[matese]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

Oh my gosh, thank you for asking. I have tons of ideas . First I want to repost something I posted way back in 2007 for member Twalla and her furkid Sam. I called it the 6 P's of Training.


1) PRAISE- Use huge amounts of Praise -- in different levels -- Have very high value praise (maybe an irrestible treat) that Sam will work hard to get, have medium attention getting praise and lower level of praise -- the old "good boy" and scratch behind the ears.

2) PATIENCE- Remember that Sam does not understand English, but he does "read" your body language. Be sure that your voice and body are telling him the same things and be patient if he "reads" you wrong. It could take several hundred repetitions of a behavior for him to fully understand what you are telling him -- remember the praise.

3) PERSERVERANCE- Remember to keep on keeping on -- even when it seems like Sam will NEVER get it right. He is learning from you every single minute he can hear, smell or see you. Be sure what he is learning from you is positive.

4) PERSISTANCE- Set a realistic training goal and stick with it. If the methods you are using don't seem to work (be sure to give them plenty of time), then don't be afraid to try a new method to teach the same lesson. But above all, DO NOT GIVE UP. Be Persistant.

5 & 6) PEE and POOP-- Avoid both when possible. And please remember, that if your little one needs to relieve himself, it will be difficult for him to focus on learning. Remember -- it is much easier for a dog to understand very specific commands than a general one.

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

Training is simply two way communication. In training, you don't want to start with the goal. You need to find a place where you can ask her to do something, and she responds correctly. Then praise her like there is no tomorrow. When she really understands the concept of responding correctly then why not start at the very beginning by putting a harness on her and praising her.

Move forward in tiny baby steps, remembering to have patience, use lots of praise, and to persevere.

This sounds like a lot of work, and it is but you will be surprised at how fast it can go. I learned that in order for training to be effective both trainer and trainee have to be happy and relaxed. It is better to have many very short training sessions than one or two long ones. Always end training sessions happy and relaxed and always allow your baby to feel successful.

With all that said, I understand that you will have to walk her BEFORE she is leash trained - so separate the "having to go for walks" from actual leash training.