Praise – for dogs too
The right praise sometimes works wonders. Praise means a great deal not only to us humans; dogs too feel good when they receive recognition and appreciation for something they have done well. You can also use praise with your four-legged friend in a very targeted way in upbringing and training.
Praise as an important part of modern dog training
These days, praise is a firm component of training at dog school. Recognition not only boosts the dog's self-confidence and willingness to cooperate, but also its willingness to learn. It also has the great advantage that praise clearly increases the likelihood that the behaviour for which the dog has been praised will be shown more often in the future.
The correct use of praise and reward
However, praise is only really effective if it is used correctly. It becomes especially lovely for the dog when a reward follows immediately afterwards. As dogs are extremely clever, they will increasingly offer the desired behaviour or similar actions, because they know exactly that a reward follows.
Here you should also pay attention to small peculiarities. If you throw your dog a toy because it has done something well, it should be an object that it does not otherwise have freely available. If it has the toy available all day long anyway, it quickly loses its appeal and its purpose as a means of praise.
Steering praise and motivation in a targeted way
Using praise in a targeted way is sometimes difficult. You can observe your four-legged friend and try out which games it particularly likes or which treats it prefers. While a simple task earns only a small reward and brief praise, a particularly valuable reward should follow the mastering of a difficult task. This encourages the dog to learn ever more and to keep improving.
- Increasing the willingness to learn through positive reinforcement
- Raising the repetition rate of desired behaviour
- Using special toys as an exclusive reward
- Grading praise according to the difficulty of the task
When the dog has grasped a game or carried out a command well, it does not need to receive effusive verbal praise every time. For simple exercises such as the Sit command, a brief pat or a friendly word is often enough.
This article serves as general information and to foster a positive relationship between you and your dog through correct praise.
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The content of the articles is for general information purposes only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a veterinarian. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be construed as such.
