“The Koehler Method of Dog Training” is a book and a philosophy, containing a combination of principles, theories and practices that seek to empower dog owners to control their dog’s behavior using mental conditioning. While some of the practices outlined in the original book, published in 1962, are now considered outdated and cruel, many of the underlying principles, such as rewarding good behavior, are still used today.

About William Koehler

William Koehler was a specialist dog trainer who trained dogs for film. He was famously unsentimental and would use pain as much as he would he use reward in order to motivate a dog to perform an action. While modern trainers typically favor positive reinforcement, Koehler advocated a balance of positive reinforcement and positive punishment. In short, he introduced positive stimuli, or rewards, to a dog’s environment when the dog did good and introduced negative stimuli, or punishment to a dog’s environment when the dog did bad.

Goals of the Koehler Method

The Koehler method sets out to empower all dog owners to have off-leash control of their dogs. To achieve this, owners must first teach the dog that certain actions have good consequences and other actions have bad consequences. The outcome of this approach is that the owner need not rely on the leash to control the dog, because the dog understands clearly which actions are desirable and which are not.

Philosophy of Choice

Koehler, like many noted dog trainers, believed that dogs perform actions out of choice. For example, a dog will choose to tip over a bin to eat some of the contents. Because those contents taste good, he’s likely to choose to perform this action again. However, if the contents of the bin were distasteful to the dog, he would be unlikely to repeat the action. Koehler’s method utilizes this philosophy.

Learning Patterns

The key tenet of Koehler’s method is the learning pattern “Action > Memory > Desire.” Koehler’s entire process assumes that when a dog performs an action, his memory of that action inform his desire to repeat it. So if a dog barks and is subsequently punished, his memory of that action is negative, lowering the chances of him desiring to repeat it. But if the dog is rewarded, his memory of barking is positive and the chances of him wishing to repeat it increase.

It’s never too late to train your dog, but it’s going to be easier for the both of you if you get started early. Simple training can start as soon as a puppy arrives in his new home around 8 or 9 weeks of age. This is the best time to help him get used to having his feet and teeth handled, teach him how to walk on a leash and let him know that it’s OK for you to pick up his food dish, even if he’s eating, so he won’t challenge you later on.

Getting Started

By the time a puppy is 10 to 12 weeks old he’s ready and eager to absorb basic obedience training and to learn simple tricks. This is a good time to teach him to sit, shake hands and to come when you call him. It’s also the ideal age for you to take him to a good puppy class so he can develop social skills and learn to get along with other people and dogs. Your dog will continue to learn easily throughout his entire first year, and once he has the idea, you’ll be able to give him more advanced training as he gets older.

Before learning the meaning of any word or verbal command, dogs respond to the sound and tone of their person’s voice. Dog trainer Cesar Milan explains that communication people have with their dogs through exercise and affection conditions and prepares dogs for training. Like people, dogs learn at their own pace. Practice patience and compassion when training your dog.

Sit, Stay, Come, Down

Before attempting to teach your dog a new verbal command, get his full and undivided attention. Distractions in the area can make it too tempting to pay attention to something else. Start with simple, basic commands such as sit and stay. Use positive rewards such as a small treat — and of course, praise. Tell your dog what a good boy he is and use your tone of voice to exclaim it. Express praise and reward your dog with a treat at the very moment she sits.

Traditional dog training usually involves teaching a dog to respond to a spoken command through repetition, words of praise and some kind of reward. Not every dog responds well to such training, however. Very young dogs and deaf dogs often respond better to hand gestures, known in the dog obedience world as “signals.” Fortunately for these dogs, training with hand gestures is not as complicated as it sounds.

Dogs Respond Well to Hand Gestures

Dogs rely heavily on physical cues to communicate. They also watch their owners for similar cues. Early training provides an example of how gestures can contribute to training: Trainers will pat their left legs to bring dogs into the “heel” position or gesture toward the floor to demonstrate that she should lie down. Dogs will often understand gestures first and will pair the spoken command with the action later.

