Training your dog is important for an obedient relationship between you and your canine friend. There are good and bad points to canine training, but you’ll have more success if you acquaint yourself with a variety of techniques. Learn the following tacticsd to make training your dog easier.
Your dog will perform best on a healthy diet. A poor diet is bad for your dog on several levels. It can damage your dog’s health and affect their behavior. Providing a dog with fresh water and a high protein diet can have an astounding affect on their health and attitude.
Dogs tend to concentrate on one thing to the exclusion of everything else unless that concentration is interrupted. Dogs learn by repetition so with continued training, your dog will immediately focus on what you are saying.
When using a crate to train your dog, you’ll want to make sure that you select the right size. Do not forget that all puppies will grow up. Choose a crate that is sure to be the right proportions for the adult dog you will eventually have. Your dog should be able to make itself comfortable in a crate big enough for it to toss and turn.
You need to leash train your dog. When they walk properly, it makes both of you safer when you both go walking.
When training your pet, you must be patient. This will cause you not to be frustrated and angry with your dog during this process. Understand that your dog actually wants to please you, however he/she can be confused with what it is you want them to do.
Be cognitive of the duration of time you and your dog devote to training sessions. If you spend too much time doing one training exercise, your dog will become bored. Try to keep the initial sessions limited to about 10 minutes.
If your dog is jumping on you, grab his paws with your hands and gently squeeze them to deter his behavior. This does not hurt the dog if you do it lightly, but it is an uncomfortable feeling for them. Since it is so uncomfortable, they’ll avoid jumping on people.
Make sure your dog’s training is 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. The dog will have an easier time learning if he has only one set of commands to learn and if he knows what response each behavior will receive.
It is never a good idea to provide a reward for bad behavior when attempting to end a particular negative behavior. This method will only result in the dog learning to do what it pleases. This includes things like treating to avoid barking.
When taking your dog on a trip, be sure to have collar and leash, food and water, your dog’s bed and plenty of plastic bags to clean up after your dog. Include water, food bowls, bathroom bags and paper towels, so you can have a relaxing ride. Rather than carrying large bags of dog food on your trip, just make time to purchase some when you arrive at your destination.
Your dog needs to learn what ‘down’ means. This is one of the basics, and is good for emergencies. When something dangerous approaches, the dog will lie down and avoid the problem immediately.
Older Dogs
It’s possible to teach older dogs newer tricks, but consider conditions or medical issues that might limit some behavioral training. For instance, arthritis and crawling long distances might not work well. Older dogs often find mental stimulation in training, keeping them young at heart. Do make sure that your dog is not in pain when engaging in exercise and training sessions.
Dogs that suffer from separation anxiety should always be in the company of other people. The dog needs to develop relationships to other people so its unhealthy fixation on you can start to diffuse.
Try using a clicker to help enforce good behavior. When using a clicker, be sure to make a positive relation between the clicker’s noise and the good things that you want your dog to do. When you click give your dog a treat right away; do this a lot when you start out. Eventually, your dog will learn that the noise means “good,” and this will help shape their behavior by using this tool.
Never raise your voice to your dog during training. Shouting to counteract barking can actually be a positive reinforcement for dogs, since they do not understand that you are not reacting at their barking. This feedback loop leads the dog to believe that whatever they’re barking at is actually a big deal, so stay calm and distract your dog to deter problem barking.
Focus on being aware of the signs your dog gives you about what he does not want. When your dog seems uncomfortable, keep people or animals away. Your dog has his reasons for being uncomfortable and it is best to respect them. If you push too hard, the dog may react poorly or violently.
Take your pet to the vet if you notice any abnormal behavioral issues to see if they are stemming from a health problem. Pain in an animal can cause erratic behavior. This happens because they are unable to voice their pain to their owner and this may help the owner to identify that something is wrong.
Whenever you want your dog’s attention, use its name. You must have a good response from your dog in order to have a proper amount of control. Call your dog by name 10 times each day until he readily responds to your voice with no further encouragement. You must never scold your dog for running up to you when its name is called.
It is essential that you your dog listens to you. Use the tips from this article to make training your dog a little easier. It takes a lot of time, and it is a practice in patience to get your dog to listen. If you want a dog that listens you must be consistent with them.