Training your dog can be difficult, especially if it is your first time. The tips below can help you begin training your dog.

Try to view things from your dog’s perspective. You may feel burnt out if your dog does not seem to be responding to their training. Try putting thinking like your dog would, rather than quitting. Looking at the world through their eyes could give you new insights about training them.

TIP! If you want to train your dog, it helps if you can think like a dog. It’s easy to get mad if your dog is not doing the basic things you teach it.

Dogs can have a one-track mind and remain focused on one thing until you break the dog out of it. Your dog can learn to focus less and less, except for your commands, by using repetition.

When you begin house training, select a phrase to use repeatedly with your pet. Every time you take him outside, tell him “go potty,” (use whatever phrase you have chosen) and this will help him learn to focus and remember what he has gone outside to do.

Whenever you’re training your dog, be sure and use the same vocal tone when giving commands. Your tone will indicate that you’re serious and to be respected. It will also help him distinguish between a disciplinary tone, which is sharper, and a commanding tone.

TIP! Create a calm environment whenever you enter the room the dog is in. It’s great to play freely with your dog, but when you enter a room, you should not be bombarded.

Always be sure to have a reward or tasty morsel for your dog when he follows a command or learns something new. You want to be able to reward your dog when he does what you want him to do. You will ensure that your dog knows how to tell right from wrong if you do this.

Let your dog get used to triggers that make them bark to reduce the behavior. Everything from a sound to a particular person could be a trigger. Your dog will eventually learn not to react in these situations.

Don’t bog your puppy down with more information than he can process. A puppy’s attention span is short and their energy is limited, so your sessions should be short and positive. If you try to do too much too fast, he will associated it as a negative experience and will resist in the future.

TIP! Give your puppy his own toys that he can chew to remove pain due to teething, and keep him away from chewing other items. Give it an actual chew toy in its place.

Leash training starts with putting a collar on your puppy while you play. It is imperative that the puppy become comfortable with his collar. This will allow for using a leash correctly and allow for ID tags for the pup should it wander.

Don’t reward or ignore bad behavior because you want to put a stop to it. This is sure to send the message that the dog has free reign and can control you. For instance, giving a dog a treat each time it barks.

Regular challenges will keep your dog from losing his chops. Give him a quiz where he has to perform all of his tricks, even if you know for a fact he does.

TIP! In order to prevent your dog from jumping on you, grab its paws anytime he jumps on you and gently squeeze them to inform them that this isn’t acceptable behavior. This does not hurt the dog if you do it lightly, but it is an uncomfortable feeling for them.

If you want to take your dog to agility competitions, do some research on this discipline and make sure you get the best breed for these competitions. Most dogs can do the sport, but competitions call for certain breeds most of the time.

Don’t let dogs bark due to boredom. Dogs that are barking from boredom are because of owner flaws. You must provide enough stimulation to keep your dog engaged both mentally and physically. You need to take the time out of your busy day to take your pet on a walk. During the times that you can’t do these things, make sure you dogs have some chew toys to distract themselves.

Dogs are no different from people in that they often have unique learning styles. For example, a laid back and loving dog will likely thrive on positive reinforcement, whereas a more aggressive dog may need negative reinforcement in order to respect your alpha position. If you discover that your method of training isn’t effective, then it’s likely you should select another method.

Family Members

You should teach all family members the same commands that you use for training your dog. If you mix up commands, like one family member saying “up” when another says “jump,” the dog will have a more difficult time figuring out what you want. If all family members are consistent in using the same commands, you will have more success in training your dog.

As the tips have shown, training your dog is a great way to foster good behavior and perhaps even some fun tricks. When you put these ideas into action, you will become more proficient with training your dog. You will be taking the first steps towards becoming an expert.