Does your dogs behavior frustrate you? If so, your pet might need more training. With the proper training, even the most difficult dog can learn to be more obedient. Read on how to do it the right way.
Keep your dog active. Dogs become bored very easily. Bored dogs are difficult to train. When your dog is exercised and is happy, training will be easier. Bring your dog along when you walk or jog.
Dogs have a short attention span and you will have to attract his attention. Your dog can learn to focus less and less, except for your commands, by using repetition.
A dog has an inquiring mind and will look at one thing for quite a while until its attention is broken. Dogs learn by repetition so with continued training, your dog will immediately focus on what you are saying.
Try not to reinforce bad behaviors from your dog. This means you must not reward your dog with attention or treats for doing something you don’t want it to do. For instance, don’t pat your dog on the head if it’s jumping up on you.
Never tie two or more dogs in close vicinity to one another. It is just too easy for dogs in such a situation to tangle their leads together, and this can lead to serious injuries for both of them. If dogs get tangled up too severely, one can get wrapped up so badly it could close off the airway, and he could die.
A consistent schedule of feeding and potty-time is very important when house training your dog. Before the dog goes to the bathroom on your carpet, you will know when it has to go outside. Being consistent will teach the dog to hold it until it is time to go outside.
With the right encouragement, most dogs can learn to roll over pretty quickly. First, make your dog lay down. Next, hold the treat close to the floor on one side of the dog’s head, and slowly bringing it upwards and over to the dog’s other side. He should then roll over while following the treat. Say “roll over” as you perform the maneuver. Do not let a lack of early success frustrate you. This takes repetition to nail down, but once you do, you will have the star dog on the block.
When training your dog, reinforce positive behaviors in a positive way. Remember to show your dog positive attention when they do something good as often as you can. Do not ever scream at or strike your dog. This teaches your dog nothing and will just show him that you do not know how to train him. You should talk to them in a stern voice but always be nice to them if they do a good thing.
As your dog becomes increasingly more responsive to training, you can begin to give him more freedom. Your dog will be happy when he gets rewards for his good behavior, such as freedom. Just be careful that you do not allow too much freedom, too quickly, as this can quickly derail your hard work and training.
Avoid accidents when potty training your dog. Try to recognize your dog’s body language and anticipate his need to go out. Pacing and whining are common signs. Don’t put it off when your dog is doing these things. Get his leash as you take him out. When he does go, praise him! In time, the dog will ask when he wants to go outside.
Have a good treat ready for your dog when it completes something that you ask. It is important that your dog is able to establish a connection between the command and the action that gains a reward. This will teach your dog what behavior is correct and expected.
Train a puppy to accept a leash by playing with the puppy while it wears its collar. Helping your dog feel comfortable with a collar on is critical because it helps ease the adjustment to a leash, and it also facilitates identification of the dog should he become lost.
Remember to exercise patience whenever training your dog. Using patience helps prevent frustration for both you and the dog. Your dog will do its best to please you, but give your dog enough time to remember orders. A puppy needs to form the association between a word and the behavior you expect with that command.
Make sure that you let your dog get used to people regularly. Your pet must know how to behave when it is around other humans and dogs – this isn’t something you could teach it otherwise. It will help your dog adjust to new environments better, also.
One command that should be taught early to a puppy is “leave it.” This teaches them to drop something and step way from it. This is a good way to keep your dog from chewing things and make sure they do not chew dangerous objects.
You should remember that you are essentially helping your dog shape his personality. It is essential to know this because you might inadvertently undo desired behaviors by teasing or engaging your dog in horseplay. Focus more on encouraging desirable and appropriate behaviors at all times.
If your dog is a jumper, squeeze his paws when he jumps on you to let him know he cannot do this any longer. It is uncomfortable but a non-painful experience for the dog. They should learn to stop jumping because they don’t like the reaction they get.
Do not give up when you are trying to train your dog. You will need to give your dog continuous reinforcement, or he or she will go back to how they were before being trained. Training never ends. It is an important part of taking care of your dog.
Take note of the tone of your voice as you discipline your pet. Dogs pick up on subtle changes in their owner’s voices. An appropriate firm tone can really reinforce a disciplinary message.
You should use the name of your dog as a positive reinforcement more often than you use it as a reprimand. 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.
A loose leash is important for training. When dogs are going for a walk, they will often want to check out new territory. This means they’ll pull on the leash. Smart pet owners will make sure the pet walks on a leash with some slack to it.
Make sure you are consistent when you train your dog. Have a strict list of command words that you always use, and make sure that anybody that associates with your dog knows the command words as well. Remember to always reward a good behavior and not a bad behavior. If different people are responding differently with the dog, it will make training difficult and confuse the dog.
It’s important to remember that all of the things you do with your dog are building its behavior and personality. You don’t want to undo training you’re worked hard on, so watch what you do at all times. Be sure that every action you take supports the behaviors you seek.
If your dog has an issue with barking, pay attention to potential triggers. You can address the behavior better once you realize what the triggers are. Your dog might be barking at other dogs or people when they come to the door.
Bringing dogs on a trip means bringing all their supplies, too. Water, bowls, bathroom bags and paper towels are good things to have to help everything run smoothly. Don’t worry about carrying dog food along. It’s easier to buy some at the location you’re going to.
Consistency is key in the process of training your pets. Consistency must apply in terms of your commands, your tone of voice and the different rewards you offer for good behavior.
Working on your dog’s recall is essential. You dog should know to go back to you every time that you call him. Always reinforce this behavior and introduce it in all kinds of new environments. You might just save your canine’s life some day because of recall, so never skip or pass on training this, regardless of what it takes to get it done.
Do not think that a dog won’t bite you because you are supposed to be in charge. Untrained dogs may believe they are the leader and you are just a member of the pack. Understanding the alpha behavior you’ll need to exhibit will allow your dog to learn that you are indeed the leader. When your dog doesn’t understand your human behavior, even a calm dog can bite you.
Is your dog pulling on the leash? Pulling is very common and very easy to cure. The right harness will cut pulling quickly and can be purchased at any pet store.
You can relax and even enjoy the time you spend with your pet when it’s trained. If your pet is particularly problematic, you may be tempted to give up. Fight these feelings away and focus on your goals to train and discipline your pet. Take what you’ve learned here to heart, and you’ll be a successful dog trainer.
Older dogs aren’t the same as puppies. Older pooches may not be perfectly and easily trainable. You may have to embrace some of their quirks. Understand that if your dog is older, he or she is going to have things already set into their minds that is going to be virtually impossible to remove. Although you may be able to teach an older dog new habits, there may be some habits that cannot be changed.