Dog Basics and Training

Table of Contents
Picking the Perfect Pooch ............................................................................................ 3
What Kind of Dog? .................................................................................................... 7
Picking a Pooch ....................................................................................................... 11
The Basis of Pet Success ....................................................................................... 13
Pre-Training Basics ..................................................................................................... 14
Rewards .................................................................................................................... 15
Timing ....................................................................................................................... 17
Primary and Secondary Reinforcements ............................................................... 18
Consistency is Key .................................................................................................. 18
Housebreaking Breakthroughs .................................................................................. 20
Five Facts ................................................................................................................. 21
Common Scents ...................................................................................................... 23
Crate Training and Housebreaking Go Hand-in-Paw ............................................ 24
It’s All in the Timing ................................................................................................. 27
Step-By-Step Housebreaking Process ................................................................ 29
Handling Inevitable Accidents ................................................................................ 36
How Long Before He’s Housebroken? .................................................................. 37
Be Alert for Special Circumstances ....................................................................... 37
In Summary .............................................................................................................. 38
Lesson 1: Teaching Your Dog His Name .................................................................. 39
Lesson 2: Teaching Your Dog to Sit ...................................................................... 43
Lesson 3: Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called .......................................... 46
Lesson 3: Teaching Your Dog to Come when Called ........................................... 48
Lesson 4: Teaching Your Dog to Stay ................................................................... 51
Lesson 5: Teaching Your Dog to Lie Down ........................................................... 55
Lesson 6: Teaching Your Dog Not to Jump Up on People .................................. 59
Lesson 7: Teaching Your Dog to Heel ................................................................... 65
IN CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................... 71
3
Picking the Perfect Pooch
Introduction
First thing’s first: despite the title of this report, there is no such thing as a perfect pooch (just as there is no such thing as a perfect human). The closest you can come to picking the perfect pooch is to pick one that’s best for you and your family.
You know what’s weird? Dog owners all believe their dog’s personality is distinct and unique. Even if they own two dogs of the same breed, perhaps even from the same litter, they’ll say each dog has a personality all his own. And they’ll be right. And yet many of those same people believe that dog personalities are determined by breed. They’ll say things like “Golden Retrievers don’t bite,” or “Pit Bulls are vicious.” And they’ll be wrong. A dog’s personality, like that of a child, is determined more by “nurture” than “nature.” Depending on how he’s raised, a Golden Retriever will bite and be vicious; a Pit Bull will be a gentle coward.
4
It is true that dogs of a certain breed may share some behavioral characteristics (e.g., most Labrador Retrievers enjoy swimming and are crazy about fetching a ball). There are exceptions to every rule, but knowing behavioral (as well as physical) characteristics will help you to decide on a dog that will likely be a good fit for you and your lifestyle. We’ll cover that later in this report.
But looking beyond the breed characteristics and picking a dog based on his individual personality is a very important—yet often overlooked—step in finding a dog that