A happy dog is a well trained dog and just choosing to make this happen is a step in the right direction! Too many dogs are left untrained and jump on everyone, chew end tables and bark all night! Your dog will be better off once trained and of course, so will you. So read on for some fabulous ideas on how to make the job of training your dog a little less hectic!
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.
If you want to help your dog succeed in his training program, take a moment to try and think like he does. Understanding how your pet views the world can help you make better training decisions for him. The better suited your program is to your dog’s personality, the more success you will have while training.
When trying to train your dog, always reinforce positive behaviors even when you’re not actively in a training session. It’s easy to remember to reward your dog during a training session, but it’s just as important to reward your dog for those trained behaviors the rest of the time, too. This builds a good connection for the dog between the behavior and the reward.
Go through the door before your dog, eat your own dinner first and always make sure that you win tug-of-war, by taking away the toy when you’re done. This all asserts that you are the pack leader and your dog is subordinate. This will help curb other obedience problems and help in other aspects of training because your dog realizes that he MUST do what you say. It’s how he’s hard-wired.
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.
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.
Dogs usually respond well to physical rewards when being trained. Almost all dogs have an extremely large capacity for love. That makes them respond very well to rewards like belly scratching, back petting and brushing. Your dog wants to be loved and greatly appreciates you giving him affection. Show your happiness with his success this way.
Whenever your dog jumps onto you, grab their paw and gentle squeeze to make sure they understand that jumping is not good behavior. Do something that makes them uncomfortable so that they can associate their action with something negative. Since it is so uncomfortable, they’ll avoid jumping on people.
Be consistent when training your dog. Always give commands using the same words, in the same tone of voice. Realize that your dog will not learn commands instantly. You have to show him what you want. For example, if you want him to learn to turn left and right on command when walking, you must say, “left” or “right” each time you make a turn. Eventually, your dog will get you drift!
To keep your dog from barking, you need to stop rewarding this behavior by giving him what he wants. This means paying attention to your dog, letting him inside the house or comforting him. Your dog will associate your behavior with the barking and will think that you want him to bark.
Participating in a group class can be a very effective way to train your dog. Group classes are almost always less expensive than individual training sessions. They also offer your dog the opportunity to socialize with other pets. Look for a smaller group though, so that you still have plenty of one on one interaction with the trainer.
Food is one of the best positive reinforcement tools available to the owner in the dog training process. Feeding a dog after it has behaved acceptably is a powerful message that any dog will understand. Of course, dogs should not be starved! But associating feeding time with success will encourage a dog to work harder to live up to its owner’s expectations.
When training your pooch, patience is a virtue. All dogs learn at their own pace, and getting frustrated with your pet often adds to the dog’s confusion. Avoid punishing your dog for misbehavior and offer rewards for good behavior instead. Dogs love treats, but you can also reinforce the desired behavior with love and affection.
Plan training activities with your dog during a time when interruptions are minimized. Training goes much faster when both you and your pet can focus on the training activities without being distracted by other activities or disturbances. A focused 15 minute session is more effective than several sessions which are interrupted by distractions.
Consistency is key in the process of training your pets. Consistency is important; always repeat commands, tone and rewards. This is the best way to train your dog.
To successfully train your dog, start by making sure to use its name when you call it. Call your pet by name for feedings, walks and play, but never for punishment. This ensures that you will be able to get your dog’s attention once you begin asking for more complex tricks.
Consider the advice you have read in this article very thoroughly and write it down if necessary. A training manual would be a good aid to working with your dog, and this article would make a great beginning for it. Hopefully you have learned a lot and are now prepared to produce a smarter, well behaved dog you will not only be very proud of, but have a lot more fun with!
