One of the most effective dog training techniques for smaller dogs is reward training. Because choke collars and other aggressive forms of training are ineffective with small breeds like Poodles, Pugs and the Pomeranian due to their small physical stature, reward training has been commonly used as an alternative.
Reward training is used for many purposes. Along with police and military work, this training teaches dogs to perform all kinds of actions and is even used to train dogs for films and advertisements. And, of course, it works just as well on your pet for basic obedience.
Reward training simply means a treat for your dog after a job well done. Treats may mean many things for your dog, may it be food or just a few pats on the head and an enthusiastic “good boy”.
Your dog can learn to do practically anything using these dog training techniques. Just remember to stay within the prescribed guidelines when training your dog towards the desired result, and to give him his reward as soon as he has done the job right.
For example, dangling the treat over your dog’s head and moving it backwards, repeating the word “sit” over and over, until he naturally sits on his own will teach the dog to sit. After he sits, give him the treat and praise him. It won’t take long before he knows to sit down and he will be rewarded when he hears the word “sit.”
If you want to train your dog without the use of voice commands, then you can take advantage of the reward training method known as clicker training. With this method, a clicker is used (usually along with hand signals) to communicate the desired task to the dog. Just like with a voice command, once the dog performs the task he is rewarded with the treat. Over time, the clicker is all that will be necessary for the dog to respond.
You can teach your dog new tricks with decoy training. This is when you get the dog to perform the task naturally on his own (such as with the “sit” example used earlier). Once he has completed the trick, remember to reward him. This technique, widely used in the entertainment industry, does not require a trainer handler.
Training your pet should be a fulfilling tasks for both you and your animal. The use of reward based dog training techniques will allow you and your pet to achieve your goals without the use of aggressive techniques which may injure or scare your small dog.
