There are lots of benefits to training your dog. It can help your dog be better behaved and can also help you become a better owner. The piece that follows explains the positives of training your dog and how you can get the most of every session. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy training your dog.
When you do give your dog correction verbally, make those corrections short, sharp and to the point. Don’t berate your dog with a lengthy speech. Say no and give them a command to do the right thing. Also speak with authority so they understand you mean business.
Feeding Schedule
Specific feeding habits should be established for your dog. Training your dog to expect that when fed, once or twice a day, you will be removing the food bowl in 10-15 minutes, will lay down a feeding schedule that your dog will adhere to. Your dog will soon become accustomed to his feeding schedule and eat quickly.
A dog has an inquiring mind and will look at one thing for quite a while until its attention is broken. After you do this enough times, it will become easier for you to get your dog’s attention. The dog will look for your signals.
Give your dog a clear verbal cue that means “yes” to aid in training. One good word can act as an appreciated segue from the good behavior to the ultimate reward.
Take the time to teach your dog how to behave when on a leash. This is important for both the dog’s safety, and your own.
Be careful not to spend too much time at once training your dog. If you try to focus for a long period of time on one command, your dog will show signs of boredom and begin to get antsy. This is why you need to limit the time of your training sessions to around 10 minutes.
A first step to training a puppy is get him used to hearing his name. Use their name often, and then teach them how to come to you when called. You should make sure your puppy learns their name and knows to respond to it. Spend lots of time with your dog, so it gets to know you and understands that you are to be trusted. This helps to build a relationship that will make it easier to train your puppy.
Dogs are just like people; they love hearing the sound of their own names and the use of the name will call them to attention. Use the name repeatedly during the first weeks after your dog’s arrival, so he pays attention to you when he hears the name. A short name which sounds distinct from many other words is preferable.
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 overdo it, he is likely to forget everything he learned and simply remember the experience in an unfavorable light, making it that much harder for you the next time you attempt the training.
If you teach your dog the right way to act at the beginning you will have a good dog. Your dog should learn the right ways of doing things instead of developing bad habits that will need to be corrected later on. Never feed your dog from the table, if you don’t want him to get the habit of begging for scraps.
Unwanted Behavior
Don’t forget to praise good behavior. You can act as though you are super excited and talk to them in a happy tone of voice. Never reward unwanted behavior as the dog will also relate the unwanted behavior to something positive as well.
As part of good training, you should learn if your dog’s breed requires special grooming. Dogs coats vary from very short to coats that have to be regularly groomed. Grooming keeps your dog happy and clean, and greatly reduces the risk of disease.
One tip to keep in mind when training your dog is that everything you do with your dog is molding its personality and behavior. Realize that you could very well sabotage your own training efforts with innocent activities such as rough-housing. Always work towards desired behaviors to mold them properly.
Training brings a plethora of rewards. When using the advice from the above article properly, you’ll see that you can even have fun training your dog. The outcome will be positive for both you and your dog.