You should realize that if you train your dog well, you will enjoy having them as part of the family more. When a dog has great training and is perfectly socialized, they are so much fun to be with. This part of your life will be a great joy. For the sake of a good relationship between your canine and you, keep reading.
When crate training your new puppy or dog, there are a few tricks you can apply. To entice a hesitant puppy into the crate, give it the incentive of a toy or bone inside, with the door shut. The puppy will want to enter the kennel to retrieve the treat. When they go inside to get the bone, give them lots of positive reinforcement.
When doing crate training, train your dog incrementally rather than trying to do it all at once. Once he is comfortable walking in and out of the crate, try quietly closing the door and offering him a biscuit through the wires. At first, leave the dog enclosed in the crate for only short periods of time, such as 10 seconds, and then gradually increase the duration. If they start to fuss, you are going too fast.
When you correct your dog verbally, those corrections should be short and focused on the behavior. Do not waste time ranting about how bad your dog is. Say no and let them know what you would rather have them do. The tone of your voice should let them know you are serious about the command you are making.
Have a good reward system when training your dog. You must always provide treats in a wise and timely fashion. The reason is that dogs may not grasp why they receive rewards if they are given at odd times.
Try not to reinforce bad behaviors from your dog. This means don’t give your dog treats or attention for something he should not be doing. If they jump on you, don’t pet them, for example.
As you begin training your dog, create a verbal cue that allows your pet to understand the exact moment that they correctly complete your command. It’s faster to tell your dog “yes” than it is to find and give it a treat.
Stay away from high end training devices like shock collars. They often do not function properly and their cost is rarely justified. They can cause your dog to be confused about all their behaviors. In short, using techniques like this could have negative effects.
Call your pooch by his name to keep his attention focused on you. It is especially important to do this during the first weeks of training, in order to establish that name-attention association. Select a name that is short and distinctive.
A training program that pushes the limits of a dog’s attention and endurance is not likely to produce good results. Puppies have short attention spans and don’t focus well, so make sure to keep your training sessions short, but as positive as you can. He’ll likely forget everything you taught him if you do too much at once. He will also look at training as a negative experience and it will be harder next time.
Effective puppy training requires instilling good behaviors from day one. It is easier to instill good habits than it is to deal with bad ones. Never feed your dog from the table, if you don’t want him to get the habit of begging for scraps.
Keep track of the number of treats you give your dog. Your dog needs to watch his weight, too. A lot of people forget to account for treats given during training when considering a dog’s diet plan.
Keep training sessions short for best results. You should spend only fifteen minutes for every single task you give your dog. Going over this time per task is only going to frustrate both you and your dog, which impedes progress. Play with and praise your dog after the training session to reinforce training.
Teach your dog to learn ‘down’. You can use this in emergencies, but also as a stepping stone to many other training skills. Teaching your dog the down command can be extremely useful.
Try to challenge your pet on a regular basis. Make sure you quiz him on the stuff he knows, so he stays on his toes.
If you’re house training a dog, try using a crate. Always take your dog out consistently if you want to be effective at crate training. You will have fewer accidents if you take the time to crate train your dog.
Training your dog will take some time out of your day, so plan accordingly. Dogs need consistency and repetition to learn. Spending time consistently with your dog lets him know he can depend and rely upon you. These are two qualities that will work to make you the leader of the pack!
Reinforce your dog’s positive behaviors. You do not necessarily need to punish the dog for errors, but you should not reinforce problematic behaviors. Your dog can become skittish and frightened around you. Use positive reinforcement to train your dog with treats.
Make sure that your dog is up-to-date on all check-ups. Rule out physical problems if your dog is exhibiting odd behaviors or is regressing in training. Dogs hide discomfort and pain for a long time. Frequently, the only way you will know that a health problem exists is when you observe changes in behavior. Aggression can show pain, and “accidents” around the house could show an infection or even bladder stones.
Many times people expect that training their puppy will be much more difficult and stressful that it actually is. Through making behavioral changes within yourself, and applying the right techniques, your dog’s behavior will come a long way.