Training a puppy could be overwhelming. Yet it is well worth it, especially since a trained dog is generally considered safer, more loyal and far more enjoyable to be around. It is essential to you and your puppy that you use positive training your dog methods. Consistency and patience are key elements in puppy training. Every day, you should devote about half an hour to training your pet as this is the optimal duration for a single session. Longer than that causes boredom.
Here are a few ways to make crate training more positive for your dog. If they are hesitant about the crate, you can put a nice chew bone inside and shut the gate while they are not in it. Your dog will get excited at the prospect of the treat and soon be eager to enter the crate. When he does, praise him for it so he knows it was a good thing to do.
When you correct your dog verbally, try making those corrections short and straight to the point. Do not rant on at length to your dog telling them how they were bad. Just say no, then let them know what behavior you want to see. Your tone should be stern to let them know you are serious.
Make sure that there is a calm environment in the room where your dog is. Play time is good to have with your pet, however, your dog should remain calm when you enter the room. Don’t acknowledge your dog until you decide. This will establish a controlled atmosphere.
Always give your puppy plenty of toys to chew on to help with teething pain. Otherwise, you might find your shoes becoming chew toys. You should replace the object with a chew toy as soon as this occurs so your dog understands what is okay to chew on. To help your dog cope with painful teething, give him a wet washcloth that has been frozen.
You should not tie up multiple dogs where they can reach each other, no matter how friendly they are. The chain of one dog could become wrapped around the other and, as the dogs struggle to free themselves, one or both could be injured. Becoming wrapped up could also cause death if one of the dogs gets so tangled and wrapped up his airway closes.
It is important to have an appropriately sized dog crate. As your dog gets older, he will probably grow larger. Choose a crate that your puppy can grow in, but won’t grow out of. At full size your dog should be able to move around without feeling too constricted.
Shock Collars
Do not use shock collars and similar training devices. In many cases, they do not live up to the advertising expectations created, and are just more money than more effective and traditional training tools. Plus, using shock collars could discourage your dog in having good behavior. It is common for these tactics to create adverse behavior.
When you approach a strange dog, make sure you approach him slowly and allow the dog to sniff your hand. Extending your hand lets the animal familiarize himself with your unique scent, making him more receptive to a friendly interaction. After the dog becomes familiar with your smell, he’ll start to trust you and listen to you.
When training your dog, make it fun for the both of you. Taking time to play creates a strong bond between the two of you, and your dog will be more likely to respond well to training. While training is fun in itself, take some time to just play for enjoyment each day.
You need to give your dog some exercise every day. Taking care to see that the dog exercises enough makes their training work go more smoothly and reinforces the importance of good behavior at all times. An exercised dog leads to having a responsive and happy dog.
Dogs need to understand exactly what your “no” means. When training your dog, you need to find positive ways to enforce your training. When you say ‘no’, your dog isn’t understanding how it should respond to you. Make sure that your training regimen is unique to your specific dog.
You can’t stop your dog from being a dog, so make sure to give him proper ways to act like a dog. Your dog requires a healthy diet, room to exercise, and plenty of activities and toys to keep him or her busy.
You should use the name of your dog as a positive reinforcement more often than you use it as a reprimand. This helps your dog figure out that his name also can mean something good and that he should not fear you when you call his name.
Consistency is one of the most important requirements for effective puppy training. The commands that you use should be used by others as well. Make a list, and make sure other people who deal with your dog know the commands. Also, make sure to be on the same page regarding rewarding good behavior and never rewarding bad behavior. If different people are responding differently with the dog, it will make training difficult and confuse the dog.
Older Dogs
Older dogs are going to have their limits. Older dogs are unlikely to be completely trainable, as they will already be accustomed to certain behaviors to some extent. There may be strongly entrenched habits and attitudes in an older dog. Although you may be able to teach it some new things, sometimes the best thing to do is focus on the negatives that you want to modify and live with the rest.
Applying these tips will make canine training easier for you. This will help keep your property, your pet and others safe. When you use the training techniques we have listed, are patient and consistent, your dog training will be easier.
