In some ways a dog is similar to a remote that needs programming to work with your television. The potential is there, but without intervention, it is useless. Your dog can already do these things, they just need to be shown how to do them.
Make sure that you set a calm tone whenever you set foot in a room where your dog is. During playtime allow your dog to be feisty, but teach him to remain calm when someone enters a room. Don’t acknowledge them when you enter so that you can ensure a controlled environment for how and when playtime starts.
Your dog’s behavior during walks should become habit through consistency. Teach your dog to focus on you and your physical clues about their behavior. Teaching them to walk with you should come naturally to them if you are leading and demanding the attention of your dog. If you are walking with purpose, it will be emulated by your pet.
Do not respond to demands for attention from your dog. Training a dog to be docile and controlled, means that you control when attention is given. In the pack, Alphas will ignore these behaviors until the dog is calm and relaxed. Then and only then, should you build excitement through play with the animal.
When you are working on commands with your dog, work only on one command at a time, and only say the command one time. Do not say the command word more than once. Your goal is for your dog to obey the command immediately. You don’t want to have to say the same thing over and over.
When house training a dog, keep in mind that whatever they take in, they must eventually eliminate. You can promote consistency and regularity by feeding your pet on a firm schedule two or three times daily with only the highest quality of food. That way, you’ll know when you need to take your doggie out to “go”.
Your breeder should begin socialization with your puppy, but it is up to you to continue it. It is important for a puppy to get used to people and the environment around him, but he will need to be protected from becoming too overwhelmed or scared. Your job is to encourage your puppy’s confidence as he goes out into the world.
Make sure your dog’s diet is appropriate for him. If your dog is a lazy dog who likes to lounge around all day, you don’t want to give him the high protein food a dog who herds sheep would receive. This can cause problems and high vet bills down the road.
If you are training a high-energy dog, it may be beneficial to exercise your dog just before the training session. A dog that is overly energetic will have difficulty focusing on what you are trying to teach. The exercise session can be beneficial for the human owner’s health as well!
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, an easy way to train them out of it is to avoid giving them attention immediately before and after you leave. It may seem mean to the dog if you don’t say goodbye before you leave, but those long goodbye cuddles just give the dog a chance to get worked up.
Start training your dog early. Many people believe that very young puppies are too young to learn. The reality is that even puppies as young as six weeks old are able to begin the basics of training, and starting early ensures that your puppy will have a strong foundation for more advanced training later.
Dogs need to understand exactly what your “no” means. The most effective means of training a dog involves mostly positive reinforcements. Just simply telling your dog ‘no’ doesn’t help him or her in understanding how to properly react. Not only is each situation different, every breed of dog is also different. Therefore, you should adjust your training based off your dog’s breed and the specific situation at hand.
Ignoring your dogs barking can be an effective way to get him to stop. When your dog barks, he is looking for attention of some sort. If you give it to him, this will encourage him to continue. Instead try looking away and pretending he isn’t there. When he quiets down, reward him with a pat on the head.
Do not call your dog to you for a scolding. You might still be angry at the dog for the trouble he has just caused, but do not punish him for coming when called. It should always be “safe” to come to you when called, and the dog should feel that you are glad to see him.
A good tip is to get a breed of dog that matches your lifestyle. If you have kids, you’ll want a breed that’s good with kids. Chihuahuas have become really popular over the years and many families have started buying them. They aren’t great with kids however, and a lot of them are being left in shelters.
Shy dogs benefit from re-socializing. Oftentimes, dogs have behavioral incidents with certain situations, certain people or other dogs, that go unnoticed by us. We might not realize, but these interactions have given our dogs a sour taste about these circumstances. Re-socializing your dog to the stimuli he’s upset by, can help him overcome his anxiety.
Consistently practice the skills your dog has learned with him. While you may know your dog hasn’t forgotten anything, try little tests to ensure he remembers all the commands he’s learned up to that point.
Now that you are armed with some great advice, you are all set to begin the task of training your dog. The dog will enjoy pleasing the owner as much as the owner enjoys seeing the dog responding to the training they are administering.
