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Originally Posted by shelimcallister  ...I really wish I was more dedicated to training. I do my best and read about it as much as possible but it is not super important to me to be by the books. However, it is important to me to have a dog that is respectful, well socialized, etc. and I think that Max MUST be VERY exeptional because I haven't done too much and he's very good in my opinion. ... |
Shelly, training can be done multiple ways, but the easiest way to 'train' (dogs and people, too...lol) is by repetition...repetition...repetition...lol I know that sounds dumb, but if you take a dog...any dog...and EVERY time it sits down you say "SIT" as or just after it sits, then "GOOD" to praise it, it will associate the action with the command...add a hand signal, and you have multiple cues and eventually, when the dog is standing, walking, running, etc., and you say "SIT", the dog will 'automatically' sit. Training ourselves to be repetitive in issuing the commands is perhaps as difficult, since we must learn to issue the 'command' with the repetitive precision we want the animal to receive and demonstrate...and we get in a hurry...and we forget...and we multitask...and we get tired and just don't do it "this time"...and...! lol (Why do you think we make certain purchases...repetitive advertising...programming !
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If you have time to do daily training, you will be focused on TRAINING the dog, but if you just get in the HABIT of saying the same things over and over for the actions you want the dog to perform, you will find you have a fairly well trained ('programmed') dog in no time with little effort...and YOU will be trained, too, and ready for that sudden need for a specific action.
That Max is "very good" at it without you consciously "training" him may be BECAUSE you have been 'subconsciously' training (programming) him all this time, in which case, give yourself a round of applause!
