If you have a natural-born obedient dog, then consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately, the majority of dogs require some form of training. This may be needed to prevent them from destroying your home or jumping on strangers. You should use the tips from this article to keep your dog under control and train it properly.
Dogs have the uncanny ability to have single-minded focus when something catches their attention. Once your dog knows his attention command, you will be able to coerce him to ignore almost anything.
Make it clear to your dog that their crate is their home. At meal times, try to place their food in the crate by leaving the door wide open while they’re eating. This will create a good association between the crate and their food.
When you buy a crate, ensure it is the correct size. Do not forget that all puppies will grow up. Choose a crate that is a good enough size for an adult for when your puppy grows. Your dog needs to have the room to get around the crate and not feel cramped.
Select an appropriately sized crate to foster solid crate training results. Keep in mind, puppies do not stay small forever. Choose a crate that can grow with him. The ideal size would be one that doesn’t make your dog crowded when turning around or laying down.
If you want your dog to follow the rules, keep training it, it needs to be refreshed! Do not believe that just because you dog has graduated from obedience school that training is complete. That’s not a good idea, since animals and humans form and retain habits in a similar way. So, it’s very important that you review your training with your dog regularly.
As your dog progresses in training, you can provide more freedom. The balance between freedom and obedience will give your dog a satisfying life. Just be cautious not to give too much freedom at once, as this may have a counter effect on your puppy training.
When house-breaking your puppy, choose a specific phrase to use when it’s time to go outdoors. When you take your puppy outside, say “go potty” to them so they will eventually associate the phrase with going to the bathroom outside.
When training your dog, use discretion and regard for your dog’s attention span. Dogs can quickly lose focus when you prolong activities. Training sessions should be limited to about 10 minutes of time or less.
Make a point to enjoy your time with your dog while you are training. Playful interaction strengthens the bond between you, and will have your dog striving even harder to please you during training. Although training itself is fun, it is good to spend time each day just playing with your dog because you can.
Before you train your puppy, teach him his name and bond with him. Use his name frequently, and make clear that you want him to respond by coming to you when you call his name. It is a good idea to have your puppy learn these words first. Be around your puppy a lot, so he knows to trust you. Over time, the puppy will be able to learn more advanced training.
Primary reinforcement is good to use when training your dog. With primary reinforcement, you use something that your dog loves when it needs to be rewarded for positive behavior. Use things such as treats or petting your dog to reinforce good behavior. This way, the dog can learn how he can get things he wants.
Consistency is the key to training. 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. The dog will learn more easily if he learns a single set of commands and if he knows what response will be received for his behavior.
The best way to train a dog is by using positive reinforcement. Rewards include treats, kind words and physical touch. Refrain from any physical contact if your dog does not follow directions. This teaches your dog nothing and will just show him that you do not know how to train him. Instead, show your dog what you expect and reward his obedience.
Bad Habits
Ensure you frequently put your dog in social environments at an early age. You need to show them what is acceptable when they are around people and their pets. Being familiar with all the types of beings it might encounter will help your dog exhibit consistent, confident behavior.
Your dog will be easier to train if you are careful to avoid letting him learn bad habits to begin with. It’s far easier to teach a puppy good habits than it is to deprogram bad habits. Never give a dog food scraps from the table so that it does not get into the bad habit of begging for them.
It’s important your dog always has an understanding of right from wrong. You have to have consistent boundaries from everyone in contact with the animal. This will undo all your training!
If you’re leash-training a puppy, the initial step needs to be putting a collar on them when you play with them. By making your puppy comfortable to wearing a leash, he will be more apt to keep it on.
Be certain you are giving the right signals when your dog exhibits unacceptable behavior. If your dog does something wrong and you laugh at him or pet him, then he is likely to repeat this bad behavior indefinitely in the future. That is counterproductive. Even when it is amusing, you have to correct your dog, not reward him with laughter.
Be aware of special grooming requirements your dog might need. Some breeds of dogs need little or no grooming, whereas other breeds need meticulous grooming weekly. This will keep your dog fresh and reduce the chance of illness.
It is important to use a wide spectrum of treats when training your dog. The treats should be special and should help them to realize that they are receiving a special treat for following your commands.
You should teach your dog how to lay down. This command helps them build upon other commands, or it can be used in emergency situations. A dog that knows his “down” command well can drop to the ground at a moment’s notice in a testy situation, making it a great command to keep on hand for safety’s sake.
Large dogs that prefer to lie down on their backs or stretch, out should have a big bed to get comfortable in. You can buy a large bed for your large-breed dog, or even get a crib mattress to use as your dog’s bed. This has its advantages. The most apparent being that you can easily change the fitted sheets on it. Crib mattresses are also waterproof, which is another big advantage.
Even if you’ve got a rowdy dog, keep thinking positively. With perseverance and sheer will, you can train your dog. Implement the tips and tricks in this article to effectively train your dog.
You can show your dog to ‘sit’, just hold a dog biscuit in the air. Move the treat behind their head and down their back. Your dog will look up as your hand passes behind his head. This can help engage your dog to sit down.