Beginning Training with Hand Gestures

Human beings rely on spoken words to communicate, so our gestures are not always crisp or directed. During early training, hand gestures should be broad and slow. Gesture speed can increase as the dog becomes more familiar with the command. Training your dog to lie down should start with the dog at the trainer’s side. The gesture should start in front of her nose, proceed to her chest and sweep down and forward along and past her forelegs. Her body will follow the motion of her head, causing her to lie down. Similarly, when training her to sit, the hand gesture should begin in front of her nose and sweep up over her forehead. As she looks up, her bottom will approach the floor.

Advanced Training with Hand Gestures

Dogs are not often taught to stand, but this command is useful at the veterinarian’s office or groomers. The stand is often taught, beginning with the dog in the sitting position, by the trainer placing his palm horizontally in front of the dog’s nose and drawing the hand forward. The gesture for the stay command consists of the trainer placing his or her palm in front of the dog, fingers facing downward. Because all previous signals have told the dog to do something with her body, this signal can be difficult to teach.

Hand Gestures at a Distance

Gestured commands are useful at a distance. These gestures also need to be broad to be seen from far away. The hand gesture for come involves the trainer bringing his hand up and sweeping it in front of his body to touch his chest with his palm. This gesture mimics reeling the dog in with the leash while teaching the dog to come during early training. The gestures for stop and down are different at a distance than at the trainer’s side. The gesture for “stop” at a distance is the arm held out in front of the trainer, palm out, fingers facing upward. The gesture for down consists of the trainer raising his hand above his head and swinging it down toward the ground.

Some dogs have it, and some dogs don’t. When it comes to gun dog training, Labrador and golden retrievers definitely have it. These dogs were created to retrieve fallen fowl. Retrieving breeds have webbed paws and water resistant coats, making them some of the best swimmers of the dog world. Retrievers are also intelligent dogs and have a natural eagerness to please their human masters. They are easily trained, for any owner who is willing to put time and effort into his hunting companion’s education.

Basic Obedience

Don’t train your dog as a gun dog until it has completed basic obedience. In the field, your dog needs to know how to stay by your side off its leash. It should return to you without hesitation when you call or after retrieving a bird. For safety reasons, you also need to know that your dog will sit, lie down and stay at your command. Enroll your dog in basic, intermediate and then advanced obedience classes to help it get a good foundation in obedience. Practice these skills daily at home, both in formal training sessions and by incorporating the commands into your dog’s daily routine. Start this training when your gun dog is still a puppy.

Training Retrieve

Retrieving is a Labrador or golden retriever’s favorite thing to do. Start this training as soon as you get your gun dog home. Purchase retrieving dummies. Hold your puppy back with one hand on its chest, and show it the dummy. Toss the dummy no more than a few feet away, and release your puppy as you give a verbal command such as “fetch,” “retrieve” or “get it.” Start this training in a hallway so that your puppy has no choice but to return to you. Praise it each time it does. Ask your puppy to drop it. Again, reward your puppy with praise and a treat if it gives the dummy back to you without a fight. Gradually increase the length of your throws, and start practicing in outdoor environments as your puppy gets better and better at retrieving.

Field Conditioning

You can’t train your gun dog at home, take it hunting one day and expect it to perform. Even though they were bred for this task, retrievers need a chance to get used to the sights, sounds and smells they will experience in the field. Take your puppy out as often as you can as it grows up. Keep it on a leash at first, especially if it is still working on basic obedience. Expose your puppy to the sounds of gunfire, the marshes it will be working in, other dogs that will be hunting with you and the sight and smell of real birds. Take treats along on each outing, and reward your gun dog when it remains calm despite the exciting (or frightening) surroundings. Start practicing your dog’s retrieve in the field a little at a time.

