Our Philosophy
Enriching Lives Using Reward-Based Teaching Methods
Good Dog Boston dog training services are specially designed to enrich your pup. Our premier dog training services offer flexible programs for every dog. Our training methods are designed using reward-based techniques to ensure your pup has the most enjoyable learning experience. Our programs are exciting, effective, and will enrich the lives of canines of all ages and behavior levels.
The Four Principles of Positive Dog Training
Principle #1: Repetition
Repetition is important but its also important to find a balance between training too long and too short. When you are observing the desired outcome from the dog, and there is that moment when you can see the lights go on in his eyes and you can see the dog understands what you are want, continue with three to five more successful repetitions of that behavior. If you over do it and repeat it so too many times, the dog will become frustrated and lose focus (as you will yourself). You want to end your training session on a high note, where the dog has done several repetitions of the command successfully and is still motivated to do more (but not yet)!
Principle #2: Consistency
If you don’t follow the consistency principle, your dog simply will not know when you “mean it” and when you don’t. For example, if you give the command for “sit” and he does not do it, you should take a brief moment (PATIENCE IS KEY!) and wait for the dog to do as you ask (without asking again). It may require some extra effort and patience, however, you are teaching the dog that they must do as you ask. This follows the principles of “operant conditioning” (as opposed to classical conditioning), which is critical for successful learning in dogs.
Principle #3: Timing
Timing is crucial for both rewards and corrections — if it does not happen within one second of the desired (or undesired) outcome the dog simply will not make the connection between the behavior and your response. For a dog to make this connection, you need to respond immediately to the behavior. Often, owners will want to address the issue as soon as THEY see it, and not when it actually happens. So unless they witnessed the behavior as it is happening, this is ALWAYS going to be too late and the dog will not understand. For example, if you drag a dog over to a puddle to stick his nose in it after making an accident, you are NOT teaching him anything, because that is not how a dogs brain works.
Principle #4: Reward
Rewarding your dog is what sets the desired behavior and lets the dog know that what he did was “good”. Small soft treats are best because they are quicker for the dog to consume and gives him a quick “hit” of dopamine, so you can then continue on to your successful repetition and not lose any momentum. The dog’s brain will respond the same way with small or big food, so its better to stick to small rewards and use them with higher frequency. This is better for your dogs health and will provide better training outcomes.