What a great thing! You will find this is a very rewarding experience, but knowing what to do next can be stressful. Proper training will make the time spent with your pet much more enjoyable. These tips will give you all the tools you need to train your pet.

When you are working on crate training with your new dog or puppy, always take steps to let them know it’s their home. At meal times always put their bowl of food inside the crate leaving the door open the whole time while they are eating. This will create a good association between the crate and their food.

TIP! Repetition is what causes a dog to learn. It isn’t unusual to have to repeat a trick dozens of times before the dog understands.

Do not tether two dogs close to each other. Doing so could cause injuries to the dogs if they become entangled in the chains and attempt to free themselves. If one dog is larger than the other, it could accidentally tangle the cord around the smaller dog’s neck, causing it to become unable to breath, and possibly die.

Your dog must respect you in order for training to work. Otherwise, the dog will think that he is in charge and will not respond to your training tactics. Do not let your dog walk ahead of you when you go on walks.

When house-breaking your puppy, choose a specific phrase to use when it’s time to go outdoors. When you take your puppy outside, say “go potty” to them so they will eventually associate the phrase with going to the bathroom outside.

TIP! Are you house training your dog? If so, then understand that the food and water they consume must come out at some point. To have your dog on a consistent bathroom schedule, have him or her eating quality food about two or three times every day, at the exact same time.

When approaching a strange or unfamiliar dog, approach slowly, while allowing the dog to sniff the back side of your hand. This lets them warm up to the scent and they’ll most likely trust you. As you become close to one another, fear will be diminished and opportunities to learn together will be increased.

When training your dog, one of the first commands they should be aware of is the “drop” command, which lets them know they should drop any items they have in their mouth. You can protect their safety and stop them from destroying valuables by teaching them to obey this simple command.

Training lessons should be kept short. Dogs have a short attention span, and keeping the training sessions short and sweet prevents them from becoming a boring chore your dog dreads. If you want to have a full day of training, then ensure you provide your dog with plenty of breaks so that they can relax for a little while before they continue their training regimen.

TIP! Be certain your dog knows that you are the leader of your pack. Your dog must see you as a leader, or they will not follow your commands.

Puppy training means consistency. Try to use the dog’s name in the start of the command. First, call his name then give him a verbal or gesture command. Dogs usually respond to names immediately and they know you need them to be attentive.

Keep training sessions with your puppy short. Puppies have short attention spans and they cannot focus too much, so have shorter sessions and try to be positive during them every time. If you do too much the puppy will just forget what you have taught him, and remember it in a negative way, it will be harder to help him in the end.

Teach your dog to get “down”. This is a command that is great as a foundation for other commands, and can also be used alone in emergencies. “Down” is the perfect command to keep dogs out of danger.

You should always give your dog a challenge. Quiz him on what he knows, even if you know he’s still got it.

Give your dog a treat to get him to respond as you desire. Once your dog gets used to following your command, then only reward your dog half the time. Gradually reduce the amount of treats you give your dog until they only receive one on occasion.

If agility is an important quality in your next pet, you should learn which breeds are most naturally suited to it. Any dog can perform the sport but the popular breeds are border collies, Australian shepherds, labs and sheepdogs.

TIP! Make sure to use the exact same tone with your dog every time you give him a command. This lets the dog know you are serious.

If your dog barks too much, take note of the ongoing activities or the environment. When you understand these triggers, you will better understand how to stop the behavior. For example, invite a friend over to assist you in training your dog if he always barks when that particular friend is around.

Make use of a crate when training your dog. It is important to put your dog out on a regular schedule for the crate method to work. Given time, a crate trained dog is much less likely to have accidents inside.

Both dogs and owners are happier once a dog is well-trained. With the tips in this article, you now have the information you need to get started with puppy training.