A trained dog is a happy dog. When your dog is trained, both of you know what you can expect. Once trained, you will not have to worry about behavior problems when taken out into public or left home alone. It will not always be easy to train your dog. It takes a lot of time and effort to properly train a dog.
Timing is critical during puppy training; you need to take the time training, but don’t overdo it. Begin with small sessions and increase the time daily. When your dog loses interest, quit for the day.
Always reward good, calm behavior. If you are able to command your dog to do something the right way, then it is good to calmly reward your dog. Although you are certainly excited about your dog’s accomplishment, showcasing lots of excitement on your end can cause your dog to become too excited, which causes you to lose control. Be calm and be sure to reward appropriately.
A healthy diet is important to the health and well-being of your dog. It is entirely up to you to provide a good diet for your pet. Not only is this bad for their health, but it can influence their behavior towards you and their environment. Improving your dog’s diet will also improve its mental capacity.
Do not ever use a shock collar to train your dog. These devices are expensive and do not always work as well as you would expect them to. In addition, shock collars and some similar items can actually discourage your dog from practicing good behavior. These tools often do more harm than good.
Let any dog you approach sniff your hand first so he can smell you. This gives the dog a chance to become accustomed to your personal scent and shows him you mean no harm. When a dog recognizes the scent, they won’t fear you and will follow commands.
Make sure your dog understand he does not need to respond to the word “no”. Find some positive ways to enforce training when you train your dog. “No” is negative and doesn’t give your dog a real command he can follow. Tailor puppy training to suit the dog and the situation.
Most dogs learn best with positive reinforcement. Your dog should be rewarded with both small treats and happy words. Don’t shout at a dog or hit them. These forms of punishment are ineffective. Maintain a calm attitude anytime that your dog does wrong so that you can have a relationship o mutual respect with your dog.
To train your dog efficiently, you must learn how to be firm with it. However, you should avoid being too loud or aggressively reprimanding your dog as this will hurt your relationship. Your goal should be to show that you are both strict and forgiving. Doing so improves the relationship between you two.
When you are training your dog with a leash, try to ensure that the leash is loose. When a dog gets the chance to explore new sights, sounds and smells on a walk, he often becomes very excitable. Because they are so eager, they often pull on the leash. Some owners do not encourage this behavior and instead, allow some slack on the leash.
The first step in leash training your new puppy is by putting a collar on him while you play with him. It is important for the puppy to get used to the collar so it can be identified.
Your training will mold and shape your dog, so take the responsibility seriously. Keep this in mind, because negative behaviors toward the dog might have a lasting impact. Keep directing your dog toward positive behavior without damaging it with negative behavior.
To make the most of your training your dog efforts, stay consistent. Make sure everyone knows the right commands to give the dog; keep a list if necessary. In addition, make sure that the behaviors of the dog are treated consistently. Good behaviors get rewarded; bad behaviors do not. Different cues from different people will confuse your dog.
If you wish to participate in agility classes, be sure to choose a breed of dog that does well with this sort of activity. Many dogs can learn tricks and try their best, but if you want a dog that is good at competing, Shetland sheepdogs and Labs are a couple good examples of agile dogs.
A large breed dog needs a large dog bed to be comfortable. There are big, long dog beds around for larger dogs, or you could look for a mattress taken from a crib. A crib mattress has advantages; one being that you can use crib sheets and then change them as needed. Crib mattresses are also waterproof, which is another big advantage.
The important thing to understand about canine training is that it is about setting a precedence of what is expected from the relationship. The two of you will get so much more from each other once you figure this out. Do not let your dog forget what has been learned. Keep his memory crisp, and do not let any deviations from acceptable behavior slide through. Once you have taught your dog how to behave, you will find there is very little you two can’t accomplish together.