Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Marine Dog Training Tips

Insider.com as a good article with 7 tips Marines use to train MWDs: Military Working Dogs



1. You have to build a relationship.
2. Groom your dog every day.
3. Consistency is key.
4. Training takes time.
5. Dogs have bad days too.
6. Dogs need to have fun.
7. Not every dog is going to be able to learn every task.

Check out the article for details on each tip.  There's some real gold in them.

My favorite is number 5.  Remember, dogs are people too!!!

"Say you've been training your dog for weeks. He's performing well, and then one day he just refuses to work for you. He won't sit. He seems bored, antsy, tired, or just lazy.
Don't get mad, and don't continue to correct the dog if it isn't working. Dogs have their bad days too. Sometimes they just don't want to work. If you try to force it, you will become frustrated and angry, which hardly ever leads to good results. Recognize that there might be a medical issue at play. Sick dogs aren't usually enthusiastic students.
During an evaluation at my last base, a dog wouldn't stay in the sit. The handler couldn't get the dog to stay after multiple corrections. The evaluator took a close look and saw that the dog was positioned on an ant hill and had fire ants biting his legs. Continuing to correct the dog in that situation would be ineffective and would harm the good rapport between dog and handler.
Recognize that your dog is a living, breathing creature that has feelings and emotions."