Dog training is an area that different people will be approaching very differently. Some people may be confident trainers, whose dogs appear regularly in shows, while others might be new pet owners, struggling with a dog that is showing the effects of his troubled past. However, there are some key ideas everyone can benefit from learning and trying out. You can use the following tips to learn a few things that may help both you and your dog to have more fun and to build a closer bond.
Use small steps when training a dog or pup to get into a crate, so that they can become familiar with it. When they’ve settled down with the gate open, slowly shut it and pass treats through the gate. Start off only putting them inside for 10 seconds, and when they seem okay with that, slowly increase the time they are inside. If your puppy gets upset, then you may need to slow down and have more patience with them.
All dogs need daily exercise and it can be an important part of your training efforts. Daily exercise shows your dog that he is a member of the family, as well as letting him know you are a strong leader. Exercise encourages his confidence and provides you with wonderful bonding opportunities.
Use your pets name whenever you want to get his attention. Try to do this at least ten times a day, and never call your pet to you by name to punish him. This will help you to gain better control over your pet and establish a strong relationship.
Be consistent in your role as pack leader with your dog. Without proper leadership from you, your dog will see this as an opportunity to establish themselves as the pack leader. Everything you do in respect to training your dog should follow this rule. Being the pack leader with your dog is a lifestyle change that will be rewarding for your pet.
Dogs benefit from being trained to respond not just to verbal commands but also to the body language of their owner. Consider, for example, a dog that is approaching its owner from across a busy highway. The dog who is trained to stay in response to the proper hand motion will be more likely to survive this experience than the dog trained only to verbal commands.
Dogs learn through reinforcement. When your dog does something you approve of and you would like to train them to do that on command, reward them with your voice. Consider, for example, the dog that unpredictably brings his owner his slippers. The owner should excitedly say the word “slippers” or whatever word they chose as a command for that behavior.
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.
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.
You want to begin your dog training as early as possible, but not too early. You want to wait until the dog is at least 49 days old before you begin trying to train them. But after that, you’ll want to begin quickly so that your dog can learn while he’s still adapting to his environment, and you don’t have to undo behavior that he’s already learned.
To have an obedient dog, you should establish yourself as a master right away. Do not let your dog bite you or jump on you. You have to punish or reward your dog constantly. Never let your dog get away with anything, or even worst, become hostile towards you.
If you want to train your dog, you should wait until it is at least six weeks old. A younger dog will not understand what you are expecting, and not be able to control itself enough to obey your commands. The first weeks of your puppy’s life should be about creating a bond with you.
When getting a new dog it is important to create a bond between the owner and the dog. One of the best ways to build this bond is by taking the dog on long walks at least two or three times a week. This activity creates a link between owner and pet and will also provide valuable training time.
When training a dog it is important to reward good behavior while punishing bad behavior. Careful effort to maintain a clear distinction between good and bad behavior will go a long way towards overall training of the dog. This will guarantee that the dog knows why it is being rewarded or why it is being punished.
A good dog training tip is to not spoil your dog by giving them dinner scraps all the time. The more you spoil your dog, the more you enable bad behavior such as begging. Instead, make treats part of a reward system. When your dog has been good, give them a treat as a reward.
Whatever your skill level and the behavior of your dog, education is key to good dog training. Understanding dog psychology, particularly what influences and motivates dogs and the impact your behavior, body language and ‘body tells’ can have on that is vital. This article has given you some methods and suggestions for doing just that, which should be fun for both you and your dog to try.
