People often assume that training is impossible. They just don’t know the right methods. To train your dog successfully, you need to understand the basic principles of training your dog. Keep reading to learn some basic principles of dog training.
Reward good behavior during training with control. If your pet successfully completes a task, then reward him only if he/she is calm. Don’t get too excited, though, as your excitement may cause them to break their concentration. If you are able to maintain your calm, you can expect your dog to maintain calm too.
Look at things from your dog’s point of view. A lot of owners get frustrated when their dog is not understanding a basic command. It might make things easier if you ask yourself what is going on in your dog’s mind. Imagine the world like they do and that can provide you with a fresh perspective on training.
The first thing your dog must learn is who the boss is. Your dog must see you as a leader, or they will not follow your commands. When walking with your dog, always walk first, never let your dog lead, as this is the leadership position.
If you have a focal point for your dog to pay attention to, he will ignore all other distractions he would normally be tempted to watch. Repetition and practice will result in your dog waiting to take cues from you rather than being distracted by other things.
Have fun with your dog each day when training. Taking time to play creates a strong bond between the two of you, and your dog will be more likely to respond well to training. Training may be a fun activity, but it’s also good to enjoy your time with your dog.
Choose the right dog crate size if you wish to utilize the crate effectively to train him. Puppies will get bigger. You need a crate that can still fit the puppy once it becomes a dog. Your dog should be able to make itself comfortable in a crate big enough for it to toss and turn.
Teach your puppy his or her name before you start to train him or her, as this creates a bond. Call his name every time you do something or want him to do something. Teach him that he needs to run to you when his name is called. You should teach your puppy these words first. Spend ample time with the puppy to create a bond. This will build trust between the puppy and you. This will make him more receptive in receiving advanced training in the future.
As your dog becomes increasingly more responsive to training, you can begin to give him more freedom. If you can instill a healthy sense of obedience with an appreciation for your love, you and your dog are guaranteed to enjoy your time together. Just be careful not to overdo it on the freedom initially as it can set your puppy training efforts back.
You must be firm with your dog in order to train it effectively. That said, love should prevail and yelling should never occur. This develops a strong relationship with your dog.
When training your dog, make sure to have fun with him too. The dog will respond more positively to training if you create a better bond between you and them. Although dog training can be fun, you don’t really want to spend all your time in training mode.
If your dog’s barking is driving you nuts, you might try acclimating the animal to whatever stimuli is causing the undesirable excitement. It can be a sound, or being face to face with other people or other animals. Your dog can learn he doesn’t have to bark.
Primary Reinforcement
Vary your tone of voice when going through training sessions. Commands, corrections and praise should all have their own tone in order to help your dog distinguish cause and effect with his and your behavior. Commands should be firm yet sharp, whereas corrections require a louder tone. Natural voicing is good for praise and reinforcement.
When you are training your doggy friend, use what is known as primary reinforcement. Primary reinforcement uses the things that your dog loves as rewards for positive behavior. It could be a treat, a toy or even a rub with some kisses. By doing this method of training, your dog will learn that in order to get what they want, they must do what you want.
When you are walking your dog, be aware of and pay attention to other dogs in the vicinity. It’s not always the owner that is responsible for a dog being aggressive. Keep your dog at a distance from angry or aggressive dogs.
Toilet training is as much your responsibility as theirs. Try to recognize your dog’s body language and anticipate his need to go out. Some of the most common and obvious displays include whining, sniffing and pacing. Do not hesitate if you notice this behavior. Get out the leash and head for their designated potty area. Whenever your dog uses the restroom outside, reward him or her with lots of praise. In time, he will ask you to take him out.
Don’t reward or ignore bad behavior because you want to put a stop to it. When this happens, you are teaching your dog that he is boss. When a dog barks, never reward it, for example.
Your dog needs to be trained throughout his entire life to ensure excellent behavior. A dog’s learning doesn’t stop when it leaves its puppy stage. By continually reinforcing desired behaviors, your dog will continue to behave appropriately.
When traveling with dogs, be certain to pack all the dog will need in terms of food, sleep accessories and toilet supplies. Items like food and water bowls, bathroom bags and paper towels are important in having a very relaxing ride. You can buy dog food when you get there, of course, which is a lot easier than bringing it with you.
Table Scraps
Give your dog new challenges often. While you may know your dog hasn’t forgotten anything, try little tests to ensure he remembers all the commands he’s learned up to that point.
It is very important to train your dog early enough to head off the development of bad behavior. Trying to change bad behaviors after the fact is far more difficult than teaching them the good ones right away. If your goal is to keep the dog from begging for table scraps, it is advisable to never give him any table scraps to begin with.
You will get better results if employ a mixture of treats as a reward for your dog. Do not use the treats that you would give your dog day to day. They should be specific to training and ensuring the feeling of being rewarded for something specific. The dog will also be more likely to obey if they know they will receive something special.
When housebreaking your puppy, accidents will happen. Clean accidents up immediately to assist in your training efforts. The smell from the feces and urine can stay in the carpet, and cause your pet to want to relieve themselves on that spot more often. Check any local stores or pet shops for products that are specifically designed to remove the urine smell from a carpet.
To succeed at dog training, it is necessary to commit yourself to a regular schedule of training sessions. Dogs learn best from consistency and repetition. Spending time consistently with your dog lets him know he can depend and rely upon you. This will help you establish yourself as pack leader.
When training your puppy to use a leash, wrap a collar around him while the two of you are playing. Making sure your new dog is comfortable with a collar is important, particularly if you want to take them on walks and have some sort of identification tags for them to carry.
To prevent your dog from digging in the trash, be sure he is well-fed and has plenty of toys to play with. Never put items in the trash that your dogs would not be safe eating. If your dog continues to dig in the trash, then crate them when you can’t supervise them.
You should never spend more than a few minutes training your dog. In fact, 15 minutes is an optimal limit to have on each session to reduce frustration on your part and your dog’s. Once your session is completed, give your dog some time to play and praise him for the session he completed.
If a dog experiences separation anxiety, it should get experience being around others. Your dog must begin relationships with other people in order to help solve its improper fixation with you.
You need to know if your dog is old and has limits to training. Older dogs are harder to train because of developed quirks, so it is best to learn to live with those that are manageable. Keep in mind that adopting an older dog means the chance of getting a dog already set in how they do things. Although you may be able to teach it some new things, sometimes the best thing to do is focus on the negatives that you want to modify and live with the rest.
Avoid using those nasty wee-wee pads when potty training your new puppy. These pads leak and the urine and feces enzymes designate “potty areas”. Wee-wee pads might also cause a dog to mistake anything with a similar shape (a rug, for example) for a suitable place to relieve itself. It is important that you teach your dog that the great outdoors is their potty.
With any luck, the material you just read has given you a sense of confidence about canine training. Be sure to use the advice from this article, plus knowledge that you gain from other sources, to ensure that you have the best plan for training your dog.
Get everyone in your house on the same page regarding dog training. It’s confusing to the dog when one person uses the phrase “get off” and someone else says “down boy” to mean the same thing. If everyone is consistent when commanding the dog, you will find dog training much easier and successful.