Train in the Offseason

Retrievers will forget commands and skills if they aren’t practiced. Even after hunting season ends, practice with your dog in your yard and take it to the field whenever you can. Keep practice sessions short. They should last only five to 10 minutes for an adult retriever. If they are any longer, your retriever could get bored and distracted. In addition to retrieving, keep your dog up-to-date on its basic obedience skills. Include commands such as “sit” and “stay” in its daily routine. Take it on walks to secluded areas where you can let it off the leash. If it gets used to being confined, it might wander off when hunting season finally does come around. Off-leash, retrieving and basic obedience skills should all be practiced year-round.

Raccoon hunters have long used dogs to help them track and kill their prey. There are a variety of dog breeds that are specially geared for this assignment, including Bluetick, Black and Tan, Redbone and English coonhounds. Other breeds, including retrievers, can be trained for this type of hunting as well. Training as a coon dog should begin when the dog is about five weeks old; this will establish a regular habit for the dog to track and hunt raccoons.

1Begin training your dog with basic commands such as sit, stay and heel. Use a system of positive reinforcement through dog treats, petting and verbal praise to encourage obedience in the dog. The dog must first learn to obey you in general before he can learn to hunt raccoons.

2Choose a command for entering your car, such as “load up” or “get in.” Train the puppy to go to your car or truck and to be comfortable in his dog box or in the back of your vehicle. The more comfortable the dog becomes with transportation, the more prepared he will be for the hunt.

3Lay artificial scents in areas of your yard or small wooded areas. Encourage your dog to follow these scents; this will get him used to the scent of a raccoon, as well as give him practice following trails. Reward the dog for following the scent properly.

4Use an old coon hide to teach your dog what the raccoon looks like. Drag it in front of the dog as he chases it so that he gets used to following the raccoon. Hang the hide from trees so that the dog gets used to staying with the raccoon even after it climbs. Reward the dog for following and pursuing the coon hide.

5Arrange for your new coon dog to go on hunts with experienced raccoon hunting dogs. The younger animal will mimic the experienced dog’s actions and abilities and will pick up a lot of techniques from the older dog.

Down the street from me lives a young Labrador Retriever whose plight breaks my heart every time I see him. He’s not mistreated, at least not in an obvious way. He’s just always alone. Day after day, he stays outdoors in his fenced yard, with no one for company. From his yard, he barks at all who pass by as though he were asking for someone — anyone — to pay attention to him.

The dog’s owner is a busy guy. He’s got a full-time job, a house to maintain, and all the other tasks to perform that go with life today. I sympathize: 21st century life can be chaotic for anyone. But we can make time for our dogs without exerting very much effort or spending a lot of extra time. Here are some ways to do just that.

Take her along. Whether running errands, picking the kids up from school, or stopping by your office, including your dog can be a hassle-free way to give her attention and stimulation. “For adult dogs whose owners’ lifestyles primarily revolve around being home, at soccer games, and ferrying the kids to school, having the dog participate in these activities can meet much of her social needs,” says Alice Moon-Fanelli, Ph.D., certified applied animal behaviorist at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Sleep with her. Experts agree that having your dog sleep in your bedroom, but not necessarily on your bed, can be a great way to spend extended time with your canine companion with no additional effort on your part. You sleep, she sleeps. What could be easier?

Find things you both like to do. Some activities you do for your own enjoyment are even more fun if your four-legged friend does them with you. Moon-Fanelli recommends spending some one-on-one time with your dog “in mutually enjoyable physical activities,” such as swimming and hiking.

Try multi-tasking. Are you busy fixing lunch or preparing dinner while your dog hangs around? Use this opportunity to help her practice sit-stays and down-stays. Are you watching TV? Use that time to brush your best friend, too — or at least give her some cuddle-time.

Do some delegating. If you don’t live alone, other family members can help out with dog care. For example, “when there are children in the household, they can become the designated walkers, exercisers, and players,” notes Terry Curtis, DVM, veterinary behaviorist at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “It just spreads the interactions over more people.”

That said, you do need to at least spend a little extra time with your dog if she’s to become a happy member of your household and stay that way. Every dog needs training, exercise, and some one-on-one time with her people each day. A little creativity on your part can go a long way toward meeting those needs without putting much of a dent in your schedule.