Most dogs think a lot alike, no matter their size or breed. If one understands that mindset, one should be able to train any dog they get. If one doesn’t fully understand this mindset, then here is some insight for them.
Put yourself in the dog’s situation. Things that seem simple to you may not be as simple to your dog if he is having a hard time learning them. It might make things easier if you ask yourself what is going on in your dog’s mind. This can help you come up with new ideas on how to accomplish your training objectives.
Crates should feel like a safe place to puppies. So, you should never use them as a way to discipline your dog. Dogs may need to be familiarized with the crate to feel comfortable and secure in it. There are many tricks that you can try to make it easier for both of you. A dog is naturally hesitant about a crate at first. A way to get them interested is to put their favorite toy in the crate, then shut the door. As soon as they smell the tempting treat, they will want to get into the crate to enjoy it. After they have entered the crate, be sure to give them praise so they understand that they have done a good thing.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to do a lot of repetition in order to each your dog new commands. It may take as many as fifty repetitions before your dog learns the command. Using the exact same command and remain patient with them so that they can get it.
Your training sessions must be long enough for your dog to learn the desired behavior but no so long that he becomes bored. Start out with a small training session and up the time every day. Observe when your dog starts to stop paying attention during the session.
It is not difficult to teach a dog how to roll over, and having some treats on hand makes it easier. The dog has to lay down first. Then, use the treat to draw his head from one side to the other. This will cause your dog to use their nose to follow the treat. As a result, your dog will roll over. While he rolls, say “roll over” and repeat this action until he is able to roll over with only the command. It may take some time for your dog to perfect the trick, but it’s a popular move and one that is sure to impress others.
Get your dog the proper nutrition required for canine health. It is entirely up to you to provide a good diet for your pet. It can make your dog behave badly and is not good for their health. A proper diet can affect how well they react to training.
Stay away from training devices such as shock collars. These devices are expensive and do not always work as well as you would expect them to. Also, using devices such as shock collars can restrain your dog while discouraging good behavior. These tools often do more harm than good.
Give your dog a regular elimination and feeding schedule, so you can house train them. This can help you avoid accidents on the carpet by becoming aware of when the dog needs to go. Then he will become practiced at waiting until the right time.
As your dog responds to his training, you can begin to allow him more freedom. The key to a satisfying life for your dog is a balance of freedom and obedience. Be cautious on not giving your dog too much freedom right away, because this could have a bad effect when it comes to your dog’s training.
Training your dog requires you to be firm and authoritative. However, that doesn’t mean yelling at your dog. Be loving while maintaining your authority. Doing so improves the relationship between you two.
Pay attention to how much time you spend training in one session. Dogs can quickly lose focus when you prolong activities. Ten minutes is about the length of time a dog can handle.
Consistently train your dog. If there are several family members involved in training a dog, ensure each person uses the same techniques and commands. It will make it easier for the dog if it only has a simple set of commands and knows what to expect when it obeys.
While training your dog, make sure both of you are having fun. Try and develop a bond with your dog by playing with him, it will only encourage the dog to want to please you more during training. Although dog training can be fun, you don’t really want to spend all your time in training mode.
Use a steady and commanding tone when speaking to your dog. Dogs can pick up how you are feeling. Back up your discipline with a stern, but not angry, tone of voice to communicate your displeasure.
Use short training sessions. Dogs don’t have long attention spans so keeping training short and concise keeps it from becoming something that they dread. If you want to do anymore training, let the dog have a play break for stretching and relaxing before continuing with their training.
Getting your new puppy used to wearing a collar is the first step in leash training him. It is important for the puppy to get used to the collar so it can be identified.
In order to have a great dog, you need to learn control and firmness. You want to avoid being strict all of the time. You need to find the right mixture of strictness and love. This develops a strong relationship with your dog.
Socializing your dog early in life is every bit as important as obedience training. It is important for your dog to understand how they should behave around humans and other pets. This will help reduce any sporadic behavior within new environments, too.
You need to be very consistent when training your dog. If more than one family member is taking part in training the pet, be sure that each person utilizes the same commands as well as a similar discipline and reward system. When your dog only needs to understand a single set of directions, it is easier to learn and adopt the desired behaviors.
By being consistent you can teach your puppy to “hold it.” Take him outside hourly to do his business. If he goes outside to the toilet, praise him. Never scold your dog for going in the house. Screaming at your dog only frightens him, and is not going to make him understand that the behavior was wrong. Take your dog out soon after meals and after coming out of the crate.
Use a spray bottle filled with water to prevent your dog from doing things it should not do, such as scratching the furniture or biting. Your dog will quickly learn that what he is doing is not acceptable. Before you know it, your dog will cease the biting behavior and just be playful.
Training sessions should be kept short. Sessions should be nor more than 15 minutes to avoid frustrating the dog, which is counterproductive. After each training session spend some time playing with your dog and lavish him with praise.
You should be sure to respond positively when your dog does something good. Positive reinforcement, shown through your tone and attitude, lets your dog know he has done a good job. Don’t reward any bad behavior or it will be reinforced.
You should make training fun for both you and your dog. Be aware of your dog’s personality and conform training to fit his cycles; try limiting learning sessions to a few minutes at a time. The rewards offered to your dog need to be plentiful (especially at first) and varied. Your dog should enjoy lots of praise for a job well-done. When you take a more positive approach to discipline, the process becomes far more enjoyable.
Teach your dog to lay down on command. This command can be used in an emergency, or used as the basis for teaching other behaviors. The “down” command is excellent to use when your dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior.
When working with any animals, it is important to remember to always think of safety first. Your dog may try to bite you when you first begin training sessions. An untrained dog may consider you to be a pack member, but he may believe he has the role of leader. You should always give them the impression that you are the Alpha. If your dog does not understand what your human behavior means, he may bite you even though he is calm.
Anxiety is what can cause a dog to chew things up. Using a dog gate to set aside his own space or a crate to confine his nervousness may provide him with the security he needs while you are away, and adding a chew toy may redirect some of his destructive tendencies.
High-value treats should be used when training a dog. A good example would be a normally forbidden treat, like little pieces of hotdogs or cheese.
To make the most of your dog training efforts, stay consistent. One way to ensure everyone in your household uses the same commands is to create an easily accessible list of the commands used to train your dog. Make sure everyone knows what to do in terms of rewarding the dog when it does well and not reinforcing poor behavior. Different cues from different people will confuse your dog.
You need to understand the way your dog thinks and reacts before you can really comprehend why they are doing certain things. Having this knowledge can help one effectively train their dog. An individual who has taken the time to learn about their pet is more likely to succeed in his or her training efforts.
If you want to take your dog to agility competitions, do some research on this discipline and make sure you get the best breed for these competitions. Just about any dog can participate in agility sports, though Border Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Labs and Australian shepherds are particularly good candidates.