Dog training, when individuals initially take home their new pup, training is something they may not anticipate. If you understand the proper way to train your dog, you will be be able to avert problem behaviors down the road. This article contains a number of helpful tips on training your new puppy that will keep both you and your pet happy for many years to come.
Dog Training Tip # 1 : Pay Attention To Your Dog
Find out to listen to your puppy. If your dog appears to be uncomfortable meeting another dog, animal or person, don’t insist that he say hello. He’s telling you that he isn’t comfortable for a reason, and you should respect that. Forcing the issue can often result in bigger problems down the line.
Dog Training Tip # 2 : Be Nice With Your Love
Many people don’t have a problem being really clear about if they are dissatisfied with their puppies, but, they frequently ignore the good stuff. Big mistake! Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when he’s doing the right thing. Let him know when he’s been a good boy. That’s the time to be extra generous with your attention and praise. It’s even okay to be a little over the top.
Dog Training Tip # 3 : Does He Really Like It?
Just because the bag says “a treat all dogs love” doesn’t mean your dog will love it. Some dogs are very picky about what they like to eat. Soft and chewy treats are generally more exciting for your dog than hard and crunchy treats. Keep your eyes open for what he likes.
Dog Training Tip # 4 : Inform Him What You Want Him to Do
There exists absolutely nothing inherently wrong with telling your dog “no,” with the exception that it doesn’t provide him enough info. Instead of telling your dog “no,” tell him what you want him to do. Dogs don’t generalize well, so if your dog jumps up on someone to say hello and you say no, he may jump higher or he may jump to the left side instead of the right. A better alternative would be to ask him to “sit.” Tell him what you want him to do in order to avoid confusion.
Dog Training Tip # 5 : Stay Consistent
Whenever you’re instructing your dog, it’s important to get as many members of the family involved as you can so everyone’s on the same page. If you are telling your dog “off” when he jumps on the couch and someone else is saying “down,” while someone else is letting him hang out up there, how in the world is he ever going to learn what you want? Consistency will be the key to your success.
Dog Training Tip # 6 : Have Realistic Objectives
Changing conduct will take time. You need to have realistic expectations about changing your dog’s behavior as well as how long it will take to change behaviors that you don’t like. Often behaviors which are “normal” doggie behaviors will take the most time such as barking, digging and jumping. You also need to consider how long your dog has rehearsed the behavior. For example, if you didn’t mind that your dog jumped up on people to say “Hi” for the last seven years and now you decide that you don’t want him to do that anymore, that behavior will take a much longer time to undo than if you had addressed it when he was a pup. Remember it’s never too late to change the behavior, some will just take longer than others.
Dog Training Tip # 7 : Don’t Ignore Some Great Benefits Of Feeding a High Quality Meal
Supply your pet with the right high quality diet, with suitable amounts of protein. If your dog spends most of his days lounging in your condo, don’t feed him food with a protein level that is ideal for dogs who herd sheep all day. The money that you will spend on feeding an appropriate quality food will often be money that you save in vet bills later on. I recommend you always check with your veterinarian for the right diet for your dog.
Dog Training Tip # 8 : You Get Whatever You Strengthen – Not Necessarily What You Want
In the case of your pet displaying a conduct you don’t like, there exists a strong probability that it’s something that has been strengthened before. A great example is when your dog brings you a toy and barks to entice you to throw it. You throw the toy. Your dog has just learned that barking gets you to do what he wants. You say “no,” and he barks even more. Heaven forbid you give in and throw the toy now! Why? Because you will have taught him persistence pays off. Before you know it you’ll have a dog that barks and barks every time he wants something. The solution? Ignore his barking or ask him to do something for you (like “sit”) before you throw his toy.
Dog Training Tip # 9 : Bribery compared to Reward
The idea of using treats to train is often equated with bribery. Truthfully, dogs do what works. If using treats gets them to do what you want, then why not? You can also use the world around you as a reinforcement. Every interaction you have with your dog is a learning opportunity, so when you think about it, you probably don’t use food very often except during active training sessions. So why does your dog continue to hang out? Because you reinforce him with praise, touch, games and walks. Just remember, the behavior should produce the treat; the treat should not produce the behavior.
Dog Training Tip # 10 : Flexibility
Allow your brand new dog to gradually earn flexibility throughout your property. A common error that many pet parents make is giving their new dog too much freedom too soon. This can easily lead to accidents relating to housetraining and destructive chewing. So, close off doors to unoccupied rooms and use baby gates to section off parts of the house, if necessary. One of the best ways to minimize incidents is to keep your dog tethered to you in the house and by using a crate or doggie safe area when you can’t actively supervise him.
