Some dog owners become so frustrated trying to train their dogs that they end up putting them into shelters because they just can’t deal with them anymore. However, you can prevent this from occurring. It is possible for a dog that is trained well to become a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted family member. Turning your dog into such a dog does not have to be a difficult process, if you’re willing to invest the time and follow a few simple steps.
When crate training your new puppy or dog, there are a few tricks you can apply. If they don’t want to go in the crate, try luring them in with a treat or chew bone. The puppy will want to enter the kennel to retrieve the treat. Open the door, and praise them when they go inside.
You need to reward your dog to be successful. It is important that you provide the right amount of treats at the correct times. Unless you administer praise and treats as soon as the dog exhibits the desired behavior, he will not be able to connect the behavior to the treat.
You will have to repeat commands several times before your dog learns it. It will take up to 50 repetitions to learn a new command. Keep trying the same commands until your dog remembers it for good.
Try to mistakenly avoid reinforcing any behaviors that are unwanted when doing training your dog. In basic terms, this means refusing to reward your dog, via attention or treats, for doing any action that you are trying to get them to stop doing. Don’t scratch the dogs back, give it a snack or reward it in any way if it jumps, barks or does anything you don’t approve of.
As the dog gets better at training, you can let it have more freedom. Maintaining a proper balance between obeying your commands and having some freedom will lead to a happier dog. Just be careful not to overdo it on the freedom initially as it can set your training your dog efforts back.
Training Sessions
During your training sessions, you should keep a close eye on the time. If you try to focus for a long period of time on one command, your dog will show signs of boredom and begin to get antsy. This is why you need to limit the time of your training sessions to around 10 minutes.
Use primary reinforcement when training your dog. You need to give your dog a treat if they are good. Some examples of primary reinforcements are food and rubbing the dog’s belly. This will enable your dog to learn how to obtain something it is interested in having.
If you plan on housebreaking your pet, you must work hard to avoid any preventable mistakes. Watch your dog carefully and learn the signs that they need to go outside. Pacing back and forth and showing you more attention are types of triggers. When you know the cue, take action immediately. Grab his leash and bring him to the spot where he uses the bathroom. Praise your dog when he does his business where he is supposed to. Your dog will eventually learn how to alert you when it’s time for them to use the restroom.
You need to be very consistent when training your dog. If the whole family is involved in the training, everyone should be on the same page as far as commands, discipline and rewards are concerned. When your dog only needs to understand a single set of directions, it is easier to learn and adopt the desired behaviors.
It’s a good idea to keep in mind the number of treats you are giving your dog throughout the day. Giving him too many will add unneeded calories to his diet and cause him to become overweight. To keep your dog healthy, you really need to monitor their treat intake. It’s an aspect often overlooked.
As discussed in this guide, having a healthy and happy dog is not hard to have. To train your dog, you must show him love and affection. Utilize the tactics above to help your dog become a part of the family.