Making sure your furry member of the family is properly trained is essential to keeping a stable home. The last thing you need is a dog who doesn’t listen. One of the best things you can do in regard to training your dog is to always be on the lookout for new tips and information you can use to help you with that training. Tips like the ones in this article are the things to look for.
When you are working on dog training your newest addition to the family, try not to accidentally punish the animal for good behavior. If you have gotten a puppy, for example, and he goes to the bathroom outside correctly do not leave the dog out there alone. Take time with him and play with him because if you leave him alone he will be sad and think he did something wrong.
Teaching your dog a fun trick, such as “play dead” can be a fun way of distracting him. When your dogs behavior is bad, simply use the command you have established for his trick instead of using negative punishment. This provides for a fun activity for your dog and creates a positive environment for you as well.
You, as the leader of the pack, should always eat first. In the animal world the Alpha always eats before the rest of the pack. This confirms dominance and establishes trust in the leader. When you exhibit this behavior you teach your dog to respect you as leader and also to trust that you are leading in the proper way.
Dogs are creatures of habit. If you customarily take them out for their walk at the same time every night, they will grow to expect that walk, even to depend on it. Missing the scheduled date by even just a few minutes can result in an accident for the younger dog and even for the older one.
Create a regular schedule for your dog. Make sure his meals are at the same time each day, and walk him morning and night. Try to take him out for toilet breaks using a consistent routine. Dogs tend to thrive when they have a schedule that they can follow.
Training doesn’t only happen during designated training sessions. Every time you interact with your pup, you are training him. Make sure to stay consistent in your commands and requests and to continue to reinforce those good behaviors. If you are training him to stay off the couch, don’t let him jump up there while you are watching a show. Stay consistent at all times with what you want him to do and you will see the rewards.
Use your time walking the dog as a time of bonding and positive reinforcement. Try bringing your treats along and playing games with them during the walk. Ask him to sit in the middle of your walk and reward him with a snack. Reinforce the love you have for your dog and they will respond in kind.
If your dog does not seem to be responding to your training, make an appointment with your vet. If your dog is not learning properly, it does not mean they are dumb. Sometimes physical and occasionally mental maladies could cause your dog to not respond properly to training. Your vet may be able to give you some indication to the problem.
Reinforce desirable behavior from your dog. Don’t just rely on treats though. You can reinforce these behaviors through positive attention as well. Petting your dog and talking to him in cheerful tones can be a good incentive too. So can a new squeaky toy or a trip to the park.
Some training techniques advise that you give your dog a treat as a reward for good performance. This is a great method, but be sure you’re not giving your dog a treat every time they perform the task. If you do, they come to expect the treat each time and when you stop with the treats, the obedience stops as well. Instead give the dog a treat randomly so that they don’t begin to expect when they get a treat.
Setup a solid plan for what you want to accomplish with your dog training. If you have goals marked on your calendar it can give you a way to measure your progress with the dog training, and offer you hints about whether or not you would need to change anything in your routine.
End each training session positively. Even if your dog has not mastered the skill you are working on, end each training session with a skill they know and praise him profusely. This ensures that each training session ends on a positive note and is a positive memory for your dog.
Physical punishment does not work, and can hinder training. Never ever hit your dog, especially when training. While it may appear to work because the dog stops the behavior, in reality they have only learned to fear you and not do that behavior in your presence. So toss out that rolled up newspaper and break out some tasty treats instead.
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.
With all the knowledge you have learned now, you can already start using these tips to train your dog. The thing is that you want to make sure you digest this information to the best of your ability as well as trying to seek out new information you can use. If you try your best to do the things listed, your dog should be trained before you know it.
