There’s a variety of training methods you can choose from, when it comes to your Chihuahua.The question is which training method will fit the best for your little friend. Not only do dog owner temperaments and personalities differ, but so do dogs. Breed heritages differ, too.
A soft, slightly timid Chihuahua is not going to cooperate as well with a forceful training method, and in fact will probably be traumatized by this method. Yet that firmer method might suit a bold Rottweiler just fine. It’s important to find the method – or combination of methods – that suits both you and your dog.
Lure and Reward
A lure and reward training method is exactly what it sounds like: you will use something the dog likes as a lure (food treats or a toy). Use that to help him do something you want him to do, and then he gets rewarded. The reward is verbal praise first, followed by the lure.
It’s importa
nt that your voice is the first reward. For example, when your Chihuahua looks at you, “Yes!” can pinpoint (or mark) the behavior you want. It takes a few seconds to get a treat to his mouth but you can say yes instantly. Plus, the treat reward is going to be used during the initial training, but then you are going to phase it out. Verbal praise can remain.
Clicker Training
A clicker—a small mechanism that makes a short, sharp sound—is used to let the dog know he has done something right. In the first steps of the training, the dog learns an association between the click and a food reward.
The hardest part of this method is developing the timing needed to communicate to the dog exactly when he’s done the right thing. Many people, especially at first, tend to be one thought behind the dog, “Oh, right, I need to click now.” This delay in timing can be confusing to the dog.
The sound of a clicker marks the correct behavior. It is fast and sharp and lets the dog know immediately when he’s done something right.
Balanced Training
Balanced training, usually refers to a method that uses more than one quadrant of the operant conditioning chart. Balanced training is generally based on teaching dogs what to do and rewarding them for that, but also letting the dogs know when they have made a mistake.
This can work, depending on the method of letting the dog know he’s made a mistake, and as long as the trainer also then shows the dog what to do instead. Corrections just for the sake of punishing the dog are not considered good dog training and are not effective.
Choosing a Method
It’s important that you feel comfortable with the method you use. If you feel that something you’re doing is wrong—or that it is confusing your Chihuahua—then stop using it. Think about what you’ve been doing: where is the problem? Where is your dog getting confused? Have you forgotten a step in the training?
Then try again. If you’re still having problems you might want to ask a dog trainer for some help. Perhaps she can clear up your confusion. If things still feel wrong, then you may want to try another method.
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