How to Train a Dog Better in Phoenix

What does it take to train a dog to behave better? It’s a tough job. Nature isn’t a pushover, and much of what is programmed into dogs through instincts and genetics has developed over centuries. Fortunately, the very reason why dogs are such good pets also makes them easy to train. Domesticated dogs want to be with people. They know we’re a different species, but they see us as part of their reality, survival, comfort, protection and, fundamentally, their pack. We call this “bonding” to be colloquial about domesticated canine behavior, but it is simply a dog being practical about their current situation. The human that cares for them is seen as a good thing, usually.

Nature Keeps Poking Its Nose Under the Tent

Unfortunately, dogs pretty much start off with normal dog behavior when it comes to everything else. This is how they know how to hunt, how to interact with nature, how they perceive other species as threats or just curiosity, and how they communicate with other dogs. And it is that same programmed behavior set that can get them in trouble in a human world. This is what needs to be trained out of a dog, convincing the animal that behaving differently is probably a better way to live than what it wants to do instinctually.

Add in the fact, different dogs have different levels of intelligence and ability to learn. Clearly, a border collie and a German shepherd are both going to be evidence of far more advanced learning than a pug or a hound. On the other hand, large poodles have proven to be very intelligent, and boxers are incredibly familial with their owners and immediate family members. Yet other breeds are notorious for going into an uncontrolled aggressive zone as well as without warning.

Saturation Works Far Better than Momentary Day Classes 

Dog training in Phoenix that is focused on leveraging a dog’s natural behavior versus working against it more than not tends to be far more successful. While classic training focuses on getting a dog to behavior in a specific fashion based on a verbal command, typically reinforced with a small food reward, the key aspect of conditioning comes in the ability to get the dog to ignore everything going on that can be easily distracting. That includes other dogs, animals, noise, people, cars etc. 

Good dog training also doesn’t just turn on like a button and stay there; dogs tend to go back to their original pattern very quickly without reinforcement. It’s only after years and years of conditioning that a dog starts to show a semblance of human-level intelligence on its own. This is why a 10 or 12-year-old dog knows how to stand by the patio window to go outside for the bathroom, whereas a 1 or 2-year-old dog can still lose it inside if too excited. The animal has built a relationship in its mind with regards to what it wants and the formula of actions it needs to do to get that reward or goal.

The Tested Approach of Immersion

Professional dog trainers like Rob's Dogs and others focus on immersion to proactively train a dog correctly. Instead of one-hour classes that just give the animal some interesting exercises and totally confuse an owner with new ideas, immersion programs park an animal for several days or weeks in an intensive training program. Think of it as a boot camp for dog training; the idea is very similar to the military using isolation and intensive training to create a new way of thinking internally in the training subject. With immersion, the dog realizes and lets go of previous constructs and adapts to the rules at hand, namely the training and expectation of how to behave in a new way. At first, the animal will be confused, even stressed, but within a few days, the dog adjusts and then starts to really develop into a new behavior pattern. The time window then reinforces the training significantly, so the dog forgets past patterns entirely.

Dubbed a “board and train” approach, immersion training also includes the dog owner too. A good amount of information on how to handle the dog once it is trained has to be given via knowledge transfer to the owner as well. Otherwise, the dog will be looking for direction that doesn’t happen correctly. Professional trainers know this follow-up link is critical for long-term results, so owners go through a bit of their own education as well.

One important element for owners, for example, is how to physically behave and sound around the dog. Canines are incredibly attentive to how others behave around them. Much of dog language is communicated with movement as well between dogs. So, utilizing this natural tendency, owners can use their own physical behavior and noise level to continue cementing lessons a dog has learned in training.

Getting Started on the Right Track With a Young Dog

If you’re trying to find a better way to train your dog, especially a younger one with a lot of energy that is already getting into a bit of trouble due to behavior, immersion training can be a very effective solution. Young dogs need outlets for their energy, but they also need to understand boundaries. Much of that comes with hard experience if left on their own, but that approach doesn’t work in a neighborhood around people and other dogs. So, to break their go-to approach of instincts, immersion training is key. If you want your dog to really function in full capacity as a pet and protector, there’s no question this type of training is your next step.