Training with or without distractions?

Fist, I have no idea why Alisha answers in here, her answers are not based on reality, like this one...salesmen acting as trainers does not make anyone good.

Second, you start without distractions, in your house/yard, then when the dog knows and executes the command every time, you intro distractions without which you CANNOT ever have a fully trained dog that can live in the real world. The problem here is that in order to "proof" the dog against these distractions, you NEED and MUST have physical compulsion which these wannabe trainers are not allowed to use...you have seen with the food in their hands.

I often tell my students that training class is the worst place to train dogs. The reason is that it is not a very good learning environment because of all the distractions. Sadly I also cannot teach a class without the dogs present. So my role in the class is as a trainer to OWNERS. I hope that the owners are not as distracted as the dogs especially in the early lessons. So I go over each lesson with the class. I demonstrate with my dog and then have the owners follow the technique. I or my assistant gives individual help to those that are struggling to learn the technique. My hope is that the owner will take the technique home with them and properly TRAIN the dog using the techniques that was used in class. I tell them to train in a quiet familiar environment for a few days and then slowly add distractions as the next lesson comes nearer.

Since my lessons build on each other, the techniques are much easier for the owner to follow. For example my first class is a no dogs night. We go other training techniques and theory. I also demonstrate the basic sit and watch me. There is no stay involved. I just want the dog to sit at the owner's side and look at the owner's face. I'm quite happy when at least half of the owners can have their dogs sit at their side and look at them the next night at class. The sit and attention might be short lived but the dog is still showing progress. This is very distracting environment as it is the first night of class with all the dogs present. The success is that the owner took the time to train the technique at home in a less distracting environment. The we go on to the sit stay; loose leash walking and so on.

I do use understandable consequences in my classes. I don't mean with holding treats either.

Training with distractions is pretty tough for some dogs but it really teaches the dogs to focus on its owner and nothing else that's going on. If the dog can focus it will get a reward and usually a play session at the end of the class. Some classes have play sessions at the begining of the class to drain some energy so the dogs can focus better during training. Some dogs need to be trained without distractions at first then they can have a distraction here and there. If a neighbor is outside and the dog wants to go say hi, its obviously not safe to just run across the yard without its owners permission. A dog trained with distractions would then ignore the person and continue to watch its owner.

Distractions are apart of normal life.

- The best way to start training is without distraction in a quiet place in your home. That way the dog learns the command and understands what you expect from them.

- Then you up the ante and move somewhere with more distraction and keep practicing. The dog at this point knows the command and understands what you want. Having a dog listen to you in a crowded pet store is what you work up to slowly. It's not something you should expect on day two of training. Those dogs all understood what the command was and what was expected. That's far past the point of just learning. They're practicing what they already knew.

Dogs and puppies not trained will NOT listen to their owner in a crazy environment. Training is what gets the dog to listen to you regardless of the distractions. My German Shepherd sits and lays down in the pet store when I ask because she's been taught to do that. If she doesn't listen she is corrected immediately and has to do what I asked anyway. She knows this and she knows sitting when I ask is what she's expected to do. Distractions are not something you can avoid in real life. Continuing the training process in a busy area, in the store, outside etc.. is something you have to do if you want to take your dog outside in the real world.

:]

Petsmart classes are almost invariably a joke.

The dog needs to LEARN a new command in an area as free of distractions as possible.

The dog can then be PROOFED with distractions.

For example, I expect an engineer to remember their calculus facts on-site at a bridge construction surrounded by people and loud machinery. I don't expect a college freshman to initially LEARN calculus in that environment.

Training classes are inherently somewhat distracting, but if they are utilized properly to teach the OWNER what they are doing and provide them with feedback, the actual "learning" should be taking place on the days between classes in a distraction-less place like the owner's home.

Well...Highbread beat me to saying it(but I'm going to say it anyway ^^). My thoughts are the same as their answer- When teaching a new command, no distractions. When the dog is good with the command/gets the basics of it-add distractions.

The point of training is to get the dog to listen to the owner in any situation, which is why it's good to practice in different situations and with all kinds of distractions. My dog can sit/stay with another dog coming up to her and pestering her-she won't move out of the stay until I tell her to.

I would figure that you begin the foundations for the behaviour or sequence of behaviours without distractions. Then, once the dog understands and comprehends exactly what is being asked of him/her, that is when you add distractions.

Add:

Funny you should mention the blood drawing. I took a class on phlebotomy as a part of my university degree for the Lab. It is truly horrifying just how many "blood takers" there are out there that would be better suited to being butchers.

So many things that they do immensely, terrifyingly wrong. And it's not a difficult thing to do.

My dog does best without distractions. I think without distractions first then introduce distractions .. makes sense to me.