Obedient Behavior Versus
Obedience Training

"Aaahhh…" a subject after my own heart. Understanding the difference between obedient behavior and obedience training is the first step in setting realistic expectations for your dog's performance. It is also the fundamental difference between my training technique and other methods which entail constantly hovering over the dog.

A well behaved/obedient dog knows how to act in the absence of command, correction or your control. He is a dog that has learned to control himself, and make "good" choices. An obedience-trained dog does not have to be well behaved in order to respond to an order. He requires constant command and control. This dog relies on the handler's command to determine the appropriate behavior, instead of learning to make better choices. This is the "don't think, just do" dog.

Obedience training does take time, effort and education to be a success. It certainly plays a major role in the owner/dog relationship. It enhances mutual respect and taps into the dog's brain, making the animal work like a child in school. It gives the dog something constructive to do while focussing your pets attention on you. There are many real life situations in which your dog needs to be responsive to command, and in a controlled body posture. Although I highly recommend and subscribe to it's importance, your dog's behavior needs to extend beyond those parameters. (Key concept)

"Sit and Stay" in obedience training means "sit there and don't move from that position or place." Those two words are almost always the first words I hear from an owner when I appear at their door. Invariably, the dog bolts out anyway (hopefully restrained by a leash) in an attempt to reach me. Not only has the animal failed to meet the basic sit/stay command parameters, but its social behavior is totally unacceptable.

The obedient/well behaved dog waits for direction when the door is opened. This animal has learned what is expected of him from the point where the bell rings or someone knocks. A side benefit of this behavior is that the dog is less likely to jump all over your guest, since he already understands how to act in an exciting situation. (Consider your dog's life. A stranger knocking at the door is a potentially thrilling experience.)

"Down" and "off" are two other orders given just as frequently and inappropriately. Oh, I forgot…"no jump" is another favorite. In obedience training, when the down command is given, the dog is expected to lay in a prone position. The animal regards this as a submissive body posture. Is this the point you are trying to make when your dog is jumping on people or furniture? Does this teach the dog anything about your desires of his behavior in the situation at hand? Wouldn't ' it be better if the dog just didn't ' jump up without you having to say anything or to restrain him by the collar or lead?

The answer to the last question is "yes, of course!"

A dog's instincts often run contrary to human wishes in a domestic environment (i.e. your home) Dogs are naturally motivated by pack behavior, scent, running prey drive, noises, and a thousand other things. In order to have a well behaved, socially acceptable, responsive dog, you must provide a clear channel of communication that offers a simple alternative to instinctual behavior. This communication hinges on setting up a particular training scenario to illustrate the correct behavior, at the correct place and time, and to repeat it until it is thoroughly ingrained in the dog's mind.

This takes time, patience, persistence and understanding: some commodities that dogs often find in short supply at their human led homes. The process is relatively simple:

1. Determine the behavior you'd like to either ingrain or eliminate
2. Determine the correct language for the exercise
3. Create the scenario and illustrate the appropriate behavior
4. Acknowledge that acceptable behavior with approval, praise and a "fun moment" (excited wonderment at their success)
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until an acceptable level of behavior is achieved.

Many people get discouraged by Step "5".

How often does a training session need to be repeated? The answer depends on both you and your dog. Some dogs pick things up very quickly, but that doesn't mean they won't challenge you at some other time. Others may require 10 times the effort and time and seem that they will never get it. The good news is that perseverance pays off. If you create the successful response for the dog, so they understand what is expected, reinforce it, and repeat it, over a period of time, they will become the well adjusted dog that is a true joy to own.