Any person who wants to be a responsible dog owner needs to learn how to train their dog. Especially if they have a Pit Bull. At a minimum, the dog should be able to reliably sit, lay down, come when called, walk on a loose leash, and greet people politely (without going crazy). This is the foundation for being a good canine citizen.
There are many methods for training dogs, but the one that always floats to the top nowadays is clicker training, a form of operant conditioning. But does it work? And can anyone off the street learn how to do it.
It seems the answer to this question is an emphatic YES. In some ways, it’s easier than other forms of training. After all, the concepts of clicker training aren’t exactly rocket science. We’ve talked about it here and here.
However, easy concept doesn’t translate into easy practice.
This is why we are grateful for Brain Training 4 Dogs, and online course by Adrienne Farricelli, a professional CPDT-KA certified dog trainer. This is a system she has perfected over the course of 10 years. She uses a clicker extensively.
Detailed Map to a Trained (and Smarter) Dog
One challenge of clicker training is laying out a plan of attack, keeping track of your successes, and where you can pick up next time. If you don’t do these things, you’ll just go in circles. Sometimes, you also just don’t know where to start.
This course has you covered so you don’t go insane. And has some really cool tricks and games to teach your dog. Of course, it also covers the basics:
- Sit
- Down
- Fetch
- Loose-leash walking
- Crate training
- Polite greetings
When you unlock your dog’s natural intelligence, you’ll be amazed at what behavior problems disappear, as well.
Often, these plans and structure are really what professional dog trainers charge you for. After all, they are really training you, the owner, and giving you a framework to operate in. You’ll probably be doing most of the work at home anyway (unless you send your dog off to some kind of boarding school or get private in-home lessons for your dog, both expensive options).
In our opinion, these plans are worth hundreds of dollars.
Above and Beyond the Basics
But the authors aren’t content just to keep you at that basic level. The book contains explanations and examples of “target training”, which makes training more advanced behaviors easier. And there are so many things you can teach your dog: the airplane game, stacking rings, playing the piano. Crazy stuff that is all possible.
A more intelligent dog is a better behaved dog. And its more fun for the both of you.
Not All Honey and Roses
The main criticism: they are also strong proponents of NEVER using any positive punishment. While it should certainly be rare, all dogs are different, and some can benefit quite a bit from the right deterrant.
Should You Buy this Online Training Course?
We recommend this course to anyone serious about having a good dog and being a good example of what Pit Bulls can really be. It’s the straightest path to that goal. And its fun. You’ll probably have the best dog on the block and be able to easily impress your neighbors with how well-behaved your Pit Bull is.
Our dogs had reached a road block in their training. They just couldn’t seem to understand “down” meant for them to lay down. We tried everything. Mainly luring with food. After conditioning the clicker, it took about 10 minutes for one of our dogs to begin reliably laying down when one of us said “down”. We couldn’t believe how fast it happened.
It’s a special moment when you can almost see the gears turning in the dog’s brain, and then everything finally “clicks” or them. You can see understanding light up in their eyes, that they can get you to click if they do a certain thing!
Order the Brain Training 4 Dogs course now.
And don’t worry. We would never recommend this if it didn’t come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You have 60 days to try the online course out, and if you don’t think it was worth it, they will give you a refund – no questions asked.