Article Sphere Logo

Dog Training Part V: The Command Voice

By Expert Author: Hagar Lagarto | Article Abstract
Word Count: 346 words | Views: 62 view(s)
When giving commands to a dog, a calm, firm, authoritative voice is most effective. Dogs do not respond well to hesitant, pleading voices, nor to yelling, which might sound to the dog like threatening barking or scolding. It is also important that the word used for the command and the pitch of the voice be consistent each time the command is delivered so that the dog can more easily learn what the owner means (siiiiiiiiiiiit does not sound the same as sit, for example).

Using the puppy's name before a command ensures that the dog knows that a command is coming, that it is for him (rather than for other dogs, children, or people), and that he should pay attention. This is important because dogs hear a lot of human speech that has no relevance for them at all, and it is easy for them to disregard commands amongst the babble.

To reinforce the command, the dog always gets some kind of reward or reinforcement (praise and usually a treat or toy) when it performs the action correctly. This helps the dog to understand that he has done a good thing.

Note that not all dogs are trained to voice command. Many working breeds of dog are not trained to a voice command at all; they are taught to obey a combination of whistles and hand signals. Deaf dogs are perfectly capable of learning to obey visual signals alone. Many obedience classes teach hand signals for common commands in addition to voice signals; these signals can be useful in quiet situations, at a distance, and in advanced obedience competitions.

The specific command words are not important, although common words in English include sit, down, come, and stay. Short, clear words that are easily understood by other humans are generally recommended; that way, people will understand what a handler is telling his dog to do and other handlers have a good chance of controlling someone else's dog if necessary. In fact, dogs can learn commands in any language or other communications medium, including whistles, mouth sounds, hand gestures, and so forth.
Hagar Lagarto

About the Author/Author Bio

Hagar lagarto is a long time Pet lover with many articles and websites on the subject. You can get much more info at pet.freehostia.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Dog-Training-Part-V--The-Command-Voice/24864

Article Submitted: 2006-05-04 | This Article has been viewed 62 times.

Rate Article

Related Videos

How to Use Positive Voice Commands
How to Improve Your Dog's "Come" Command
How to Get Your Dog to Look
How to Get Your Dog to Sit
How to Get Your Dog to Sit and Stay
 

More "Dogs" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Dogs" article category.

People interested in the above article "Dog Training Part V: The Command Voice" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
Owning a dog is fun, taking them on walks is enjoyable, unfortunately picking up their poop is not. This is why so many owners continue to refuse to clean up after their four legged friends. The impact is so much more than an unsightly mess that you might step in. Here we describe ten reasons why every owner should clean up after their favorite pooch.
A Wireless Dog Fence would aid many of us dog owners who would like to get a fence for our yard but are unable for one reason or another. A Wireless Dog Fence would let our dog to have a much needed place to run and play without all of the troubles from venturing outside the yard. Installing a fence in backyards can be expensive and very grueling, especially for those who have a large area to cover. That is where wireless dog fence technology comes in. There are quite a few different models of wireless fences, but this article will look specifically at the PetSafe Wireless Dog Fence.
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is one of the most frustrating diseases in veterinary medicine today simply because it is so difficult to prevent and treat. CHD is a developmental disease of the bones in which the head of the thigh bone poorly fits the hip socket, causing damage to the cartilage, gradual destruction of the joint, pain and swelling. This disease should not be confused with hip arthritis. Rather, it is the most common cause of arthritis in the hips.
A dog's behavior is influenced by certain basic instincts which you should be aware of if you want to understand your dog. Some of them have been lessoned by the protected life led by modern pets. In fact, the dog as a species seems to be undergoing an important period in his evolution since never before in history have so many of them been bred exclusively as pets.
The importance of socializing a puppy can never be over-emphasised, but what exactly does it mean? And how does one go about it? This article will explain to you what socialization is and how to put it into practice to ensure your dog has few, if any behavioural problems later in life and is able to interact well with dogs and other species.
Thousands of years ago, humans began the process of domesticating the dog and shaping what "being a dog" really means. Through careful selection and breeding, an astonishing variety of dog breeds have been created. Desirable traits have been selected for in various breeds that are of a benefit to humans.
Indeed, there are many things that both the dogs and the dog owners could have in common. For example, both dogs and dog owners could be prone to obesity if not regulating food intake and by not exercising. In addition, dogs and humans may also acquire diseases that results from improper dietary regimen like diabetes, heart diseases, etc.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Pets And Animals Dogs
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish German English Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italiano Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Dutch Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish