Good for you! What happens next? Investing the time in proper training will help you and your dog forge a much better relationship. These suggestions will help you in your pet training efforts.
Your dog needs to learn good feeding habits, and this is best accomplished with a clear routine. Feed your dog twice a day and only leave his food dish out for fifteen minutes. This will help your dog learn his feeding schedule. After some time training the dog this way, it will begin to finish the food before it is time to pick up the bowl.
Keep your dog active. Dogs can get bored easily. If your dog is not receiving enough mental stimulation, it may not respond well to training. Keeping your dog exercised and happy will help them pay attention more due to releasing all excess energy that often distracts them from your commands. Bring your dog along when you walk or jog.
Teaching a dog to walk correctly while on its leash is important. This will ensure both his safety and yours when you take him on walks.
“Leave it” is a command that should be taught and reinforced early on. This simple command is beneficial in making him stop on chewing furniture inside the house.
Positive Reinforcement
Only train your pet with positive reinforcement methods. Give your dog positive reinforcement if they do a good job. Never punish your dog with words or your hands. It only abuses the dog and causes him to be even more disobedient. To get the best results from your training your dog, you need to be firm and consistent, staying positive at all times.
Reduce as many accidents as possible when you’re toilet training your dog. Try to recognize your dog’s body language and anticipate his need to go out. Some clues to watch for are snuffling, whining and pacing. If you see any of these signs, get him outdoors! Get his leash and take him out to his designated toilet spot! Reward your dog for getting your attention when he needs to go out. Do this consistently and he will always let you know when he needs to go outside.
To limit your dog’s barking, see if you can acclimate them to whatever triggers their barking. Triggers can include strangers, loud sounds or new places. Your dog can learn he doesn’t have to bark.
If you want to get rid of a behavior, stop rewarding this behavior. If you do, he’ll think he’s the boss. When a dog barks, never reward it, for example.
When you’re consistent, he can learn to hold it in. When you’re at home, spend enough time with your pet and take him out of the house every hour. Praise him immediately as soon as he goes to the bathroom outside. If your dog has an accident in the house, never harshly reprimand it. He is unaware of the problem, and shouting will be ineffective. Take the dog for a walk approximately 15 minutes following a meal or a drink and each time it comes out of the crate.
As difficult as it can sometimes be, try to be patient with your dog. Your dog does not understand English, nor is he a person. An animal cannot grasp your thoughts and can only interpret your tone and nonverbal cues like gestures and facial expressions to some degree. Try to stay calm and use breaks if you feel overcome with frustration.
Dogs tend to chew as a reaction to feeling anxious. 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.
Be conscious of your dog’s needs, and allow them to act like a dog. Dogs need food designed for dogs, plenty of exercise, and lots of things to do.
If you ever use your dog’s individual name in a warning mode or tone, make sure that you complement that with three or four positive uses too. You don’t want to train your dog to be scared to come when called or to think you’re mad every time you use its name.
Always be consistent when you are training your dog. Have a list of your commands, and make sure that whomever else gives your canine commands knows these, too. Also, make sure everyone knows what behavior should be rewarded, and what is considered bad behavior. Your dog will understand what is required if everyone involved uses the same approach.
Understand that more mature dogs do have some basic limitations. You can certainly teach an old dog new tricks, but remember that it may not take 100 percent, no matter how hard you try. By adopting older dogs, you may face stubborn streaks. Teaching them some new things might be possible, but it’s easier to eliminate the biggest negatives while leaving the rest of them alone.
Try using a crate if you’re house training a dog. Let the dog out frequently and on schedule to effectively crate train them. Over time, dogs that are house trained with the use of a crate tend to have less accidents inside the home.
A dog that has been trained well is more happy and disciplined, and its owners are more likely to be happy as well. This article has hopefully laid a foundation for success as you start training your pet.