Immediate response is what you want from your dog.
When teaching obedience you don’t want your dog responding to you like it is a request.
I was at a seminar given by Gary Wilkes a while back. A great trainer from Phoenix AZ. Gary made a statement that has stuck with me for years. He said he does not give his dogs commands, he gives them orders.
The first time I heard it I thought it was a little harsh. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. The main reason for obedience training is safety.. You do not want your dog thinking your command is a request. You want them to respond like it is an order.
Think of the simple sit command. You give the command “SIT.” You want an immediate response. Most dog owners look at it like it is a request.
When the dog does not respond the command is repeated. If the dog does not comply most would think it’s no big deal.
Now think of your dog in the middle of a busy street. You give the command “COME!” Do you want your dog to respond like it is a request or an order?
Training is conditioning. You need to condition your dog to respond to your commands like orders.
My dog goes off leash everywhere with me. She responds to me the first time I give a command. This makes it safe to let her off leash. If she did not respond this way it could get ugly.
I just went for a walk with her on a dirt road. She decided to chase a car driving by. I gave her the order to “COME.” She hit the brakes, turned around and immediately ran back to me. Think if she responded to me like it was a request. I would not be here writing. I would still be chasing her.
BTW I caught it on video if you want to see this happen in action. You can see it on my Facebook page.
From this point forward start viewing your obedience training this way. You’ll see a HUGE improvement.
Now I have a request for you. Not an order, a request. I am requesting your support for the Pet Photos with Santa at my school on December 4th from 11AM to 2PM.
There is no charge but we do accept donations. We donate 100% of the proceeds to the Fairhaven Animal Shelter.
If you don’t live in the area or can’t make it to the photos you can make a donation to the Fairhaven Animal Shelter here:
Fairhaven Animal Shelter Donations
Pet Photos With Santa details:
WHERE: Eric Letendre’s Dog Training School
WHEN: Sunday December 4th from 11AM to 2PM
WHO: You’re invited. Please share with your dog loving friends and family
WHY: No charge but we are taking any size donation for the Fairhaven Animal Shelter. 100% of the donations go to the shelter
I look forward to seeing you there.
Best,
Eric