Dogs are trained for all sorts of reasons. Dogs can be trained to hunt or to protect, and they can also be trained to do tricks for enjoyment. Dogs’ general willingness to please makes them ideal students. This characteristic ensures they will make a great companion and pet. Hopefully, this article gives you the tools you need to train your dog.
Use small steps when training a dog or pup to get into a crate, so that they can become familiar with it. 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. Use small increments of time, and build them up as your puppy or dog becomes more relaxed with the process. If the puppy becomes upset, you may be progressing too quickly.
Chew Toys
Timing is essential when you are training your dog, so you want to spend enough time training them but do not want go overboard. Begin with shorter training sessions and gradually increase the time each day. When your dog loses interest, quit for the day.
Give your puppy with lots of chewable toys, otherwise he might alleviate his teething pain on your nice furniture. Immediately replace the object with one of the intended chew toys. Chew toys are essential for puppies who are experiencing pain from teething. A great alternative is a frozen wash cloth.
Reward good behavior during training with control. Giving a reward for an appropriate behavior is correct, but do it quickly and move on. Though you may be happy with the accomplishment, excitement on your part leads to excitement on their part and diminishes control of the situation. Stay calm, have them be calm, and reward them for appropriate behavior.
If you are going to be training a pet, you should think about a word or noise that will tell your pet they did a good thing. A word like “yes” can be an effective bridge between the time that the dog exhibits the behavior and the time that they receive the reward.
Avoid reinforcing negative behavior. You should avoid using strips of food or attention to train when you are trying to discourage behaviors. For instance, do not rub its head when it comes and jumps at you when you get home when you do not want your dog to do this.
Make sure to give your dog a good hour of exercise each and every day. When your dog gets enough exercise, training sessions are usually more effective and produce faster results. A dog who has received plenty of exercise is happier and more responsive.
It is not difficult to teach a dog how to roll over, and having some treats on hand makes it easier. Start by commanding the animal to lie down. Then, put a treat close to the floor near the side of the dog’s head, and gradually raise it over its head to the opposite side. They’ll follow your treat with their nose which will cause them to roll over. Upon seeing him roll over, issue the command. You can then repeat the command to the point where he rolls over without the added incentive of a treat. Never become frustrated if it does not happen right away. Once he does learn how, he will be a celebrity among other dogs.
If your dog barks a lot, try getting them accustomed to whatever causes the problem. Everything from a sound to a particular person could be a trigger. Your goal is to show your pet that barking is not an appropriate response to these common stimuli.
Approach any unfamiliar dog with care. Walk slowly toward him and allow the dog to sniff your hand before trying to pet the dog. This will give the dog time learn your scent and possibly trust you. Once the dog recognizes your scent, he will not be afraid of you and will be more likely to follow your commands.
Use the appropriate tone of voice when you are correcting your pet. Your pet is very in tune with your emotions. By adopting a stern tone to your voice, it will be easier to enforce discipline.
You need to leash train your dog. This helps keep both you and your dog safe when going on walks.
Start prepping your puppy for training by rewarding his good choices. Your dog should learn the right ways of doing things instead of developing bad habits that will need to be corrected later on. If an owner feels strongly that their pet should not beg for food off the table, it is important that he or she refrains from giving it to the dog in the first place.
Most dogs have anxiety as a reason for chewing. Dogs feel secure when enclosed in a safe place such as a dog crate. You can offer him a safe chew toy so he does not become bored while you are away.
One trick to remember when training your pet is to introduce it to different social environments frequently. It is essential that your dog understands how to conduct himself when he is around other animals and people outside the family. Doing this will also decrease the likelihood that the dog will respond poorly when introduced to new environments.
Give challenges to your dog regularly. Provide your dog with fun ways to “quiz” it in order to ensure that it hasn’t lost past training.
Training should be seen as fun time to your dog. Keep the sessions between 10-15 minutes, as this is about the attention span of most dogs. Give plenty of rewards. Make sure to shower your dog with praises when he performs well; dogs love it! When you take a more positive approach to discipline, the process becomes far more enjoyable.
Try using a crate to assist you in housebreaking your dog. Let your dog roam free each day, though, or crate training could have adverse effects. Over a period of time, crate trained dogs are less likely to use the restroom inside the house.
Destructive chewing is often a result of anxiety. Enclosing him in a crate will prevent accidents from occurring and leaving him a chew toy will discourage destruction of your property.
When your dog reaches six months, make sure that your dog is spayed or neutered. As soon as you have had your dog neutered start him in obedience classes. Spaying or neutering your dog will make a more enjoyable pet and also a better student. By spaying or neutering a dog he will have a longer happier life.
Whenever you make use of your dog’s name within the context of a reprimand or warning, make a point to then use it positively as well. This helps your dog figure out that his name also can mean something good and that he should not fear you when you call his name.
When training your dog to fetch a ball, show him you are the leader by making him bring the ball to you at all times. He must bring it directly to you, not nearby. If he drops it at a distance from you, he is challenging your authority. Have the dog bring you the item or else you’ll stop playing with him and you’ll be the leader of the pack again.
Have several different treats available as rewards for your dog so he doesn’t get bored. These treats must differ from ordinary treats, because you want the dog to look forward to getting a special reward when it obeys your command.
Use treats that your dog really wants if you want to get the best results from your training sessions. This might be an extra-special treat that your dog does not ordinarily have the opportunity to enjoy.
Fear is the number one cause of a dog biting. The occurrence is frequently due to a dog’s anxiety, claustrophobia, or sense that danger is imminent. Be patient, and don’t use force when training a pet. The dog’s natural instincts will be to fight back. A puppy is expecting you to be the leader of his pack and is anxious to please you.
Introductions to other animals should be done very slowly. Make sure you take your existing pet into consideration before deciding to adopt a new one. Choose a pet who has a personality that corresponds to yours.
To succeed at training your dog, it is necessary to commit yourself to a regular schedule of training sessions. Dogs learn best through repetition and consistent training. Simply being with your dog each day lends a sense of trust and consistency to your dog’s perspective of you. You will be the alpha in the pack.
When a dog barks without good reason, refrain from yelling at the dog. Shouting to counteract barking can actually be a positive reinforcement for dogs, since they do not understand that you are not reacting at their barking. This feedback makes the dog know that they are not supposed to be barking at what it is they are barking at.
When you begin puppy training, do not assume you will not be bitten merely because you believe being human makes you the leader. Untrained dogs might think they are the leaders and try to correct you. The more you know about the typical behavior of an alpha, the easier it will be for you to demonstrate those behaviors as rightful leader. Even the calmest dog may bite you if they don’t understand your behavior.
Understand why it is said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. If your dog has been allowed to do a bad behavior for a long period of time, it will take some time to change the behavior. It’s much easier to change your dog’s behavior whenever this negative behavior is addressed at a young age.
As you read at the start of this article, people have numerous reasons to train your dog. Dogs are beloved for their loyalty and willingness to please their owners, which makes a properly trained one all the more enjoyable as a companion. Use the above advice to help your dog reach its full potential.
Any complicated or multistage task you would like to teach your dog should be broken down into steps. This includes tricks like training your dog to retrieve your newspaper. The first thing you should do is to teach him how to hold something. The next step is your dog learning to go over to the named object. Next, teach him to pick up your paper. Finally, your dog should learn to bring an object to you on command. If you keep it simple, your dog will realize the relationship in this type of behavior.