Many people want to raise a healthy, happy and well-adjusted dog. It is not too hard to do this at home, as long as you know what you are doing. Read on and you will find a large collection of tips that have been used in training dogs all over the world.
Dog training should be viewed as a form of self control. If you’re not able to control yourself, you’ll never control your dog. Walk away from your dog, rather than letting him see an angry outburst, and remain calm even when his behavior is not stellar. Your dog will respond in a positive light if he watches you do the same.
Housebreaking a dog takes time. The key is to be consistent when teaching him where it’s not acceptable for him to relieve himself and consistent in the message that you send as to where you expect him to go. This may be on a pad inside the house, on a lead when you take him outside or running free in a fenced yard.
When you first get your puppy don’t expect him to learn a large number of commands in a short amount of time. Your puppy needs time to acclimate to his new environment. During this time, it is possible to teach him two or three simple commands. Do not move on to other commands until your puppy has mastered these.
Teach your dog all of the newest training methods to keep him in line. A lot of owners will train their dogs once and not conduct any refreshers. Dogs are much like humans, in the sense that they share the same habitual learning system. So, it’s very important that you review your training with your dog regularly.
Take everything that your friends and family members say about your training program with a grain of salt. Everyone will have their own opinions about how you should help your pet learn to follow directions. Ignore most of it and do what you know is best for you and your pet.
Learn how to read your dog’s body language for a better dog training experience. Once you have found out what certain behaviors are signifying, you will have the knowledge to unlock hidden doors. You will be able to tell if they are tired, distracted by something else, or are in the perfect mood to learn. This provides you with a very great advantage.
If you are trying to prevent your dog from begging, the best thing to do is ignore the begging completely. Don’t respond either positively, with a treat or petting, or negatively, by shouting. Your dog will learn quickly and remember for a long time that the begging ended up with you paying attention to the dog.
Exercise the dog for an hour daily, along with regular potty time outside. When your dog is worn out, his behavior will be better. A dog who has proper training and enough play time will be a happy dog.
Correcting your dog with a short, sharp and clear message will really get the point across. Too often people explain wrong doings to their dog in complete and complex sentences, leaving the animal completely perplexed. Be brief, firm and repeat the same phrase for the same bad behavior every time.
When house training your new puppy you need to follow a strict schedule. Get your puppy outside to eliminate first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and every couple of hours in between. This will help him to learn that elimination happens outside. It also prevents pee scents (which are attractive to your dog) from being in the house to begin with.
Calling your dog by name is one of the most powerful tools you have in your dog training arsenal. Every time you use your dog’s name, you reinforce a positive relationship between yourself and your pet. The more you use your dog’s name, the more you reinforce a positive relationship between the two of you.
When training your dog, do not ever neglect good behavior. Regardless of the situation, if your dog performs according to your expectations it should be rewarded. Even if your pet’s overall behavior is unsatisfactory, you should praise and reward it whenever it does what you want it to. Unambiguous rewards are the best way to encourage the behavior you want.
The fastest way to train your dog to sit is to utilize positive reinforcement. If you command your dog to sit and he or she sits for a decent amount of time, then you can give the dog a treat. The dog will then recognize that when you say sit, if they succeed they will get a treat so they will eagerly sit longer and longer.
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.
Show your dog what is your territory and that you are leader of that territory. If your dog sits in your spot and you sit elsewhere, or if he lays in the middle of the doorway so that you step over him, your dog thinks he is the leader. Do not be violent, but you should nudge your dog calmly to get up each time so that he understands it is your territory, and you are the leader.
When training your dog, never forget that he is a dog. It is easy to get frustrated with your pet when he is not learning something simple, but keep in mind that it sounds simple to you in human terms. Try to think like your dog and see things as he does – this might change how you train him, which will in turn positively change how he reacts to the training.
You now have the knowledge you need to train your dog in a happy, healthy and productive way. Keep your patience, and you and your dog will find the work brings many rewards. Make sure to apply all the tips with compassion and common sense, along with consistency, and you’ll do great.
