Not only is training part of being a responsible pet owner, but a trained animal is also an absolute pleasure to be around, which enables the pet and his owner to enjoy more memorable moments together. In addition, training strengthens the human-animal bond, and obedience can keep pets safe from potentially harmful situations. Imagine the joy you’ll feel at your furbaby understanding your cues and doing what you ask. How about stopping in his tracks when you say ‘no’, and going when you say ‘go’?
Training a pet is not only beneficial to the animal, but fun and rewarding for the owner too. It is much easier to incorporate your pet into your lifestyle if he is trained and well behaved, and it is this very training that not only stimulates his brain function and health, but also boosts his confidence and adaptability in different environments and situations.
Normal behaviour
Pets have the right to express normal behaviour and, by training your able pet, you are enhancing his ability to express himself confidently, participate in activities and interact with other animals. Some pets and some dog breeds (particularly Poodles, Border Collies and Gun Dogs) are easier to train than others, but all pets can be taught something new.
Don’t let the word ‘train’ overwhelm you, though. Teaching your beloved furry friend does not necessarily mean you have to spend money or allocate time at a training centre. Of course, this is a wonderful choice and very rewarding, but there are many activities – from fun brain games to simple cues – that you can use to teach your pet at home. However, it is highly recommended that puppies attend puppy school, even if you choose not to continue with formal training afterwards.
Teaching is about creating a two-way communication channel that enables your pet to understand what you want. Animals can learn verbal cues, but they read body language much better. You can use body language to repeat behaviours, such as getting up when ready for bed, stretching, yawning and then proceeding to bed. Very soon, your pet will know exactly what is coming next.
Keep it positive
Always use positive training (meaning encouraging and praising your pet with words of affirmation, a clicker, his favourite toy or a treat). Scolding or punishing an animal will result in a scared and neurotic pet, who is not very likely to obey your commands. Kathy Clayton, animal behaviourist and dog dancing champ, says: “An owner who is upset or agitated does not instil confidence, and is less likely to have the dog obey what is required. Being quiet and calm will yield results. Undesirable and excessive behaviour should be ignored, while positive behaviour should be praised and rewarded.”
There are basically two parts to positive reinforcement training. The first is to reward (praise or treat) your pet when he responds in the right way to a command, and the second one is to praise or reward him when he is simply doing the right thing.
What not to do
There are two parts to negative training. The first is to withhold the treat, should your pet not complete the task successfully, so he can try again, at which point you reward him for getting it right. This is not harmful, and trainers actually recommend incorporating this into your training.
This other is something you should never do. This is to punish or scold your pet for not doing what you want. This is extremely damaging to him and won’t get you the results you were hoping for.
It is important to understand the benefits – both for your pet and for you as his owner – of really engaging in training as a lifestyle. If you think about it, training is a lifestyle because, every day, you are learning to be a better owner while your pet is learning how to be a better version of himself. Pets love to please their owners, and this is particularly true of dogs who thrive on acceptance and praise.
Improving concentration, confidence and brain function
The more you teach your pet, the longer he will be able to concentrate and the more confident he will become during daily activities. Kathy says that teaching definitely improves brain function and the ability to make choices. “Dogs will start doing things because they have learnt that it pleases their owners and, when well trained, can even make choices between preferences,” she adds.
Strengthening your bond
Most pets and their owners already have an exceptional bond to start with but, by training your animal, he becomes better orientated to your life and lifestyle. “Because of the enhanced interaction of training and activities done together, the bond becomes much stronger than just having a companion pet,” says Kathy.
Rewarding for both owner and pet
Kathy says that, initially, many people train their pets out of a sense of responsibility or because their family expects them to do it. But, often, the rewards of seeing what their animals are capable of and the joyful times shared learning new things are so pleasurable that owners soon choose to continue with these activities in the long term.
