Dogs have walked faithfully beside man throughout recorded history. In the modern era, when the Internet brings vast swathes of information within everyone’s reach, dog owners have more resources than ever on training their pets to behave according to their wishes. Here are just a few handy ideas for getting the most out of the dog-training process.
When teaching your dog discipline, regardless of what training method you use, you should always apply it with speed and consistency. Not correcting your dog for bad behavior every single time, sends him mixed signals that may only make the problem worse. Likewise, not correcting your dog immediately, may make it hard for him to understand why you are punishing him.
Digging can be a troublesome behavior with some dogs. One way to address this is to create an area where your dog is allowed to dig. Hide some of his favorite toys in the area, bury dog treats, and encourage him to spend time there. This can keep your dog out of your favorite garden and help him to enjoy your yard.
It is important to understand that training your dog will require a lot of patience and repetition. It often takes a dog between 25 and 50 repetitions before they are able to learn a new command. Getting frustrated will only delay your results and may hurt your relationship with your pet.
The basics of training your dog involve rationing food and physically showing the dog what to do. By rationing the food your dog gets throughout the day, you can use treats during training more effectively. By physically moving the dog you can “force” the dog to understand what you intend the dog to do, in response to a certain command.
To stop your dog from biting, you should express pain every time it bits you and then ignore your dog for a few minutes. When your dog bites you softly, reward it by responding to their nipping and playing with your dog. Make sure your dog understands the difference between biting and soft nipping.
Correct bad behavior immediately. The common mistake many people make in the care for their dog is allowing bad behavior to go unchecked until it becomes a problem. Proper training of a dog involves recognizing bad behavior right away and correcting it. It is harder to correct a problem once it has grown out of proportion.
One tip to keep in mind when training your dog, is that your timing and the expected timing of your dog’s actions are essential. This is important because this is one learning aspect that is common to all dogs. While different dogs require different teaching methods, timing is a communication method that will help you find success no matter what you try.
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.
Your dog should know how to “sit” like he knows the back of his paw! The “sit” command is useful for a multitude of reasons, and is a behavior that can be built upon. Use a “sit” gesture that is intuitive for his body – in other words, he should always be looking up at your hand, which will help him sit instinctively.
You should have realistic expectations for your dog. Your dog may be smart, but remember that breed-specific traits might inhibit some dogs from performing certain tasks as well as others. If your dog is not as able-bodied as other dogs, you should similarly have realistic expectations of his capabilities!
Never punish your dog while trying to train him. If your dog does exhibit bad behavior, correct this behavior by showing him is expected of him. Build a positive relationship with your dog during the training process.
When teaching your dog how to walk on a leash, hold your ground if he attempts to pull you. Plant your feet and do not budge until the dog stops pulling. Your dog will realize that he gets nowhere by pulling. When you are able to get him to walk beside you, reinforce the habit with treats.
If you catch your puppy chewing on something he isn’t suppose to be chewing, stop him immediately. This teaches your puppy what is acceptable to chew, making it less likely that he will chew your belongings when you are not able to watch him closely.
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.
Make sure everyone around the dog knows your rules. It can be confusing for a dog if the adults say not to give the dog food but the kids are sneaking food to him under the table. Make sure that everyone who spends time with the dog knows that you are trying to train him so that he gets consistent messages.
The dog-owner relationship is as old as history itself, and it is not going away any time soon! With information of the kind that has been presented here, dog owners can find the perfect training strategy to make their dog-training experience a successful and happy one.
