Good dog owners know that a good dog is one that is trained. Teaching your dog basic obedience skills, how to follow instructions and proper socialization will assure your pet is both happy and safe. Here are some tips to help you train your dog or find a trainer.
Your dog needs to be active frequently. Dogs can get bored quite easily. When dogs are bored they are difficult to train. A dog that is happy, and gets the attention that they crave, will be a better behaved and attentive dog. Take your dog on long walks or runs.
Put yourself in your dog’s proverbial shoes, or paws, rather. Frustration is easy during canine training. It might make things easier if you ask yourself what is going on in your dog’s mind. Imagining the world as they see it might give you a new perspective on training them.
Give your puppy some toys to chew on so they do not hurt while teething, keep other things they might want to chew on out of their reach! You need to replace that with a designated chew toy. If your puppy needs to chew because he is teething, try a frozen washcloth.
Include plenty of physical activity in your dog’s training routine. Dogs become bored very easily. Bored dogs are harder to train. Your dogs will obey more quickly if you keep them well exercised. Regularly take a walk or run with your dog.
Try to mistakenly avoid reinforcing any behaviors that are unwanted when doing dog training. Don’t give your dog any attention or treats when he is being bad. For instance, avoid rubbing the dog’s head every time they jump up when you get home.
When tying up your dog, make sure it is not close to another chained dog. The chain from one dog could wrap around the second and the dogs could get hurt trying to get free. If dogs get tangled up too severely, one can get wrapped up so badly it could close off the airway, and he could die.
Whenever your dog improves in his training, allow him some extra freedom. Rewarding them by showing them you trust them more will only encourage better behavior. Be sure not to give them too much since this can counteract training efforts.
Repeat training exercises every day until your dog remembers them. Often dog owners will stop enforcing the rules that their dog learned in their training courses. Some dogs will revert back to negative behaviors if the training does not continue. Therefore it is very important to maintain a good set of rules for your dog.
Training should begin with the easier commands. You’ll make strides quickly, and your dog will quickly learn the basics of acceptable behavior. This gives you awesome results during the training process.
When approaching a dog you’ve never met, approach them slowly and offer them the back of a hand to smell. This allows the dog to get used to your scent and makes him much more likely to trust you. Once the dog recognizes your scent, he will not be afraid of you and will be more likely to follow your commands.
When training your dog, make sure to have fun with him too. Playing with your dog helps build a stronger bond between dog and human, which encourages the dog to respond positively during training. In addition to your daily training sessions, take time out for simple play. Make this uncomplicated and fun for your dog.
Choose an easily teachable action to train your dog with in the beginning. Not only will you get the instant gratification of your success, but also your dog will gain the important foundation of what an acceptable trick or behavior is. This gives you greater results when training.
Ensure you get your dog’s attention using the same methods. Begin each command by using his name. Using their name will help to personalize your command. Dogs quickly recognize their name which allows you to get their attention.
Use positive reinforcement when you are training your dog. If you are happy with your dog, give him pets, happy words and the occasional treat. Do not shout or strike the dog. This just doesn’t work, and it will cause your dog to fear you. Firmness, positivity and consistency are the keys to solid training your dog.
Try to teach your dog good habits right away. You and he will find it much easier to learn how do the right thing than unlearn the wrong. If you do not want your pet to beg for food, you should never encourage it by feeding it table scraps.
Firm, direct commands are the best approach to take when training your dog. However, this doesn’t mean you should always yell at your dog, rather try and find a middle-ground that you can work with. This is a good way to establish a good relationship with your puppy.
Do not give up when you’re training your dog. Frequent reinforcement is the only way to help your pet maintain new behaviors and actions. Realize that training your dog is a daily task, no different than feeding and sheltering it.
Let your dog get used to triggers that make them bark to reduce the behavior. The source could be some certain noise or close encounters with another animal. Your dog will eventually come to realize that barking is unnecessary in reaction to these triggers.
Are you providing your dog with high quality, nutritional food? Dogs are similar to children in the way that their diet can play a major part in their behaviors. There are specialty foods available for individual dog breeds. You can try one of these if your dog’s energy seems low. Consult a vet for information about what foods your dog should be eating.
When you speak to your dog in the correct tone of voice, this is the best way to train your dog. Use a clearly defined tone for different commands, encouragement or directives. This makes it easier for the dog to link your expectations with different behaviors. Keep your commands short and sharp while corrections should be louder.
Training should be an enjoyable activity for your dog. Keep your training sessions to a period of time that is less than 15 minutes. Give out different kinds of rewards. You should praise your dog when he or she does a good job. Making training fun makes listening fun, too!
A good puppy training tip is to always be aware of other dogs when you’re taking your dog for a walk. Don’t assume you can pet a dog, some of them are aggressive. If you see an antisocial or aggressive dog, avoid having your dog be near it.
Make sure you give your dog a good workout every day. Feed your dog a balanced diet, give them space to run, and provide them with activities that will burn energy.
It is critical that you teach your dog the difference between correct and incorrect behaviors. You will need to have these rules enforced by everyone in your home. It can quickly make your efforts backfire!
Do you notice that your dog is dragging your leash? This is a common complaint that owners have with their dogs and it’s simple to fix. Consider buying a dog harness at a pet supply store to make walks considerably more enjoyable.
Call your dog’s name at least three times positively after you have been forced to issue a reprimand. Your dog must know that his name is something good so that he won’t be afraid to come when called.
If you speak your dog’s name in an effort to scold or warn him, you should also try to utter it in more positive ways. Your canine friend needs to know that his name is a good thing, as he should always feel safe coming to you when his name is called out.
If your dog has an issue with barking, pay attention to potential triggers. When you know what the triggers are, you can fix the problem. For instance, if your dog barks when someone knocks at your door, have a friend help you with training by triggering your dog’s barking as you teach him the “quiet” command.
If you want to play fetch with your dog, you need to make sure that he will give you the ball every time. Your dog will begin to think it is the leader if it can drop the ball and make you go and pick it up. Instilling the idea of the dog bringing the ball helps it understand what it should be doing while fetching.
Untrained Dogs
You can entice your pet to sit on his haunches by waving a treat before his nose as he stands. As you allow the treat to move into his field of vision, your hand will slowly pass behind him. The dog will have to look up in order to follow the motion of your hand. This can help engage your dog to sit down.
When starting out with training, be aware that untrained dogs may bite their owner. Untrained dogs often see themselves as dominant. You have to display alpha behavior in order to show your pet you are the boss. If your dog does not understand what your human behavior means, he may bite you even though he is calm.
While it is definitely possible to teach an older dog new tricks, you want to be mindful of medical issues or conditions that may limit his ability to engage in some behaviors. For instance, an arthritic dog is not going to be able to crawl any long distances. Training can be helpful for the cognitive functioning of a dog, and that is good for older dogs. Do make sure that your dog is not in pain when engaging in exercise and training sessions.
Hopefully, these guidelines will improve your relationship with your pet, and allow both of you to enjoy your time together. Being a dog owner can be enjoying if you just give yourself some rewards. No matter if you choose to attempt your own dog training or you enlist the aid of a professional, making sure your pet is fully trained is a great way to ensure the happiness of you and your companion.
Set your dog up for success when training him to stop chewing inappropriate items. It is also important that a dog who chews is protected from danger. Some items can be choking hazards and should be kept away from your dog’s reach. Examples of hazards would be: nylons, household chemical products, and hairbrushes.