FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions
(still under construction)
How early can I begin training a puppy? Can my dog learn good manners? How do I train my dog not to bark? How do I train my dog not to engage in playful biting? How do I train my dog not to jump up on people? How do I train my dog not to dig? How do I train my dog not to chew on forbidden things? How do I train my dog to not get so excited when we have company? How do I train my dog not to pull on the leash? Do you use aversive methods to train dogs? What is Clicker Training? I trained with Companion Dog Training but now I've forgotten the commands... I can't remember the hand signals... My dog ate the handouts you gave out in class... Can my dog do obedience? Can my dog do agility? Can my dog be a therapy dog?
How early can I begin training a puppy? Puppies are never too young to begin learning. A puppy's mother begins "training" early on, but it's probably best if you wait until after the pups are weaned. Since any reputable breeder would never sell a puppy that hadn't at least begun the weaning process, this shouldn't be an issue. So, you can begin training your new puppy the moment you bring it home. In a very real sense, you are "training" a puppy anytime you are in the room with him since you are teaching him how to get your attention (both positive and negative attention). That said, you shouldn't plan on taking the puppy into public or to obedience classes until it has finished its initial round of vaccinations and has been cleared by your vet for exposure to other dogs. Still, you can begin to teach simple commands when you first bring it home, since its mother has been busy "training" it since soon after its birth. A dog is never too young or too old to learn! Can my dog learn good manners? Almost any dog can be taught good manners. The overriding principle of rewarding behaviors you'd like to see more often and ignoring (or correcting if necessary) the ones you want to see go away is how it is accomplished. The personality and temperament of each dog determines what rewards and corrections will work best for that particular animal. Rarely, there are dogs with extremely poor temperaments that may be able to learn good manners with you or your family but still would be considered ill-mannered around strangers (very aggressive dogs or very fearful dogs for instance). In extreme cases like these, it is important to get professional opinions and help. Companion Dog Training has the experience and the knowledge to assist with these situations.
This is a question that I am asked almost every day. The answer is simple, but not easy. Dogs can be house trained because they are “den” animals. In the wild most dog packs have a den which they do not soil. Big dogs have big dens and smaller dogs have smaller dens. That is why it is often easier to house train a large dog than a small dog. It is easy for you large breed dog to understand that this whole big house is a den, but for a smaller dog this is more difficult to understand. So how is it done? I have have been house training my own personal dogs since I was eleven years old. That is a total of seven dogs over the years that I personally owned and countless other dogs that belonged to clients whom I coached through the process. I’ve tried, piddle paper, rubbing noses, crates, and experimented with many other “methods” of training on my own dogs. What I have found that by far works the best is the crate training method. This method best taps into the dog’s natural den instinct. Companion Dog Training has developed a behavioral program that can be individually tailored to your dog to make sure you are able to humanely and successfully house train your dog. A word about piddle paper: Through the years I have experimented with piddle paper in training my own personal dogs. While I have found it can be somewhat helpful with very young puppies who have weak bladder control, it is a poor training method. Teaching your dog to potty on piddle paper, teaches your dog that it is OK to potty in the house. This is the opposite of what we want to teach our dogs when house training. Using paper of any kind often results in a dog who is willing to potty on paper of any kind. They will also some times generalize this to rugs and carpet -- not a desirable outcome. Give us a call to set up your dog's appointment, you'll be glad you did.How do I train my dog not to bark? Dogs are known to bark for various reasons. Have you ever wonder what your neighbors might be thinking? Part of deciding how to stop the barking entails figuring out why they are barking. One of the most common reasons a dog barks incessantly is loneliness. Dogs are pack animals, they do not like to be alone, in fact, it is not good for their mental health. It is the rare dog that can quietly tolerate living out its life in solitude in a back yard without developing behavior problems. If your dog is living alone in your backyard and is barking incessantly, it is telling you that it is lonely. The solution? Spend more time with your dog. That may mean spending more time outside with your dog. Taking him/her for walks more often or even for car rides. The easiest way to spend lots of time with your dog is to bring it into the house. Because of their den nature, almost any dog can be house broken. Often, the larger the dog, the easier it is to do this. So don't be afraid to bring your dog inside because of it’s size. At Companion Dog Training we have house training behavior plans that can make house training your dog painless and easy. We also have classes and other training services that will help you turn your unruly dog into a well-mannered and obedient family member. Another reason that dogs bark is to protect their territory. When this is the motivation there are several methods that you can employ to reduce the barking. First, you teach your dog to stop barking on command. This is something we teach in all our classes, private lessons, and in our boarding/training program. Next, when the dog is barking at something it shouldn’t, you withhold rewards and tell it to stop barking. When the dog is barking at something it should bark at (someone on your front porch), you reward it, then tell it to stop barking. The reactions to things at which it shouldn’t be barking will fade over time, while the dog learns what it should tell you. Give us a call today to schedule the best training solution for you!
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