Training a new puppy can be overwhelming. Training your dog not only benefits you, it also helps to keep your dog safe. You need to always use positive reinforcement to train your pet. Both patience and consistency are required. Plan on spending at least 20 or 30 minutes a day training your puppy, because it will not be receptive for a longer period of time. They will become easily bored if you try it for much longer.
Make the dog know that the crate is it’s home when you are doing crate training. At meal times, try to place their food in the crate by leaving the door wide open while they’re eating. The crate will then become associated with the food they love.
You can try a little bit of ingenuity if you are going with crate training for your indoor dog or puppy. If your pet is nervous about the crate, consider putting a toy or treat inside to motivate them to go in. A tempting bone will prove too hard to resist, and the dog will be panting to get into the crate in no time. Praise your dog once he gets into the crate.
Reprimands should be delivered quickly and in a sharp tone. Do not drag on in a rant to your dog about how bad they are. Be firm and get them to do your bidding. When speaking to your dog, use a voice that commands respect.
Teething can be painful which is why your puppy chews on things, so always give him a choice of chew toys to keep him from getting into trouble. Then, give it something that it is allowed to chew on if it likes. A frozen washcloth is a great way to help your pup ease his teething pain.
It is best to train your pet without unintentionally affirming his undesirable behaviors and mistakes. Avoid giving them any rewards they haven’t earned. For instance, do not rub its head when it comes and jumps at you when you get home when you do not want your dog to do this.
Always be patient when you train your dog. This prevents both of you from getting irritated and angry with the training. It takes time for your dog to learn what is expected from him. Understand that your dog wants your approval and is doing his best to earn it.
Begin training your dog with a task that will be simple for him to learn. It will provide almost instant gratification, and it will show your dog what is expected. In doing so, you will see more consistent and positive results.
When training your dog, use discretion and regard for your dog’s attention span. Dog attention spans only go so far, so make sure not to go on too long. Training sessions should be limited to about 10 minutes of time or less.
Dogs need at least 60 minutes of exercise time every day, on top of training and bathroom breaks. When your dog gets enough exercise, training sessions are usually more effective and produce faster results. A dog that’s well exercised is a responsive and content dog.
To keep your dog from barking, teach them to obey to a simple order that will make them quiet. Use negative reinforcement to stop your dog from barking when it engages in this action. Then, they can receive the treat. If you repeat this long enough, your dog will associate the treat and then the order with being quiet.
Be certain to maintain consistency in training. When everyone is participating in the training progress, you should be sure that each member of the family is applying the same rules and commands. It will be easier for a pet to learn a single set of commands.
Praise is key to reinforcing good behavior during training. Smile at your dog and give them treats to reinforce good behavior. Do not reward undesirable behavior, because the dog will get mixed messages.
One trick to remember when training your pet is that the things that you do will surely mold its behavior throughout its life. This is something you need to know since you might undo desired behaviors with horse-playing or teasing them. Always be careful not to reward these bad behaviors to prevent your dog from becoming confused.
If you want to get rid of a behavior, stop rewarding this behavior. This will teach your pet that it could do whatever it is that it wants and that it has control over you. Do not ever reward bad beahvior.
Challenge your dog to try new things and maintain the old things. Test what he knows by giving commands, even if you are sure that he has the skill mastered.
If you’re interested in your dog’s agility, it’s a great idea to pick a dog that’s suited for it. Any dog can perform the sport but the popular breeds are border collies, Australian shepherds, labs and sheepdogs.
Keep these tips in mind to have a happier dog. Doing this makes your neighborhood, home, and dog safer. The training ideas in this article will lead you down the right path, so keep them in mind as you work.