Huzzah! So, what comes next? If you train your dog the right way he will be much happier. The following tips provide you with the information you need in order to successfully train your dog.
Dogs have great focus and can focus on one thing, ignoring everything else, until something breaks their attention. If you keep up with his training, your dog will look to you more often for direction rather than looking to the environment.
You must begin your relationship with the dog as the boss for any training to be effective. If the dog does not understand that you have control he will ignore your commands and act with outright disobedience. When you walk your dog, walk in front of him to establish leadership.
Be consistent with your training your dog to make sure your animal stays obedient to the rules it has been learning. One of the most common mistakes pet owners make is assuming that once training has been completed, no maintenance is required thereafter. You can encourage your dog to adopt good habits. For this reason, you need to reinforce what your dog has learned in training or better still, teach him a new trick every now and then.
Patience is the greatest virtue in canine training. This ensures that you both do not get frustrated. Keep in mind that they wish to please you; however, they get confused because they can’t understand your language.
Do not spend too much time in any one training session with your dog. If you spend too much time doing one training exercise, your dog will become bored. Limit the amount of time you train at first to less than 10 minutes.
Primary Reinforcement
Primary reinforcement is the method commonly used to train dogs. You need to give your dog a treat if they are good. Primary reinforcement could be treats or giving your dog a belly rub. By doing this method of training, your dog will learn that in order to get what they want, they must do what you want.
Prior to training your puppy, make a bond with your dog by teaching him what his name is. In the first days, frequently use your dog’s name, and reward him for responding when you call. It is a good idea to have your puppy learn these words first. It’s important to spend a lot of time playing with your puppy, this will help your puppy get to know you and learn to trust you. This will help them become more receptive to harder training later.
Avoiding accidents entirely is the best way to toilet train a dog. Look for signs that your dog needs to go outside. Constant whining, sniffing, and pacing around the house are all very common signs. Don’t delay; bring them outside. Get his leash so you can take him to the designated potty area. Give him praise for doing the right thing. He’ll want to go out and do the right thing soon enough.
Control your tone of voice when reinforcing your dog’s behavior, whether positive or negative. Dogs can pick up how you are feeling. It is okay to be stern when disciplining your dog.
Socialization with other people and pets is an important part of your dog’s training. The only way for your dog to learn how to behave around other people and pets is for him to experience the situation. This will help to reduce sporadic behavior in new environments as well.
Make sure that you are consistent when potty training your puppy. Spend plenty of time with him, and go outside with him once an hour. Praise him when he uses the bathroom outside. Never yell at your dog for relieving itself in the house. It does not know better, and yelling will just scare him. Instead, make the effort and take your dog outside 15 minutes after eating, and every 2 hours otherwise. Also, if you crate your dog, take him outside immediately after releasing him from the crate.
Challenge your dog to try new things and maintain the old things. Test your dog on occasion, to be sure that he remembers what you have taught him and help him keep it fresh in his mind.
Everyone Involved
Stay consistent when training your dog. Make sure everyone involved in your dog’s life uses the same commands that you do. Be certain that everyone understands what constitutes good behavior and what constitutes bad behavior. Make sure that responses to these behaviors are uniform. Your dog will understand what is required if everyone involved uses the same approach.
Pay attention to your surroundings when your dog starts barking. You can address the behavior better once you realize what the triggers are. For instance, if your pet barks when it sees visitors come into your house, have a friend go to your house more in order to address this type of behavior.
Use treats your dog really loves to achieve maximum training efficiency. It can even be an extra special treat you would not usually give your dog such as real bacon, hotdogs or even cheese.
Introductions to other animals should be done very slowly. If you want a second pet, look for one that will be compatible with your current pet. For optimal bonding, select a new pet whose personality is similar to that of your current pet.
Always discourage any bad behavior you see. When you say no, say it like you mean it. Do not holler and do not hit the dog with your hand or anything else. Discourage incorrect behavior in the moment it happens. Dogs do not remember things for long. If you don’t immediately correct your dog, they won’t understand what they did wrong.
Both the dog and owner are happier when the dog is well-trained. The advice in this article should create a new level of training between you and your dog.