We found Lamor, an active duty Marine and dog training hobbyist on youtube and were impressed with the bond he has formed with his dog, Smoke. We reached out to him to see what he thinks are some of the most important tips to training a dog.
Tips to successfully training your pups by Lamor Ferguson:
1. Patience: do not forget you are teaching them something
completely foreign.
2. Repetition: Always repeat everything, if you take your pup on walks, use that time to go over a few things.
3. Attitude: Your tone is very important when teaching, your dog knows the “serious voice”, and using only that voice can cause your pup to think he/ she is in trouble, and then you do not receive the response you are looking for. Stay calm and speak TO your pup, not AT your pup.
4. Step by step/ fit ins: before teaching Smoke to escort (sit between my feet), I have to first teach him to heel (sit next to one of my feet). When trying to teach your pup something complex, make sure you break down the steps it will take them to complete it, and reward them as they progress through each stage of the command/trick.
If you are in or around Oceanside, CA and would like Lamor to help you with training, you can email him here
And check out some of his training videos here: