A dog that's displaying an unhelpful behaviour can be taught to touch instead. As an example any dog which has learned to jump up for attention will be much less intrusive if he offers a paw instead.

Any dog training should be carried out in a positive demeanour and based totally on inducement and reward to get the best results.

The following stages can easily occur as one of your dog training games yet offer a helpful result by improving your dog’s behaviour. A clicker can simply be used as a re-strengthening tool.

- Prepare with some treats, small and succulent will galvanize wonderfully. Show your dog his reward then give him a little time to work out wheat he must do to get the reward. Conditional upon his determination and attention span this could take anything from a split 2nd to a few minutes.

- During this time your dog may attempt to do something with his paw, he may touch you or simply lift it from the ground. If he does then brace and reward right away, do this for the smallest behavior that involves his paw. You can build on it.

- When your dog is mystified he can simply look at you. If he has produced no behaviour that may be shaped into touch you can help him along by putting a treat in a closed fist and offering it to him.

- He should attempt to inspire release of the treat with his paw, at about that point you reinforce and reward.

- When your dog has learned how to touch with a paw you can add a cue word to it to help him to offer the behavior instead of jumping up. You can do that by introducing the cue word before he attempts to jump up then rewarding the correct reply.

- If your dog has jumped up and he knows the cue word to the alternative behavior then ignore the undesired jumping up fully. When he realizes the jumping is getting him no attention your dog will be offering the alternative behavior of touch to try to get his reward.

- Timing is crucial, the jumping up must be evaded altogether so that the key is to ask for (and reward) the alternative behavior well before the dog jumps up.

Positive dog training will improve your relations with your dog, for detailed information on this and dog training games visit The Dog Trick Academy.