Owners turn to special schools to train dogs
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"It would work better if both attend the classes. But Shanghai has special regulations that dictate that large dog kennels cannot be located in the center of the city and restricts them to the outskirts. As people have less time for their pets nowadays, most urbanites choose to board the dogs for training," says Qu.
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While raising dogs is a commitment for pet lovers, training them is emerging as a lucrative business.[China Daily] |
Edmond Kan, head of the Guaigougou Dog Training center and an experienced trainer, says the best time to train your pup is when he is 4 to 8 weeks old.
"It is important for your puppy to learn how to be sociable at a very young age, both with humans and with other dogs," says Kan. "You could start with getting your puppy familiar with loud sounds such as the telephone ringing and the microwave beeping, as these sounds are unnatural for dogs."
A basic training method, according to Kan, is to replace negative behaviors with positive ones by applying click training. He does this by offering the dog something more interesting than what he is currently doing. It is usually easy for dogs to recognize, for example, that eating chicken is more rewarding than barking.
"Clicker training helps the dog realize that he has done something right; it trains the dog to associate the clicker sound with getting a treat and a pleasant experience," says Kan. "It slowly builds his confidence to do the right thing."
Kan believes all dogs are trainable. "Sometimes but very rarely, a gene can lead to a really bad-tempered dog. However, most dogs are trainable."
It is also important to choose a breed that's right for you and affordable, says Qu.
"I'm not talking about how much you pay for your dog, but how much time and effort you're willing to spend after you bring him home.
"Labradors and golden retriever are good with children, easy to train and have an average protectiveness trait and require little grooming," Qu says.
"Breeds such as husky, on the other hand, require much activity and exercise and tend to be more difficult to train."
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