Dog Training Singapore

  • Home
  • Dog Training Classes
    • Dog Obedience Training
      • Puppy Training
      • Dog Obedience Classes
    • Dog Toilet Training
    • Dog Behaviour Problem Handling
    • Golden Retriever Stud Dog Service
    • Agility
    • Dog Obedience Training Webinar Lessons (Now on Video)
      • Syllabus – Dog Obedience Training Webinar
      • Frequently Asked Questions – Dog Obedience Training Webinar
    • Dog Dancing
    • Free Dog Training Preview
    • Our Training Locations
  • The Trainers
  • Our Shop
    • FAQ – Online Dog Shop
    • Shopping Cart
    • Checkout
    • My Account
  • Free eBook
  • Useful Information
    • Dog Training in Singapore – Be Aware
    • Free Dog Training Talk (Very Educational)
    • Getting Pet Supplies at Huge Discount
    • Choosing a Dog Trainer
    • Are All Breeds of Dogs Trainable?
    • The Effects of Punishment on your Dog
    • Benefits of Early Dog Training
    • Desensitization and Counterconditioning – Effective Treatment for Dog Aggression
  • Dog Blog
    • Dog Training News
    • Dog Training Articles
    • Dog News
    • General
  • About Us
    • Clicker Training
  • Contact Us
    • Follow Us on WeChat
You are here: Home / Dog Training Articles / Benefits of Training your Dog Early

Benefits of Training your Dog Early

August 13, 2012 By Andrew Koh 2 Comments

While all dogs are different, it is difficult to find one that will behave perfectly without some form of dog training. This is because there are many things dogs do naturally which we find offending? For example, some dogs will eat their own poo. Others will bark for no apparent reason and this list can go on and on. It is thus advisable to bring your dog for training early, before these problem behaviours develop as correcting them later will require more effort and time on your part.

Problem with Procrastination

The problem with many dog owners though is that rather than bringing their dog for training when they first have the dog, they look to training only when problems develop. By then, they are usually in desperate need of urgent solutions to their problems and are often hoping for miracle cures.

Often such owners end up in obedience schools that teach traditional compulsion based dog training. Why? Because through corrections and teaching dogs that they have no choice, they are usually able to solve the problem fast. Many of these schools will go on to attribute some of these problems to dominance and prescribe solutions to teach the dog that you are the boss. Pack theory inevitably gets brought into the picture as well because such training focuses on putting you firmly as the leader of the pack. Today organizations like the American Pet Dog Trainer Association (APDT) are cautioning against the use of such techniques. See their article on dominance and dog training.

While we may not be an animal behaviourist ourselves, as positive rewards based dog trainers, we do know that there are more ways than one to skin a cat. For example, rather than relying on the dominance approach to solve the problem of reactive dogs, Grisha Steward through her BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training) technique shows how this can be done, through a series of functional reward, without the use of compulsion. Others like Jean Donaldson, founder of the world renown Academy of Dog Trainers, have been successful using Desensitization and Counterconditioning, yet another humane and gentle means to treat dog aggression, thus making dominance centered training unnecessary, except perhaps for owners in need of quick fixes and their poor unfortunate dogs that will like be subjected to harsh training because of their owners’ initial procrastination.

Problems Compulsion Training may Cause

While it may be possible to solve some problems fast by applying corrections, such training methods also bring along another set of problems. For example, rather than learning that the offending behaviour is wrong, the dog may learn instead that it is dangerous to perform the inappropriate behaviour in front of you. Once this happen, it becomes even harder to catch the dog in the act and correcting it after the fact is unlikely to help because it will associate the correction with its latest action and not the problem behaviour.

To counter this, some compulsion trainers use tools like shock collar or shake cans to try to disassociate themselves as the ones administering the correction. The dog therefore learns that with or without the owner around, the inappropriate behaviour is punished. This will usually solve the problem but then again, this too, may cause yet other problems. For example, if you own a very nervous or shy dog, applying such forms of corrections when the dog least expect may cause the dog to be even more nervous and suspicious of its surrounding. Worst still, fearful dogs sometimes bite!

Overly harsh corrections too may, over time, cause the dog to fear trying new things. Wouldn’t some people react the same way if someone of a higher authority punishes their every wrong step?

Dog Behaviour Problems can be Solved without Using Force

The above said, dog behaviour problems can be solved too, using gentle punishment free dog training methods by teaching the dog an alternative behaviour to replace the offending one. While this may (though not always) take longer than applying compulsion means, many of the problems linked to compulsion training outlined above can be avoided.

Conclusion

Hence given the above, our advice is to bring your dog in for training at the earliest possible time rather than only when there are urgent behaviour issues needing immediate solutions. This way, you will not be pressured for time to find quick fixes and can consider dog friendly alternatives to solving your dog behaviour problems.  At Dog Training Singapore, our experienced dog trainers can help with any of your dog training needs. Whether you are looking for puppy training, agililty, dog dancing or dog obedience classes, our trainers, with their impressive track record, can help.

Filed Under: Dog Training Articles

Comments

  1. Rose heng says

    September 6, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Dear Sir/ Mdm,
    I have a 5 mth old poodle puppy. She is a feisty puppy and demands lots of attention. She loves to jump on us and nip our heels. We just don’t know how to correct her behavior.
    When we scold her, she will growl back at us.
    What kind of class should I enrol her in?
    We do not have a car so bringing her for class maybe an issue.

    Regards
    Rose

    Reply
    • Andrew Koh says

      September 8, 2013 at 8:50 am

      Given your problem with transportation, Rose, you may wish to consider our private 1 to 1 lessons which are usually conducted at our clients’ homes. Also these lessons can be specially tailored to handle specific problems you may have with your dog including those you listed above. If you are keen to know more, you can reach us using the contact form on our enquiries page or by the mobile number listed on our website. Have a good weekend.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Call Us: +65 68714245

We take calls on weekends as well

Free Invitation to Attend Our Dog Training Class

Limited places each week. Do visit our Free Dog Training Preview page for details.
 
Free Preview Page

Follow Us on WeChat – Free eBook

Follow Dog Training Singapore on WeChat

We are giving away a free ebook, After You Get Your Puppy, by Dr Ian Dunbar, a world renown dog training author, animal behavourist and vet. This is a must read book for anyone who loves dogs. To claim this ebook, simply follow us on WeChat.
 
Details Here

Contact Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Our Policies, Terms of Use and Disclaimers

  • Testimonial Disclaimer
  • Terms Of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • External Links Policy

Latest Posts

  • Pet Cremation And Funeral – What to Expect and Prepare?
  • Apartment Living With Your Dog
  • How to Train and Prepare your Dog for Air Travel
  • How to Make Your Home Dog Friendly and Safe?
  • Is Singapore Ready for Funeral Home Therapy Dogs?

Site Map Location

  • Site-Map

Web Design, SEO and Copyright © 2012 to 2021 by Biz Edge Consultancy Pte. Ltd.