Oh Behave!

Have you ever wondered just how far you could take your dog with positive reinforcement training? Can a clicker and some treats really teach your dog anything more interesting than sits, stays and downs?

The answer is a resounding yes. A clicker and some treats can take your dog further than you may have realized. In addition to the typical line-up of class offerings – puppy kindergarten, puppy intermediate, adolescent manners, basic manners – there’s a tantalizing selection of positive training classes, some all about having fun and some more serious.

Duke Shows Off A Trick

My Kelpie mix Vinnie and I’ve taken civilized canine classes, rally obedience, agility and our favorite, canine freestyle (or doggy dancing). All were taught using positive reinforcement methods and all the dogs learned new stuff. Like humans, some dogs learned more than others. That could have been due to any number of factors – clarity of instruction, the dogs’ learning styles, or the human guardian’s training skills, to name a few. The point is, all the doggies learned handy or fun behaviors in those classes.

One of my favorite videos of all time is of Carolyn Scott and her Golden Retriever Rookie doing canine freestyle to the song, “You’re the One that I Want,” from the movie/musical Grease. How do I know Rookie learned to dance through positive training? It’s written all over him. Throughout the 4-minute choreographed routine, that dog is bouncing and prancing with relaxed fluid movements and a huge doggy smile on his face. He’s totally engaged in what he’s doing. I can’t see inside his brain, but he sure looks like a dog who’s over the moon to be doing his routine.

All smiles in training class

That’s one beautiful side-effect of positive training. Because it rewards dogs for behaviors we want, it is by definition rewarding to dogs trained in this way. The dogs learn quickly that training means groovy stuff like food, playtime or lovies are on their way. Training is a happy event and naturally, these pooches are eager and excited to train! Of the many dogs I’ve trained, every one has really really liked or loved training.

If it’s been a while since your dog took a training class, consider enrolling in one soon. Aside from the types of classes mentioned here, there are positive classes for tricks, scent discrimination, flyball, fun and games, and real world adventures. A class is an excellent way to maintain/polish existing manners; great practice in getting him to focus on you around distractions (like other dogs and humans dispensing food); a nice infusion of mental stimulation into his doggy brain; and a chance for you to bone up on your training skills. A positive training class is also a perfect chance for you and your dog to have fun, improve your lines of communication, and bond even more deeply.

Check out champion freestylers Carolyn and Rookie’s Grease routine here!