Useful Canine Training Tips & Tools
Many people worry that taking a dominant role in training their dog will affect their friendly and loving relationship. This article will give you some good ideas on training your dog Education is essential for success, and learning the right way to train your dog is step one.
If you want to teach your pet to use a crate, first try these simple tricks. If your puppy doesn’t like being in his crate, put a dog treat or chew bone in it and close the door to keep him out. The dog will smell the bone and want to go racing into the crate to eat it. If they do go into the crate, offer up praise and a treat.
Use consistency when you are crate training your young puppy. When letting your dog out of the crate, be sure to immediately allow your dog to relieve himself. The dog will grow his bladder so he can hold it for longer and longer this way.
Gradual increments are easiest on your dog when going through crate training. If your dog seems comfortable inside the crate when the door is open, shut it and feed them a treat. Only keep the gate closed for short periods of time at first and increase time slowly. If the puppy gets too upset then you increased the time too much, too fast.
When you train your dog, you need to establish control. Put yourself in an authoritative position, so that your dog knows to obey you. On walks with your dog, you should lead him and not the other way around.
Try to mistakenly avoid reinforcing any behaviors that are unwanted when doing dog training. Thus, you must not reward the dog if it does something you are working to stop. For instance, if your dog does not sit when commanded, do not rub his head affectionately unless he actually sits.
As your dog responds to his training, you can begin to allow him more freedom. Your dog will be happy when he gets rewards for his good behavior, such as freedom. Avoid giving too much freedom early on, as this can easily counteract your training.
It is very easy to teach a pooch to roll over as long as you have some tasty treats on hand. You can have your dog sit or roll over. You can put the treat on the floor by their head and then raise it up over to the other side. He should then roll over while following the treat. As he rolls, state the command “roll over” in a firm tone. Repeat the process until your dog associates the command with the action. Be persistent and do not give up; it might take a while but will be worth it once they learn it.
Take note of the tone of your voice as you discipline your pet. Dogs are great at understanding how their trainer feels. Back up your discipline with a stern, but not angry, tone of voice to communicate your displeasure.
Teach your puppy his or her name before you start to train him or her, as this creates a bond. Use his name on a regular basis, and teach him that the appropriate response to hearing is name is to come over to you. Your puppy’s name should be one of its first words learned. Spending a lot of time interacting and playing with your puppy is the best way to establish a bond of love and trust. In this way, he will be more receptive to advanced training later.
Overworking a new puppy with new information will only lead to trouble. Puppies do not have a very long attention span and limited energy, keep it brief and positive. Your puppy will happier with the experience, and less resistant to your future efforts. He will be looking forward to them instead.
When training a dog, watch that you do not overdo giving the dog treats. Too many treats can really plump a dog up. The calories in treats are often overlooked, but they should also be taken into consideration when planning your dog’s diet.
If you use a leash to train your pet, you must ensure that it remains loose rather than taut. When a dog gets the chance to explore new sights, sounds and smells on a walk, he often becomes very excitable. Many dogs will strain against the leash due to their eagerness. Rather than allowing this behavior to continue, a looser leash walk should be encouraged by the person in control of the animal.
The first step in leash training a young puppy is to get him or her used to the collar during play. It is important for the puppy to get used to the collar so it can be identified.
If your dog is accompanying you on a trip, be sure to bring along whatever your dog needs for sleeping, eating and eliminating. Include water, food bowls, bathroom bags and paper towels, so you can have a relaxing ride. There is no need to bring along the bag of dog food; you can buy some when you reach your destination.
Socialization with other people and pets is an important part of your dog’s training. It is important for your dog to understand how they should behave around humans and other pets. Your dog will be better able to handle new situations.
One of the first commands you should teach your dog is “down”. This command will be useful if you need to keep your dog from jumping on someone. If you teach your dog how to get ‘down’, this might help in an emergency.
A good training trick is to know the grooming needs that your dog needs. While some dogs just need a few baths a year, other breeds have to be clipped and cleaned more frequently. Proper grooming results in a cleaner and happier pet, and it cuts down on the occurrence of diseases.
