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.
It is important to have a consistent training method when crate training young puppies. When you let the puppy out of his crate you must immediately and unfailingly allow him the opportunity to relieve himself. Eventually, they will wait until it’s the right time to go to the bathroom.
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.
Have flexibility when training your dog. Be willing to vary or change a routine if it isn’t working. You may need to try different locations or times of day. You may need to adjust the duration of your training schedule if it is too long a session, or too short.
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.
When training your dog, be competent! Your dog wants to know that you are in charge and that you know what you are doing. If you are inconsistent, anxious, irritable, angry, or in any way unstable while training your dog, you will not succeed. You must be calm, consistent, and competent. If you don’t know about dog training, it is a very good idea to learn from books, videos and people who know before you ever get a dog!
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.
To train your dog to stop begging for human food, you should completely ignore him when you are eating. If you pay attention to him, he will think he has a chance of getting your food, and therefore he will never stop begging. If you ignore him during your mealtime, he will soon learn that begging is pointless and stop.
One tip to keep in mind when training your dog, is to be sure to never discipline your dog for bad behavior when he is ill. This will only confuse your dog and might cause him to not respond to discipline in the future. Examples of this would be, if your dog vomits or defecates in a manner that is not typical to his normal behavior.
In many cases, a dog’s diet can be contributing to the behavior and health problems that he is having. Be sure that you are feeding your dog a balanced diet and he is going to thank you by adapting his behavior to be accepted, more important than that, he will be healthier for many more years.
Be sure to reward good behavior when your dog acts like you want them to. If you take the time to teach them the important things for them to know and help them build their confidence that a good dog needs, you are sure to develop a strong and healthy relationship with them.
It is best to nip unwanted chewing in the act by catching him doing it and dealing with it immediately. This helps teach them that they cannot chew on some things and can help them leave your belongs alone when you’re not watching.
Use the same simple words in a low, firm tone of voice, every time you give your dog a command. Don’t shout or repeat the command multiple times. Say it once, firmly and then, assist the dog in complying if he doesn’t understand (e.g. press down firmly on the hindquarters while saying “sit,” if he doesn’t sit the first time you tell him).
Be consistent. It is going to take a lot of work to train your dog. And if you aren’t consistent, you can undo all the work that you did in the first place. You have to teach your dog the way to behave, and that is true whether you feel great or whether you’re busy, stressed or sick. Consistent behavior from you leads to consistent behavior from your dog.
Do not lean over your dog, no matter whether he is big or small. Dogs are intimidated by space-hogging body posture. Even your subtle movements are read by your dog, so a simple lean will suffice if you are attempting to block or redirect his path. Hovering straight over a dog may make them reactive as well.
Deal with boredom barking. If you dog barks because he is bored, you are the one to blame. This signifies a lack of ways for him to let out his energy. Be sure to take your dog on walks daily and play with him often. Offer entertaining toys when you are unavailable to play such as chew toys or doggie puzzle toys.
Stop bad behavior before it starts by setting up your dog’s environment to discourage bad behavior. This may mean crate-training dogs that have issues with going to the bathroom outside, or limiting access to certain rooms for dogs with destructive tendencies. No matter what route you take, your dog will be safer if his environment is suited to his quirks.
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.
