Saturday, April 30, 2011

Maltese Training: Dealing With Distractions

By Clare Rosewood


With thousands, if not millions, of maltese owners around the world, it isn't surprising if you will notice lots of people wanting to know as much as they can regarding maltese training. Most owners turn to internet to obtain free tips about training along with other information concerning the breed while others spend a small amount on magazine subscriptions, books and ebooks. Anyway, that's what responsible dog owners should be - willing to know every info about the breed and making use of what they learn to training and tending their household pets.

Training a breed as intelligent as the maltese is simple. The only challenging thing about it is getting your dog to focus on what you are teaching him. Taking into consideration the dog's, especially a puppy's short attention span and exceptionally inquisitive personality, this one is really challenging. Hence, it is vital that you know how to deal with distractions during training.

When training a particular command for the very first time, choose a peaceful area in the house in which he is less likely to hear or see anything that could capture his attention. Once he has perfected the command, slowly add distractions into the picture. You might want to turn the radio on softly while slowly increasing the volume throughout the maltese training session. Other acts that could cause distraction include:

- ask someone to play ball at the center of the room - ask a friend to join the training - leave his food bowl or favorite treat on the floor - wave your arms around - switch on the television and select a show featuring dogs - whistling - let your phone ring - ask someone to make a squeaky sound If he stays centered on the training, give him reward, be it praise or treat. As the training progress, incorporate two or three distractions to strengthen his capacity.

If he can be trusted with the command already regardless of the distractions, it is advisable to train him to different areas such as the living room, kitchen or porch. These places tend to be frequented by people therefore the distraction. This intends to make him understand that he needs to obey the command regardless of the spot, the scenario and the people around him. If he stays concentrated on the training and obeys the command, give him something really worthwhile such as the most delightful treat you have in your house.

While giving of treats is an effective method to attain successful maltese training, be reminded that the use of it must be controlled and must be gradually replaced with praise or time to play to stop him from becoming treat dependent. It prevents weight issues too.

Working with distractions during training can be frustrating at times. Just be ready to stretch your determination a bit longer to help you get by.




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