That puppy is so cute and our little child will just love it for her birthday. Have you, or someone you know, ever said that and then you get home with the little fuzz ball and all the accoutrements and wonder what in the world now? Why, training of course. This article can give you a few tips for getting started.
If you want to have a well behaved dog, make sure that you are filling their most basic needs. They need to have water, food, shelter and love. These are essential to a happy and healthy pet, and only then will they want to or have the energy to let you tell them what to do.
When you have gotten a new dog and you are working on training a key thing to remember is that you must always enforce the commands that you give your dog. Do not let the dog ignore you, and do not say the command over and over. If you are not going to be strong enough to enforce what you are saying, you might as well not waste your time.
Never cave in to bad behavior. Your dog will always love you, but it needs to know that you’re the boss. Don’t encourage bad behavior and let your dog know that any such behavior will be met with punishment. At the same time, make sure you reward good behavior as well.
Giving your dog a proper exercise routine will vastly help you with your dog training. Dogs have a very demanding exercise life style, when left unchecked they can develop bad behaviors which travels all the way down the chain. When you take your dog out for a run or walk daily, it helps by giving them incentives for good behavior, and as an added bonus, the exercise can help you stay fit as well.
If you use treats for positive reinforcement when training your dog, be sure that you use them sparingly. If the dog receives a treat every time it follows one of your commands, it will learn that treats and obedience go together, not you and obedience. If you stop giving treats at that point, the dog will stop obeying.
When you are trying to train your dog to follow a command, repetition is key. Practice the command multiple times a day and be sure to offer your dog praise and a treat when he or she successfully follows your command. Repetition will ensure that your dog will remember and follow the command in the future.
You need to leash train your dog. This will help keep your dog and you safe when going for walks.
A good dog training tip is to make sure you regularly take your dog to the veterinarian for check-ups. You never know what sudden health issue could pop up. By regularly taking your dog to the veterinarian for check-ups, you can insure that your dog stays happy and healthy.
Teach your puppy the “Leave it!” command. This command is very important in day-to-day situations. Use it if your dog tries to grab food off a table or eat rabbit poop when you are out for a walk. To get the dog to follow your command, hold a treat in your hand (have one in the other hand, also). Hold your hand open, and when he goes for the treat, close your hand as you say the command “Leave it!” Then offer him the other treat, and discard the one you told him to leave. Repeat this step a few times, and he will learn to “Leave it!” when you tell him to.
If your dog is not fond of unfamiliar men, consider this tip to curb Cujo. Keep a jar of treats near the entrance of your home. Bring new people around who love dogs and understand the situation, and have them treat your pooch. They should extend the treat out sideways from their body, without looking at the dog. It’s non-confrontational and teaches the dog that new people are exciting.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional dog trainer if your dog’s issues become too much for you to handle alone. Problems like aggression and severe anxiety are best handled by professionals, as these issues can become dangerous if they’re handled by untrained people. Your trainer can guide you in your efforts in person.
One of the first things to teach your dog is to come to you when called. He should always come when called. Teach your dog to come, even when there are distractions. Recall can be lifesaving, so make sure your dog learns this skill above all else.
If you are using your dog’s name to scold him, make sure to repeat it again soon after in a warm and affectionate manner. This ensures your dog doesn’t associate his name with punishments, meaning he’ll come when you call him in future.
Be consistent when training a canine. The commands that you use should be used by others as well. Make a list, and make sure other people who deal with your dog know the commands. In addition, make sure that the behaviors of the dog are treated consistently. Good behaviors get rewarded; bad behaviors do not. By having different responses from different people will most likely confuse the dog, which may make the training more problematic.
Choose a consistent command or sound to use when training your dog not to bark. Make sure everyone in the household knows the command or sound to use and applies it consistently. Dogs learn better with consistency and when everyone in the dog’s household gives a consistent message, unwanted barking can be eliminated faster.
Well, you have made it through the first several months, or even year, that you brought home that fuzz ball. Through trials and tribulations, praise and happiness, you and Fido have finally come to the realization that you are each in your forever home and you both know how to behave.
