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How To Break Your Old Dog Of Bad Habits

how to break your old dog of bad habits

Is your dog’s behavior leaving you stressed and frustrated? This means it’s training time! Your dog will be obedient if you spend some time training them. Read on how to do it the right way.

Dogs can have a one-track mind and remain focused on one thing until you break the dog out of it. If you get your dog to focus on you, it will help his behavior.

It takes a while for a dog to get comfortable in a crate. Don’t take it too fast; introduce the dog at his own pace. As soon as they start to feel comfortable in the crate when the door is open, try closing the gate and have them eat inside. Leave them in for short periods of time, as little as 10 seconds. Work up from there. If the dog doesn’t like it, slow the process.

Decide on a specific command phrase for your pup during house training. Use the same word or phrase each time you bring him out to go to the bathroom so that he understands what you want him to do and makes a memory link between the phrase and the act.

Repetition is key to teaching your dog new commands. It may take 25-50 tries before your dog understands a command consistently and thoroughly. Keep teaching it and be patient. The dog will learn in time.

Whenever you’re training your dog, be sure and use the same vocal tone when giving commands. This lets the dog know you are serious. The dog will also know the difference when you give them discipline as opposed to a command.

When you buy a crate, ensure it is the correct size. Keep in mind that puppies grow up. Select a crate that is large enough for them to fit in when they are older. Your dog should have ample space to turn around inside the crate, as well as lay comfortably.

Be sure to keep your treats close by when you’re training your dog. You want your dog to recognize that when you give it a command and it does the task, it is doing what you want it to do. Doing so leaves no question as to whether a behavior is considered acceptable or strictly forbidden.

Think of a word you can use as a command during training. One good word can act as an appreciated segue from the good behavior to the ultimate reward.

Be patient when training a dog. You will not get frustrated or mad and neither will your pet. Bear in mind that your dog wants nothing more than to please you; however, your language is somewhat confusing to him.

If your dog is jumping on you, grab his paws with your hands and gently squeeze them to deter his behavior. This does not hurt the dog if you do it lightly, but it is an uncomfortable feeling for them. In time, they will cease jumping on humans, as they will have the negative association with the squeezing.

Primary reinforcement should be used when dog training. Primary reinforcement uses the things that your dog loves as rewards for positive behavior. This may mean giving food items as treats or scratching the dog’s tummy. When he likes the outcome, he’ll be more likely to follow your commands.

Consistency is the key to training. If more than one member of your family is training your dog, be sure all people use the same commands, rewards and discipline. It will be easier for a pet to learn a single set of commands.

To prevent barking, teach your dog simple methods to quit them. Show the dog a treat as incentive, then repeat the command until they obey it. You can then give it the treat. This positive reinforcement will help to get your dog to learn.

When you discipline your dog, your tone is an important factor. Dogs are great at understanding how their trainer feels. An appropriate firm tone can really reinforce a disciplinary message.

Make sure your dog’s training is consistent. When everyone is participating in the training progress, you should be sure that each member of the family is applying the same rules and commands. The dog is sure to have a simpler time learning, as long as he is asked to obey just one group of commands and is given consistent responses.

It is vital to keep some slack in the leash when you are trying to train a dog. Dogs become excited when they are exploring a new area. This eagerness can cause them to pull against the leash if it’s held too tightly. Informed owners avoid this behavior by leaving a bit of slack when walking.

Try to teach your dog good habits right away. It is much easier to get a dog to learn the right way rather than making it unlearn its bad habits. If an owner feels strongly that their pet should not beg for food off the table, it is important that he or she refrains from giving it to the dog in the first place.

Praise your dog often when training him. Smile often and keep treats handy to ensure that the positive reinforcement is quick and consistent. Be careful that you do not inadvertently reward unwanted behavior or your dog will think you want him to repeat it.

Improving the dog’s recall is key. Regardless of what is happening, your dog must learn to come back to you when he is called. Your dog will learn that he is to come to you even when there are distractions after time. Training on proper recall can be time consuming, but it is essential and potentially life-saving for your dog. Don’t skimp on training in this area!

If you want to get rid of a behavior, stop rewarding this behavior. If you do, he’ll think he’s the boss. An example of something to avoid is giving your dog a treat when it is barking.

You should always give your dog a challenge. Test your dog on occasion, to be sure that he remembers what you have taught him and help him keep it fresh in his mind.

Patience and dogs go hand-in-hand. Your dog is not human and does not speak or understand English. They can simply notice your gestures, movements and tone, and lack awareness of your motives. If you or your dog seem frustrated, it’s time for a break.

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. Most dogs can do the sport, but competitions call for certain breeds most of the time.

Give challenges to your dog on a regular basis. Test the dog occasionally to check his memory, even though both of you know that he remembers his commands.

Different dogs respond to different things. A calm and relaxed dog will respond well to positive reinforcement, but dogs with aggressive personalities may need some negative reinforcement before they will respect that you are in charge. If the training method you have chosen is not functioning, you might want to consider a different approach.

Dog Pulling

Wee-wee pads, also known as puppy pads, could actually make potty-training harder for your puppy. When they leak, they tend to mark the area with enzymes that tell your dog the area used is okay to go potty. Dogs also believe that anything shaped like a pad is acceptable to use as a potty. Always teach your pet that he must go outside to use the bathroom.

Is your dog pulling on the leash? This annoying behavior is extremely common and quite simple to rectify. Trade your leash for a dog harness. Harnesses can be more comfortable, and allow you to enjoy a walk without your dog pulling on its leash.

Don’t just give your dog treats during training, learn to make use of positive reinforcement as well. Giving treats to dogs in order to teach them new behavior is quite effective. You most likely do not have treats available at any given time, especially when training is not in progress. Hugging or patting your dog is a good way to replace treats.

Give a treat to your dog when it responds to an order and is obedient. Once they become more familiar with the order, you do not have to give a treat every time and can gradually reduce the amount of treats you give.

It is important to discover the type of training and reward techniques that work best for your dog. If your dog doesn’t respond to a certain reward, find another that he will better enjoy. If your dog does respond to treats, that can be an effective reward in many different situations.

When you begin training your dog consider using more than one type of treat as a reward. Don’t use your dog’s everyday treats for training. You want to place special emphasis on their improvement in training.

It is natural for a teething puppy to want to chew things. It is up to you to remove things from his reach when you are away and can’t correct him. If you don’t have a safe place for your puppy outside, consider closing him in a room that doesn’t have tempting things for him to get into.

Fear is the number one cause of a dog biting. That occurs when dogs feel trapped, threatened, or frightened. You should not use force when training your dog. Doing so may result in injury to you. By doing this, pleasing you will be one of your dog’s life goals as it will see you as the pack leader.

When trying to improve your dog’s behavior, don’t use a tight leash when walking them. A tight leash makes your dog want to always pull. This is an undesirable response. Therefore, you should always make sure its leash is at a comfortable length for it.

Training your dog right will ensure that you have a happy and well adjusted dog. At this point you may think training your dog is hopeless, but if you continue your program, you will soon see some impressive results. If you keep these tips in mind, your training your dog sure to be successful.

In order to get your dog to obey you, it may be wise to take obedience classes. The instructors at these schools are trained to deal with a variety of different dogs, even the impossible cases. They can teach a dog to follow commands, heel on a leash and to stop any unnecessary barking.

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