It may be difficult, but you should always exercise patience around your dog. Remember that your dog doesn’t speak your language or really know what you’re saying most of the time. He will pick up physical gestures, and this is how he will learn from you. Try to stay calm and use breaks if you feel overcome with frustration.
When traveling with dogs, be certain to pack all the dog will need in terms of food, sleep accessories and toilet supplies. You should take their bed, bowls, and things to clean up after them. There is no need to bring along the bag of dog food; you can buy some when you reach your destination.
You should be constantly challenging your dog and re-teaching it the tricks you’ve previously taught it. 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.
Challenge your dog frequently. Test the dog occasionally to check his memory, even though both of you know that he remembers his commands.
Make sure you never give your dog the inappropriate signals when he misbehaves. If you laugh or smile at cute but bad behavior, he will be more likely to continue it. As a result, your training can be severely hampered, which can become extremely frustrating. Consistency is the key to accomplishing your goals when training your dog.
Dogs need to play so always give your dog time to be a dog and to engage in normal canine behaviors. Dogs also need to be fed a healthy diet, get exercise, and be kept busy, just as you do.
If you want an agile dog, make sure you choose a breed that tends to be agile. Any type of dog could learn how to participate in any type of sport. Great breeds that come to mind are Shetland sheepdogs and Australian shepherds.
You need to know if your dog is old and has limits to training. Older dogs won’t be trained perfectly. They’ll always have some quirks that need to be embraced. They’ll already have habits in place you might not like. It is still possible to teach new things, but more focus should be given to negative behavior avoidance.
When you train ball-fetching to your dog, prove yourself the leader in the relationship by forcing your dog to return to you with the ball always. Your dog will begin to think it is the leader if it can drop the ball and make you go and pick it up. By teaching your dog that he is the one who must bring you the ball, he can be aware of what is expected out of him.
A dog being afraid is the number one reason he will bite someone. This happens when a dog feels frightened, threatened, and trapped. Be patient, and don’t use force when training a pet. Forcing a dog to do something it doesn’t feel comfortable doing can cause you to get bitten. By doing this, pleasing you will be one of your dog’s life goals as it will see you as the pack leader.
Be sure to take your dog to the vet annually for vaccinations and a physical exam. If you see your dog struggling or regressing with his training, ascertain that he is healthy. Dogs are good at hiding their pain. A change in behavior may be your best clue to an underlying health issue. For instance, aggression often stems from pain and may be an indication of a medical problem.
When training your puppy not to chew, try to help him along by setting up a “chew-friendly” environment. It is also important that a dog who chews is protected from danger. Dogs can choke or suffer perforated intestines from swallowing toys, hairbrushes, stockings and other inappropriate items.
Introductions to other animals should be done very slowly. Before deciding to adopt a new pet, consider how it will affect the pets you already have. To make introductions go as smooth as possible, when you are choosing the new addition, try to find a personality that will complement that of your current pet.
Don’t shout at barking dogs. Yelling to correct barking may be positive reinforcement for many dogs because they fail to realize you aren’t reacting to their barking. Your dog may believe that you are yelling in reaction to the same thing he is barking at, causing him to bark more. Try to stay calm instead.
If specific things trigger bad behavior in your pup, distract him while you are passing the temptation. For example, if it is difficult for your dog to be around other animals, you should distract him with praise and entertainment in order to keep him preoccupied when you walk past animals during your walks. Doing so helps to build up a strong relationship between the two of you.
Your dog’s mind has to be worked out, too. There are many puzzle toys for dogs which can be a huge help. Puzzles can help your dog to build confidence and release excess energy.
You should now feel a little more competent and comfortable in your role as a dog trainer. Become a better trainer, listener and friend to your dog by following the advice from this article. Simple tips can do wonders.
When a behavioral problem suddenly occurs you should take the dog to the vet to eliminate health problems. Pain or other symptoms associated with health issues can cause dogs to act differently. Since they cannot tell us what is wrong, this is their way of letting us know that they need extra attention.
