How Dog Training Differs By Breed

Dogs have unique personalities, needs, and breed traits that influence the instructions needed to train them. At Prime K9 Dog Training, we help our clients become confident and proud dog owners through comprehensive dog training. Our trainers are compassionate and have experience working with different breeds. Here's an overview of how training can differ by breed:

Training Is Personalized to Your Dog

At K9 Dog Training, we tend to each dog's unique traits and personality quirks. Our trainers understand dog behavior, strength, activity, and learning capacity. Some dog breeds, like golden retrievers, are sturdy, muscular, and have powerful gait. Other breeds are more prone to barking, chewing, aggression, or other negative types of behavior. At K9 Dog Training, we take into account individual differences. 

Our training is specifically for your dog's needs, and we also work with mixed breeds. Dogs can be trained to accomplish different tasks, like bird-hunting and shepherding. Each task requires a different set of instructions. We use leashes, lures, treats, capturing, and markers to help train the dogs. Our trainers start with basic commands, but since some dogs already know a few commands, we pick up where you left off.

Working Around Breed-typical Personalities

While it may be believed that puppies are born blank slates with the potential to become your desired companion, our experience has shown that dogs have inborn abilities and attributes. Some dogs are more friendly and compatible with other pets. Others are more fearful and impulsive. Early training can help reinforce positive behavior. At K9 Dog Training, we recognize and use breed-typical personalities in our programs.

Differences in dog breed personalities can be attributed to genetics, but environmental factors tend to be more influential. Trainers can also predict the dog's temperament at maturity based on the training administered. We know personality matters, so some breeds are trained for sporting, herding, guarding, service, or companionship. We have also worked with daring, distant, exceedingly active, and aggressive dogs. Our programs use positive reinforcement, relationship-based training, clickers, model-rival (mirror), and more to work around these attributes.

Differences in Positive Reinforcement Training

Positive reinforcement is a more effective training approach that results in higher levels of obedience and fewer problems. The technique involves rewarding your pet when they do something good, like following orders. Your dog associates the behavior with the treat and is likelier to replicate it for the reward. Dog breeds respond to treats differently, so trainers must identify the best ways to reward them during positive reinforcement training.

Dogs of the same breed don't always like the same things, but learning general preferences is a good start. The goal is to determine what your dog loves and use it to reinforce good behavior. At Prime K9 Dog Training, we use positive reinforcement strategies based on your dog's breed and individual preferences and traits. Our trainers avoid aversive techniques like punishment because they can increase anxiety and other problematic behaviors.

Professional Dog Training

Teaching your dog good manners, skills, and tricks requires refined strategies, consistency, and patience. Prime K9 Dog Training offers several programs to help you train your dog. Our trainers are skilled and love to work with animals. We invest in learning and understanding dog psychology and train different breeds, including mixed puppies and adult dogs.