You thought you were bringing home Lassie from the pound, but some days it feels more like you might have brought home Cujo! Fortunately, continuing your training sessions will pay off, with a dog that is well behaved and joy to be around.
Consider things from your dog’s perspective. Frustration is easy during puppy training. You should never give up on them, try looking at it from your dog’s vantage point. Your training will improve if you view things the way they do.
Consistency is key in crate training a puppy. Always give the pup the option to go to the bathroom after leaving his crate. When done with consistency, your dog will trust you and wait for the right time to relieve himself.
Among the first commands that you should teach your puppy is the command “leave it,” which tells the puppy to drop whatever he has in his mouth and back away from it. This can help stop them from chewing on your belongings and prevents them from ingesting harmful things away from the home.
Limit the duration of training sessions. Your dog is going to get bored doing the same thing over and over. Limit the amount of time you train at first to less than 10 minutes.
A key part of training your dog is to start early. It is far simpler to teach a dog to do something the right way than to break bad habits. To avoid a dog that begs for table scraps, never give it table food to begin with.
Expect mistakes and setbacks when housebreaking a puppy. When accident do happen, clean them up rapidly and thoroughly. Carpets are known to trap the smell of urine and encourage the dog to return to that spot for further marking. Your local animal store may have numerous products to help eliminate this.
Don’t forget to praise good behavior. You can act as though you are super excited and talk to them in a happy tone of voice. Avoid rewarding improper behavior since the dog will relate this to positive reinforcement too.
If you are consistent, it is possible to teach a dog to delay responding to nature’s call. When you are at home, spend time with your dog and take him outside every hour. When he does his toilet outside, remember to praise him. If your dog has an accident in the house, never harshly reprimand it. Your dog knows no better, and your yelling is not going to change things. Allow your dog the chance to go out after meals and when he gets out of a crate/pen.
When you reprimand your dog by using his name, follow it up with using his name in a positive manner at least three times. Your dog should know that you can call their name when they are happy and mad so they are not always afraid of coming when they hear their name.
Above all else, consistency is the key to effective puppy training. A list of directives should be available to anyone who may give instructions to your dog at some time. Anyone needing to handle your dog should follow the same program, using reward for good behavior and taking care to never reward bad behavior. If everyone is on the same page, the dog will better understand what is expected of him.
If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing on an inappropriate item, stop it right away. Through replacement, you will teach your dog that chewing is fine as long as it is an acceptable chew toy.
Using a crate is an effective way to house train your dog. Be sure to let your dog out regularly and on a consistent schedule to make crate training effective. Soon you’ll find that your crate-trained dog will have learned to avoid inside accidents.
Dogs who have something to do tend not to get into trouble, such as eating out of the trash can. You can also curb such behavior by emptying the trash often and putting savory leftovers in a separate, sealed bag. Always put your dog in a crate when you leave home.
It is important to take your dog to the vet for checkups. If your dog is going through a tough time with training or seems to be regressing, ensure his health is good. Dogs are able to easily hide any pain or discomfort. Often, you will not see physical symptoms of illness, but you will see behavioral indicators. For instance, aggression can signal pain, and a sudden house training regression may indicate an infection in the urinary tract.
When teaching your dog not to chew on things that are not toys, you should try to facilitate success. It is also important that a dog who chews is protected from danger. Any objects which your dog could choke on or become entangled in should be kept out of reach.
Keep your dog occupied if you need to walk past something that will set him off. For instance, if your dog reacts negatively to other dogs, you need to keep his focus on you as you come into contact with them. This could re-jigger his associations and make him associate other dogs with positive reinforcement.
Never yell at a dog that is barking. Shouting will cause your dog to bark more because they think that you are reacting positive to their behavior. This can lead to a vicious cycle of barking and yelling, so try to stay calm while squelching your dog’s barking.
Watch your dog’s body language to understand what he does and does not want. If your dog isn’t comfortable around new people, don’t push him. He’s telling you he needs some space. If you take them around new people and they do not like it, they may bite them or growl.
Most dog owners are surprised at how simple it is to include dog training routines into their lifestyle and how fast they see results. So if you are looking to change any of your dog’s wayward ways, try some of our tips for quick success!