Positive reinforcement leads to positive behavior! Positive reinforcement uses a reward for desired behaviors. With this training technique, you can reward your dog for good behavior and ignore them when they're misbehaving (to a certain extent). By doing this, you are telling your dog that some behaviors are acceptable while others are not.
When training your dog using positive reinforcement, it is key to give them lots of praise. If your dog enjoys treats, this can be a major motivator for your dog to learn and repeat certain behaviors. Here are a five tips on how to successfully train your dog in this way:
Immediately Praise and Reward Desired Behavior
Dogs live in the moment, so your response should be immediate. This can include both treats and affection. It should be used whenever your dog does something that you want them to do.
If you’re house training a dog, treat him every time he does his business outside. Working on commands? Pet him each time he does what you say.
Keep It Short And Fun
The goal is to get your dog to realize that good things come when they obey you. Because of that, you should make training short, fun, and positive!
Lay Off Of The Treats
While it’s totally okay to use treats to get started, over time you should wean your dog off of them but continue to offer praise and affection. Eventually, your pup will forget about the treats and do what you want just to please you.