time. Your dog wants a treat, but he has to lie flat on the floor to get the treat. Only then will the dog be given a treat. The dog must learn what he has to do to get the treat. This entire process includes conflict resolution.
9. Teach your dog that things are better done your way. We always think our way is the best until we learn another way to do something. Dogs are impulsive creatures who want quick and easy ways to get what they want right away. To test this, make your dog a tasty meal in a food bowl and place it on the counter instead of feeding it. Next, try walking 10 feet away and calling your dog. Most dogs will stay near the food bowl and fights will become more intense when owners try to shoo them away. They don’t realize that you can get the food faster if you leave it alone to follow you. This whole process is part of dog training. It teaches dogs to rely on humans because things will go better if they rely on humans.
10. Help your dog manage and control disappointment through compliance. Disappointment can be a great motivator when training a dog. Disappointment causes conflict, and conflict causes problem solving. Solving problems generates alternative solutions, which resolve conflicts. Just by following the commands given, your dog will be able to deal with disappointment and gain control.
11. create opportunities for negotiation. Negotiation helps us adjust our approach to get what we want. Human: “If you stop barking, I’ll play with you.” Dog: “If you stop barking, I’ll stop barking.” These are the classic if/then statements that are part of every negotiation. Dogs can learn to negotiate with humans by offering behaviors that increase or decrease the likelihood of something happening. They will decide whether the negotiation will be successful based on our responses. This is all part of problem solving and conflict resolution.
12. Your dog will be able to control it in a better way. There is too much emphasis on the importance of being the pack leader and the need to control all of the dog’s actions in order to be in charge. The reality is that we want our dogs to have an element of control in our relationships. How else will you know when to reward a behavior? Dogs need to learn that they can control access to rewards by performing certain behaviors. These include not only commanded actions, but also actions that we provide based on experience. The more obedient a dog is to our commands, the better things will be for him. Good training means negotiating control of what is important to us. While it’s important for us to go down when asked, petting and praise are important for dogs. While it’s important for us not to jump on guests, it’s important for dogs to greet people. It’s all about negotiating control.
13. As well as boosting confidence, it teaches your dog to take calculated risks, which can reduce anxiety and fear to some extent. We often hear about the benefits of training in terms of increasing a dog’s confidence. Confidence is defined as the feeling of confidence gained from evaluating one’s own abilities. Before you can build confidence, you must first teach your dog to take calculated risks. Risk can be very difficult for fearful and anxious dogs. These dogs are often willing to do whatever it takes to feel safe. Feeling safe includes avoiding risk. But learning comes with risks. Dogs need to learn to take small risks that will work out with our guidance. This improves problem solving and conflict resolution.
14. It promotes control over your body by increasing your awareness of what your body is doing or should be doing in certain situations.. Dogs must learn about their bodies in order to learn obedience. When asked to sit, he must learn to fold his legs until he feels something under his hind legs. If you do, you will be rewarded. If asked to stay, one must maintain his body position, regardless of his position or what is happening in his environment. When asked to “put it down,” you should fold your legs until you feel something under your hind legs and chest.

Training has many benefits. For maximum benefit, you want to make your dog think, teach new behaviors, and teach old behaviors in new contexts. Ongoing training will keep your dog’s learning skills sharp and will be very helpful when the time comes to resolve unwanted behaviors. Training is the basis for teaching your dog how to learn what you are trying to teach it. It’s a two-way negotiation between you and your dog. Training helps dogs think and problem solve. The better you are at problem solving, the better you will be at resolving conflicts because you will have more options before reaching the conflict threshold. When you run out of options and your dog reaches a conflict threshold, training teaches your dog to rely on you when all else fails. This gives us the opportunity to address the situation on your behalf or guide you to an alternative solution. Have you ever thought that training can be so beneficial?

Sam Freeman, CPDT-KSA, is the president and owner of Pet Behavior Solutions and Edu-Care for Dogs. She is the creator of the Core Behavioral Assessment, a behavioral assessment program used by many animal shelters and animal control agencies in Arizona. Freeman is certified through the Professional Dog Trainer Certification Council and has completed specialized education and training in psychology, learning theory, behavior, family counseling, behavior modification techniques, aggression, canine and feline behavior issues, and grief counseling. doing. Call 480-200-2011 or visit petbehaviorsolutions.com.