Shelters are filled with dogs that didn’t live up to owners’ expectations. Properly trained dogs are healthy and happy members of a family. A little bit of time, patience and repetition are all it takes to turn your dog into a more respectful companion.
Your training sessions must be long enough for your dog to learn the desired behavior but no so long that he becomes bored. Start out with a small training session and up the time every day. Once your dog is distracted, it is time for a break.
Only reward your dog if they are calm. Immediately after the animal acts in accordance with your command, reward him. This helps to calm the animal and reinforce your training efforts. While you might be pleased, acting too excited may cause the dog to get agitated, lessening your control. Remain calm, expect them to be calm, and then award them when appropriate.
Dogs generally focus on one thing while ignoring everything around them, unless something interrupts that intense focus. After you do this enough times, it will become easier for you to get your dog’s attention. The dog will look for your signals.
Consistency is very important when you are crate training your puppy. When your puppy gets out of its crate, you need to give it the occasion to relieve itself right away. Over time, the puppy will be able to wait until the appropriate opportunity to answer the call of nature.
Before you begin training your dog, you need to establish yourself as the alpha. You have to show your dog that you are in control or he will not obey or respect you. For example, when you walk your dog you must be in front and you should insist your dog follows behind you.
“Leave it” is an important command to teach, starting when you bring your dog home. This command is a great way to avoid damaging furniture or eating dangerous things.
Your dog needs to learn what the word “no” means. When training your dog, you need to find positive ways to enforce your training. When you tell your dog “no” during training, he has no idea what you want him to do instead of the behavior you reprimand. All dogs differ and their training ought to be customized.
When you toilet train your dog, avoid accidents! Watch your pet to identify his unique behaviors and signals that indicate when he must relieve himself. Common ones include whining, pacing and even consistent staring. Don’t put it off when your dog is doing these things. Get out the leash and head for their designated potty area. Be sure to give him praise for proper toileting. At some point, he will start asking to go out.
Be consistent when training your dog. If more than one member of your family is training your dog, be sure all people use the same commands, rewards and discipline. The dog is sure to have a simpler time learning, as long as he is asked to obey just one group of commands and is given consistent responses.
Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. Treats don’t spring to mind when thinking about a pet’s diet, but they have an impact – one that is magnified during the reward-heavy training process.
Guarantee that your dog can tell right from wrong within all situations. Doing this involves setting firm boundaries for acceptable behavior which all family members are willing to enforce. It can quickly make your efforts backfire!
As previously stated, the idea of having good dog is not farfetched. It is imperative that you give your pet a lot of your time and attention. By sticking with the guidelines from this article, you can help to assure your pet’s place in your family as a happy and healthy presence.