Before You Buy A Jack Russell Terrier
Training Your Jack Russell with A Rewards System
Before You Bring Your New JRT Puppy or adult dog home it is important to have an idea of the type of training program you will use to train your JRT, this article will introduce the Reward Training system.
Reward training is often seen as the most modern method of training a dog, but reward training is probably much older than other methods of dog training program. It is possible that reward training for dogs has been around as long as there have been dogs to train. Early humans probably used some informal kind of reward training when taming the wolf pups that eventually evolved into modern dogs.
Many principles of modern reward training date back many decades. However, what is called reward training today has only enjoyed is remarkable popularity for the past 10 or 15 years.
Many reward training enthusiasts are less enthusiastic about other methods of dog training, such as the traditional leash and collar method. However, the best approach to training any individual dog is often a combination of leash/collar training and reward training.
In addition, a training method that works perfectly for one Jack Russell Terrier may be totally inappropriate for another, and vice versa. Some Russells respond wonderfully to reward training and not at all to leash and collar training, while others respond to leash/collar training and are not at all motivated by reward training. Most dogs fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Clicker Training Can Be Very Rewarding
Clicker training is one of the most popular forms of reward training these days. While clicker training is not the answer for Jack Russell Terrier, it can be a remarkably effective method of training many dogs. In clicker training, the dog is taught to associate a clicking sound with a reward, like a treat. The trainer clicks the clicker when the dog does something good, followed immediately by a treat. Eventually, the Jack Russell Terrier learns to respond to the clicker alone.
Most reward training uses some sort of food reward, or a reward that is associated with getting food. In most cases, complex behaviors can only be taught using this kind of positive reinforcement, and you will find that the people who train dogs for movies and television use reward training almost exclusively.
Reward training is used in all forms of dog training, including police work and military applications. Most scent detection, tracking and police dogs are trained using some form of reward training. Reward training is also a very effective way to teach many basic obedience commands.
Reward training often incorporates the use of a lure in order to get the dog into the position desired by the trainer. The lure is used to get the dog to perform the desired behavior on his or her own and of his or her own free will.
It makes a great deal of sense to get your dog to perform the desired behavior without any physical intervention on the part of the handler. Getting the dog to perform a behavior without being touched is important.
After your Jack has performed the desired behavior, it is given a reward, also called a positive reinforcement. Treats are often used as reinforcers, but praise, such as “good dog” or a pat on the head, can also be effective rewards.
Keeping Your Jack Russell At Your Command
Making your Jack Russell Terrier that has been reward trained a reliable dog is important, especially when the dog has an important job, like police work or drug detection, to do. For that reason it is important to get the dog accustomed to working around distractions, and to properly socialize the animal to both people and other animals.
With Jack Russell Terriers, it is important to have them ready to command at all times, they have strong hunting instincts, and if you don’t have them under control at all times their nose may get them into trouble.
Many dog trainers make the mistake of only training the dog inside the house or back yard, and only when the handler is there. In order to become a reliably trained companion, your Jack Russell Terrier must be taken outside the confines of its safety zone and introduced to novel situations.
It is also important to teach your Jack to pay attention to the handler at all times. Having the attention of the dog means having control of the dog. Reward training is very effective at getting the respect and the attention of the dog when used properly.
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