Ginger – Puppy Training Boston – Case Study

In my last entry, I discussed the importance of puppy training and how behavioral issues can begin. Without proper guidance, and with establishing what are proper behaviors, a puppy will see anything as fair game. Chewing up shoes, peeing in the kitchen, nipping while playing…even some dogs will see aggression as an option, if no one is there to tell them that it is wrong!

With puppies, it’s all about introducing new behaviors and showing the puppy how to succeed at them. We shape their behavior by following the quadrants of operant conditioning, using positive reinforcement techniques. In my puppy training program, we cover the basic commands and show the puppy how to be an obedient, housebroken, and happy puppy!

My most recent graduate from my puppy training program is Ginger. Luckily, Ginger was not showing any major behavioral problems at the get go, but she needed to learn how to use the toilet outside, and other imperative behaviors, such as impulse control, walking on the leash, and how to be well-adjusted when she was alone (no one wants a dog with separation anxiety!).

With any of my training programs, I make it a point to not only train the dog, but also the owner. It doesn’t matter if I can make the puppy into the most well-behaved dog, if the owner has no idea how to do it themselves and maintain that successful structure for their pet! Most puppy owners want to get their new family member started on the right paw, so we teach them how to sit and lie down. But we also create positive associations for the dog, where they will learn to take their bathroom breaks in the yard, not in the living room. Where the dog will learn that while they can chew up their bones and toys, they cannot chew up furniture or dig through the trash. Both dog and owner will learn how consistent scheduling is important, and that the way we can help the dog succeed is by setting them up for it! Many dog trainers will create situations for the dog to be tested, where they will inevitably fail. I want to set up for reward, where any negativity is minimized, and the dog learns to choose the better behaviors because it is fun and rewarding to!

Ginger excelled in the training because she understood how to be a better behaved dog, and was happy to do it! Her owners were thrilled with the results, and I reminded them that the best results come from committed, consistent owners!

For puppy training inquiries, give me a call at 800-649-7297 or email at training@colonialdogtraining.com!