How to Train Your Stubborn Dog

Dog trainers are often asked to deal with "stubborn" dogs. In most cases, the dog isn't actually stubborn; he is either bored, unsure of what his owner is asking or physically incapable of performing the behavior. If your dog suddenly starts refusing to sit, you may want to have her checked for an injury or the onset of arthritis. For dogs that are bored or unsure, the clicker training method is often highly successful. Basically, you use a clicker to "mark" a desired behavior, and then use treats to reinforce that behavior. Clicker training allows you to clearly communicate to your dog when she is doing something right, as opposed to other methods that only communicate when the dog does something wrong.

Things You'll Need

  • Clicker
  • Small, soft treats
  • Box
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Instructions

  1. Teach an Unimportant Behavior First

    • 1

      Acclimate your dog to the clicker. Click and immediately give him a treat. Repeat this several times, until he reacts to the click by looking for the treat.

    • 2

      Teach your dog to put his paw in a box. Place a box on the floor, and have a clicker and treats ready.

    • 3

      Start by rewarding any small movement toward the box; for example, click and reward your dog for just looking at the box, until he does it voluntarily and regularly.

    • 4

      Gradually increase the criteria you reinforce. Once your dog is looking at the box and expecting a click, wait until she moves toward it (with her body or just her head and nose) and then click and treat.

    • 5

      Continue increasing the criteria for your dog's interaction with the box, until he puts a paw in the box. The first time he does this, "jackpot" him--click and give him several treats, and make a big deal about it.

    • 6

      Put the behavior on a cue. Once your dog understands that you want her to put a paw in the box, give the behavior a name such as "step" or "paw." Say the word just as she is putting her paw in the box, and then click and treat. After a few repetitions, say the word before she moves her paw; if she puts her paw in the box, jackpot her.

    Teach an Important Behavior

    • 7

      Use the same process to teach a more important behavior, such as "sit" or "down." These are actions dogs perform on their own, so they are easy for dogs to learn.

    • 8

      Keep a clicker and treats handy or stashed around the house. When you see your dog starting to sit, click and treat just before his bottom hits the ground.

    • 9

      Add the word "sit" after you've clicked the voluntary behavior several times. Again, start just before your dog finishes the behavior, and after several repetitions use the word when he is standing. If he sits, jackpot him.

    • 10

      Repeat this process with other behaviors. The more behaviors you teach, the faster your dog will learn new things.