Dog Trick Academy Library

Dog training has evolved through the centuries to arrive at the many dog professions and tricks of today. Hunting dogs hundreds of years ago were once trained in a similar way to the guide dogs of today and the cute dog down the street that knows so many tricks. Throughout its history, dog training has had its ups and downs, but with the latest versions of training effectively encouraging animals to become a loving and functioning part of society.

Early Training
Early dog training involved teaching dogs to assist in hunting. Some dogs were even specially bred to be hunting dogs. As the dogs assisted in gathering valuable food, they were often well treated. A good hunting dog was an asset, and was treated as such.

The training of these animals was done by the owner and was often based on a system of rewards and gentle punishment. With the occasional exception, such as making dogs “tough” by using barrel fights, the training of hunting dogs was positive in nature. After all, a hunting dog was valuable and would last for years if treated well.

Military Training
When World War I began, dogs were often used in combat for various purposes. The military needed dogs trained quickly, and with the number of animal casualties on the field, many animals needed to be trained at a time.

The military training began many of the practices we still see today. Choke collars and physical punishment for not obeying were utilized as well as constant correction. The techniques spread over the globe to other militaries and after the war, the techniques were used in domestic dog training as well.

The punitive system went on to include collars with shock systems. The idea of dominating your animal and becoming the Alpha in a pack finds its basis in this manner of training as well. Physical and punitive training is still often used to train guard dogs and police dogs, but many are finding that other methods of training are gentler and just as or more effective.

Modern Dog Training
Training animals is still done using choke chains and shocks, but other methods have come back into the forefront. Gentle treatments using a system of rewards and consistency have shown tremendous results with guide dogs and other functioning animal members of society.

Assistance Dogs – Dogs have been shown to be terrific assets to those with visual or auditory impairments as well as those with limited mobility. These animals must be highly trained as well as companionable. These animals are carefully selected as they must have the right physical ability and temperament. They then are put through an intense training that is reward based.

The dogs are trained to ignore distractions and to take direction. They are taught to lead or communicate and follow commands. It is imperative that these animals be thoroughly trained as any mishaps can endanger the lives of the owner. Most assistance dogs are trained by professionals and then introduced to their owner or trained alongside their owner..

Police and Drug Dogs – Most police and military training is still done using the Schutzhund methods begun during World War I. It is a method that combines rewards and punishments, but with a great emphasis on control. There are many types of dogs working with police forces that have been highly trained in various skills.

Drug, Search and Rescue, or Bomb Squad dogs are trained highly in tracking and alerting skills. Police and protection dogs are trained in controlled aggression. Each animal is highly skilled in their respective field and are not interchangeable in other areas. Dogs trained in tracking abilities are less likely to be trained using heavy handed techniques, while police and protection dogs are.

Medical Dogs – The latest dog training is taking place in the medical field. Dogs are being trained to use their highly sensitive noses and sniff out cancer. So far studies on the subject show promise, and the training is highly specific and gentle as these animals can be very valuable.

Dog Athletes – Dogs can be trained to assist in many fields as well as to behave at home. Some dogs are trained for show, and still others are trained as athletes. Popular dog sports include Flyball and Agility. Flyball is a relay race with four dogs and Agility is an obstacle course set up for a single dog to run coaxed by his owner.

Training to run these sports is almost always based on positive reinforcement. This type of training is especially effective using a clicker method of reinforcement which means the owner uses a small clicking box to make a sound every time the dog does something the owner likes. Practice and consistency are also very important.

Family Pets – Any dog can be trained using a variety of methods by families looking for a fun companion. While much of modern training still involves punitive systems, positive reward based systems can be more effective and easier on everyone. Tricks and basic commands can all be taught gently and easily using any number of methods. The sheer number of methods and options we have today are indicative of how much we enjoy our pets as well as the joy and use they can bring us.