Training Your Adopted Dog - Part 1

I had an anonymous poster, even though they were rude with their comments, did have one good idea. When a person adopts a dog, what kind of training should they do. Most dogs that are adopted are strays, and have no training. You need to take into count that they have been abused and are frightened. Heavy handed training is a no-no. These dogs need light handed training. By this, I mean no jerking or yelling. You should never jerk or yell on any dog, abused or not. Remember that.


A dog that is trained in basic obedience commands: heel, sit, stay, down and, most importantly, the come command, will make life on both the dog and its adopted owner much simpler. I will attempt to take you through these basic commands and the equipment you will need. This training method is for abused and the non-abused dog.


Always remember, correction should be mild and non-violent. Correct when wrong, praise when right. It is best to be able to praise your dog as soon after a correction as possible, just make sure the praise is for correct behavior. Do this no matter how many times you've had to make the identical correction; it takes a few times for any correction to sink in. Praise after the correction does not lessen the impact of the correction, but it will reassure him/her that you are still friends, and training can progress without hard feelings on either side.


Your voice is your basic corrective tool, and the basic corrective command is "No!" There must be authority in your voice when correcting. Loud, yes, authoritative equally important. Panic, anger and annoyance can and will confuse your dog. Since we are dealing with abused dogs, watch the reaction of your dog. If your dog shrinks away from you when you use a loud voice, tone it down and use a slight "pop" (the term used when you lift up on the leash to let the training collar make contact with the dog) of the lead.


The equipment you need will be a chain or nylon choker. This can be found at any pet store. Never, never use a pinch collar. I know I will probably have someone refute this, but I am a firm believer they are not needed. The lead should be leather or nylon and about 6 ft. long. Correct collar size is determined by measuring around the largest part of your dog's head and adding an inch. The proper way to put the choke(training) collar is with the loose ring at the right of the dog's neck, the chain attached to it having come over the neck and through the holding ring rather than under the neck. (It should form a "P" when you hold it out if front of you before putting it over the head.)


Allow your dog to wear their new "clothes", as I call them, around the house to get used to it. Remember, never leave a choker on your dog unattended. A dog could get caught and choke to death. Now, on to the first command. It is continued on a new post.