There are a number of reasons for having a pet dog. Perhaps a cute puppy made you melt and you brought it home without really thinking. Regardless of what you liked about your dog, you will want it to behave well. But this takes some time to do! The below article provides some excellent tips for doing so.
There are many ways to make crate training more comfortable and successful for your new puppy or dog. To get a hesitant dog enthusiastic about getting in a crate, put a tempting treat like a fresh chew toy inside and close it up while your dog is outside. Temptation wins with this exercise; your dog will be eager to enter the crate when a treat is waiting for him. If they do go into the crate, offer up praise and a treat.
If you in the crate training phase of your training program, you can use a few techniques to speed it up. If your dog does not want to go into the crate but one of his favorite toys inside and close the door. Your dog will want to get into the crate in order to eat the treat. After he goes in the crate, reward him with praise and a treat.
If your dog is jumping on you, grab his paws with your hands and gently squeeze them to deter his behavior. This will not hurt if done lightly, but it will be an uncomfortable feeling. Before long, they will stop their habit of jumping on people due to this association.
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. Once they have grown accustomed to being in the crate with the gate open, try closing the gate and feeding them small treats through the crate. Start with short times numbering in mere seconds, and increase the intervals gradually. Freaking out your dog is a sign that you need to slow down.
Training needs to continue during the dog’s life. Just because a dog becomes more mature doesn’t mean it cannot learn new things. By continually reinforcing desired behaviors, your dog will continue to behave appropriately.
To achieve the best results when housebreaking a pet, be aware of the food and water he consumes. Feed your pooch several times daily at the same hour. You will know when it is time for your the dog to use the bathroom, reducing accidents.
Identify what exactly it is that your dog is always barking at to help curb the behavior. First, determine what it is that causes your dog to bark- a knock on the door, someone walking by the car, or other cause. Once used to these things, your pet will know that barking is not necessary.
Choosing the correct crate size is extremely important. Remember, puppies grow up. Choose a crate that is sure to fit them suitably when they hit adult size. At full size your dog should be able to move around without feeling too constricted.
Use your dog’s name as much as you can to make sure he is paying attention. Call your dog by name as much as possible when you are first getting to know your pup; this will establish a connection between hearing the name and giving positive attention to the speaker. Give your dog a relatively short name, preferably one that isn’t likely to be confused with other words.
Take the time to teach your dog how to behave when on a leash. Not only is this safer for the dog and easier on your body, such a frequent activity mandates good self-control and reinforcement of the chain of command from training.
A squirt of water in your dog’s face can discourage biting and scratching behaviors. This method shows your dog that what they are doing is wrong. If this method is successful, you will get these negative behaviors under control and be able to enjoy your dog.
Limit the duration of training sessions. By spending too long on any single thing, your dog will likely become very bored and antsy. Ten minutes is about the length of time a dog can handle.
Socialization with other people and pets is an important part of your dog’s training. Your dog must learn how to behave when other people or dogs are present, and there is no other way to teach this skill. This also helps to avoid hyper-activity in a new location.
Paying Attention
Do not quit when you are training your dog. Frequent reinforcement is the only way to help your pet maintain new behaviors and actions. Much like providing your pet with food, training is a continuous process that is never truly finished.
Use your dog’s name as much as you can to make sure he is paying attention. Make sure to use the dog’s name constantly when you first have him, so he can make the connection with his name and paying attention. For best results, the dog’s name should be short and not sound like any other word in the English language.
Dogs have natural destructive behavior, so provide outlets for them to exercise their natural behaviors. Your dog requires a healthy diet, room to exercise, and plenty of activities and toys to keep him or her busy.
Overworking a new puppy with new information will only lead to trouble. Puppies can’t pay attention for too long and are not very good at focusing on something for long periods of time, so limit the duration of training sessions. If you try to rush and throw in too much information, your puppy will not remember the lesson and you’ll have a harder time training him.
During your training program, keep your dog interested by using many different types of treats. Get treats that your dog will want more than the normal treats they get every day. These unique treats will make them more eager to perform well in training.
Train a puppy to accept a leash by playing with the puppy while it wears its collar. Having the puppy get comfortable wearing the collar is important not only so that you can properly use a leash but also that your puppy has the proper identification tags in case he or she takes off.
Most cases associated to dog bites result from fear. These bites occur when the dog feels threatened, insecure, or frightened. Train your dog with praise and discipline, not physical force. Forcing a dog to do something it doesn’t feel comfortable doing can cause you to get bitten. Dogs have a pack mentality, and naturally want to be lead.
A useful tip for canine training is to avoid rewarding the dog for bad behavior. In doing so, you are essentially telling your dog that it is able to control you, not the other way around. For example, if you give a treat to stop your dog from barking, you are teaching him to bark for treats.
If your dog barks a lot, try not to shout at it. Raising your voice to counteract unwanted barking can come across as a positive reinforcement, confusing your dog. This can lead to a vicious cycle of barking and yelling, so try to stay calm while squelching your dog’s barking.
Dogs often chew because they are dealing with anxiety. Keeping your pup in a crate or other doggy-proofed space and providing appropriate chew toys will keep him occupied until you arrive home.
Any behavioral issues that suddenly occur should be checked by a vet to make sure there are no health conditions causing it. An animal that is in pain is liable to act out in ways they would normally never behave. This behavior may be his way of telling you that there is something wrong with him.
Does your dog like to tug on his leash? Pulling is very common and very easy to cure. Go to the pet supply store where you can buy a harness for a few dollars, as harnesses reduce pulling so that walks are enjoyable.
Mentally stimulating your dog is important to its health and happiness. Taking your dog for long walks outside of your property, or fun chewy toys are fun activities your pet can participate in. Without proper stimulation, bored dogs will find things to do, such as chewing up drywall, clothing or furniture!
Are you finally ready to continue training your dog? With any luck, the tips in this piece have provided you with great ideas for canine training. Properly trained pets are ideal. It takes a lot of time and patience with consistency being the key element. But, it will be worth it when you look into those lovable eyes that are eager to follow your every command or the sweet little puppy that grows up to be the perfect companion! Use what you have learned here to create the appropriate training situation for your particular pet.
Always use your dog’s name to get his or her attention. To train your dog, you need a certain level of control. Getting them used to their name and coming when you call will help you achieve this. Practice this until you are satisfied by the dogs response. Never reprimand your dog for giving you its attention when you say its name.