Dogs may be man’s best friend, but some days will leave you frustrated and feeling like your dog is against you. Do not despair. With some patience, and a little training, your unruly mutt can be better behaved in no time.
Timing is crucial when you train a dog, so you need to spend an adequate amount of time training them, but not too much. Start with a quick session initially, adding time with successive training periods. Once your dog is distracted, it is time for a break.
Be prepared to reward the dog as soon as it completes a positive behavior. You want your pet to know that you are pleased with his behavior. This will teach your dog what behavior is correct and expected.
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. Although it may be uncomfortable, it does not hurt them when done lightly. Eventually, they’ll quit jumping on other people because they’ll start associating jumping with this pinching.
Training methods you use should be consistent. When everyone is participating in the training progress, you should be sure that each member of the family is applying the same rules and commands. Use the same phrases and commands in every training session with your dog to avoid confusion.
Wearing a puppy out by overloading it with information and training is counterproductive. Puppies can only handle small amounts of training, so it is best to keep training to short but intense periods of time. 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.
While training your dog, you need to introduce it to different social situations as early as possible. The only way for your dog to learn how to behave around other people and pets is for him to experience the situation. This also helps to avoid hyper-activity in a new location.
It is critical that you teach your dog the difference between correct and incorrect behaviors. Doing this involves setting firm boundaries for acceptable behavior which all family members are willing to enforce. It can quickly make your efforts backfire!
Training Sessions
If you keep training sessions positive, your dog will always look forward to them. Your dog will enjoy training sessions most and be able to pay attention well if lessons are short. Ten to fifteen minutes is a good guideline. Rewards should be plentiful and varied. Give your dog plenty of praise and this will make him happy. This will make training and listening pleasurable for your dog.
Even though it may not be easy, you should always be patient with your dog. Your dog isn’t fluent in English after all. They can understand your tone and physical gestures, however they cannot understand why you are upset. Be cool and take breaks when you get frustrated in certain training sessions.
Most dogs have anxiety as a reason for chewing. Enclosing him in a crate will prevent accidents from occurring and leaving him a chew toy will discourage destruction of your property.
Your dog’s name should mostly be used for positive reinforcement. However, if you do use it in a negative way, make sure you turn around and use it positively at least three times afterwards. Your pet should be aware that his name is a good thing. You don’t want your pet to be scared to walk to you whenever you call his name.
When training a dog, make sure to stay consistent. Make sure everyone knows the right commands to give the dog; keep a list if necessary. Also, make sure to be on the same page regarding rewarding good behavior and never rewarding bad behavior. A dog will get confused if the reward does not always come after a good deed.
Keep a close eye on what environments cause your dog to bark more. When you know what the triggers are, you can fix the problem. If you notice that your dog barks even after visitors have arrived and settled in at your home, ask a friend to help you with this behavior.
Older Dog
Older pets have limitations that younger animals don’t. An older dog will never be able to be trained perfectly. They all have little quirks that you should learn to embrace! Also, an older dog may be set in their own routine. While teaching new habits to him may not be impossible, it is sometimes better to focus on negative things you can change and get used to living with the other habits.
When training your dog to fetch a ball, show him you are the leader by making him bring the ball to you at all times. He must bring it directly to you, not nearby. If he drops it at a distance from you, he is challenging your authority. Have the dog bring you the item or else you’ll stop playing with him and you’ll be the leader of the pack again.
Have your dog stand when you begin training him to sit. Hold a treat above him. Pass the treat directly above his head, moving your hand behind him. He will look upwards as he follows your hand. This can help engage your dog to sit down.
You will be amazed at the results once you start applying these tips. If your dog is getting on your nerves, it’s time to put the above tips to use.