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A lot of dog owners/trainers thought the use of treats during training as bribing the dog to do the behavior we wanted. (Definition of using treats during training: Using treats during training simply means giving the dog a treat as his/her reward when the dog sits or do any behavior that the owner asked). These dog trainers and owners thought that the dog will be spoiled by the owner if the owner consistently gives the dog treats during training. They thought that the dog will not learn to respect the owner by doing so. They believe in being the "alpha" will teach the dog how to behave. (Definition of being the "Alpha": Being the "Alpha" means not allowing the dog to sleep on the bed, or eat first, or go through doorways first and so on…… so that the dog will "respect" you as the boss. Being the "Alpha" also include a wide range of actions performed by the owner/trainer on the dog. Example, clamping on the dog’s neck gently but firmly like how the mother dog does to her puppies to making the dog roll over and hold the dog still in that position until he/she is "submissive" to the owner/trainer or a rough scruff on the dog’s neck when the dog did something he/she shouldn’t be doing). They thought that the dog is being dominant when the dog refuses to listen to the owner and being the "alpha" is the only way to solve the problems.

Actually, the concept on being the "alpha" is based on outdated wolf studies that have long since been disproven. Being the "alpha" makes the dog afraid of you instead of respect you and destroys the trust and relationship built between you and your dog. Being the "alpha" does not solve the problems you have with your dog and it may result in your dog being aggressive. More information can be found on Association of Pet dog Trainers.  and Dominance Myths and Dog Training Realities

The use of treats during training is NOT bribing the dog to do that behavior. Using treats as a reward for dogs increase the chances of the dog repeating the desired behavior. Think of the treats as your salary. Most people do their jobs because they like the job not because the salary is high (there are some exceptions, of course) so you will still do your job if your boss does not give you your salary once in a while. It is the same with dogs. If you did not give your dog a treat once in a while, he/she will still do the behavior you wanted. If you do not like to give your dog a treat every time your dog does a desired behavior, you can vary the times you give your dog treats. This will be a surprise for your dog as he/she does not know when he/she will get the treats as he/she does the behavior you wanted. If your dog is easily distracted and does not listen to you outside your home (example: in the park and so on…….), you can teach your dog to focus on you (I will post some videos in my next post) or use environmental or toy rewards instead of food rewards (example: during your walk in the park, stop occasionally and ask your dog for a sit or a down and wait for him/her to do the behavior before you throw your dog a Frisbee or engage in a game of tug or continue the walk and let your dog sniff at the things he/she wanted to sniff).

The most important thing to note is do not expect your dog to think like a human (instead you should learn how your dog thinks as he does not have the ability to think like you) and put yourself in your dog’s shoes (do not treat your dog how you does not want to be treated) .

Dog Training Tutorial: How to Teach Your Dog to Play Hide-N-Seek

Sixty to seventy five percent of the problem behaviors you have with your dog like barking, digging, chewing and so on occurs because your dog lacks of mental and physical stimulation. If your dog gets enough physical and mental stimulation you will see many of the behavior problems disappear. One of the fun and easy ways that you can bond with your dog and let your dog have some mental stimulation is to play hide-n-seek with your dog. Here is a wonderful tutorial on how to teach your dog to play hide-n-seek.

This dog name fur fur is very well trained. 9-month old Shih tzu puppy twirling around for food. As a part of obedience training, we would ask our pets to perform a few commands for us before rewarding them with their meal. Here, FurFur performed the following commands: Lie down Roll over (with his own spin on it) Gluteus Dancing Go get your food Leave it Come here Sit

If your dog always jump at you when they see you, this will mean that they will jump at anybody and at anything. It may be very cute at the beginning but not for long term. You as its owner, you must train your dog not to jump. Jumping means they are in charge. It gives them the impression that they are the boss.  Therefore, jumping must be stop from the start.

The secret to stop your dog from jumping are as below :

1. Ignore them
2. Stand still and hold your hand up
3. Until they sit, praise them with treats

Remember, if they move, put your hands up again. After some time they will understand that they are not to jump. You are the owner, trainer and you are the boss. Give them a reward. For example give your dog its favorite treat or a
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