Rewards, punishments, and dominance in puppy training

If you have ever trained a Japanese chin, or are in the process of doing so, I am sure you are quite familiar with rewards and punishments.  Dogs and puppies learn new things and change their behavior only if the desirable behavior is rewarded or bad behavior punished. You can reward your puppy for performing certain things on command, such as what we have covered already in puppy training- lying down, coming, heeling, and sitting.

Rewards can be as simple as petting and saying "Good dog." Or you can use food treats, if they are not overdone, especially a treat that your puppy really enjoys. Meat is a really good treat to us. A word of caution here about rawhide treats- if you do buy rawhide treats for your puppy or already have be sure to check them regularly to make sure your chin is not chewing pieces off and swallowing them.

Most puppies learn rapidly and willingly if there are rewards. For example, when you are housetraining your puppy and he can eliminate in the desired area outside, praise and affection, along with treats, will effectively train him.

Most punishments that you give your puppy are interactive punishment. Hitting your dog with your hand, rolled up newspaper, or shouting at him is interactive punishment. The animal clearly associates the adverse reaction with the person giving it. Interactive punishment should only be given when owners must assert dominance over their puppy to maintain an acceptable dominate-subordinate relationship, especially if threatened.  If your puppy or dog growls or snaps at you and they are not doing it out of fear it is best met with force. One of the most common problems of dog-owner relationships is insufficient dominance and it often stems from a lack of assertiveness.

Of course the need to assert your dominance varies from breed to breed. Your Japanese chin will not require as much punishment as a Doberman pinscher would.