There are many schools of thought on the best ways to train your dog. Whether you believe your dog should be allowed to sleep with you in your bed or if you think that your dog is a pet that should stay off the furniture, you can teach your dog basic obedience and commands.
If you are serious about training your dog, remember to be a dog during training. Dogs establish control and behavior through physical commands and less through spoken command. When you want your dog to exhibit a certain behavior, use nudges or posture adjustments physically along with your verbal commands. These are traits your dog expects and will respond accordingly.
Create a regular schedule for your dog. Make sure his meals are at the same time each day, and walk him morning and night. Try to take him out for toilet breaks using a consistent routine. Dogs tend to thrive when they have a schedule that they can follow.
Watch what sort of activities you are encouraging your dog to do. Sometimes we may perform actions with our dog without realizing that they are training them to do something we dislike. If every time your dog chews something up you send him outside, you are teaching him that chewing something up is the key to getting outdoor time. Be careful with the actions you take, especially ones that tend to be consistent practices.
Prepare to administer lessons to your dog repeatedly. Most dogs will not pick up a new command with just one or two tries. Sometimes it is helpful to focus on one or two commands a day so that through your sessions you are repeating enough times to fix the commands solidly in your dog’s memory.
Properly trained dogs can be taught to regard their crate as a place of safety. When possible always keep the crate in a central location so that the dog learns to understand that it is there and available all the time. He will begin to seek it out when he is tired and even when he is scared and seeking comfort.
Throwing out your dog’s food bowl can assist you with your training program. Studies have shown that animals respond well to working for their meals. Incorporate food as a reward in your training and also, use it for entertainment purposes. You can do this by putting the food in a toy or a puzzle.
Don’t feed your dog food they aren’t accustomed to when house training them. Very rich foods, in particular, make it hard for a dog to control their bowels. Stick to the tried and true in terms of types of food and the quantity you feed and the house breaking experience will proceed much more smoothly.
When training your dog to specific commands, don’t mix in pleasantries and other extra words. Give the command word sharply and alone. Your dog doesn’t understand words like “please”, and won’t be upset at your lack of manners. Keeping the commands alone and clear makes it easier for your dog to understand and obey.
Never cave in to bad behavior. Your dog will always love you, but it needs to know that you’re the boss. Don’t encourage bad behavior and let your dog know that any such behavior will be met with punishment. At the same time, make sure you reward good behavior as well.
Whenever your dog improves in his training, allow him some extra freedom. Maintaining a proper balance between obeying your commands and having some freedom will lead to a happier dog. Just be cautious not to give too much freedom at once, as this may have a counter effect on your dog training.
It is important to leash-train your dog. This helps keep both you and your dog safe when going on walks.
Keep tabs on the number of treats you give to your dog as a reward in order to avoid making him gain weight. Many people do not factor in treats when they are tabulating a pet’s diet, but they do add up, particularly while you are training.
Wait 10 to 15 minutes after a puppy eats or drinks before you take them out to go potty. Usually, a puppy has to go in a very short time after eating and drinking. To help minimize accidents in between the time you take them outside, remember that puppies do not require a full bowl of water. If you control how much you give them, then you will be in control of training them when they need to relieve themselves.
Your opinion on what truly means a dog is “trained,” may differ from your neighbor, friends, or even dog training instructors. Whatever your beliefs, by training your dog to follow basic commands and to obey your instructions, you will create a happier, safer home for you, your pets, and other members of your family.
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