Lots of dogs go to shelters simply because their owners become disappointed in them, though this does not need to be the case. It is possible for a dog that is trained well to become a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted family member. It doesn’t have to be hard to train your dog, you will see that if you spend a little time it can be easy.
Stay Calm
Whenever you’re rewarding your dog for good behavior, make sure you stay calm and in control. Reward them only when your dog is calm after it performs a trick. You may feel great about it, but you don’t want to make the pup feel over-excited. You should stay calm and then give the reward.
You must be willing to invest the time required for practice if you want your training to be successful. It’s very common to repeat a command up to 50 times before your dog can learn it. Keep teaching it and be patient. The dog will learn in time.
To ensure success, you must ensure that the crate you are using is appropriate for the size and breed of your pet. You should keep in mind that your dog will get bigger. Choose a crate which will be suitable for the puppy when he matures into an adult. The ability to move around within the crate is paramount to the pet’s comfort.
During the dog training process, take care not to inadvertently reinforce bad behavior. Withhold treats and attention when your dog exhibits any undesirable behaviors. For example, do not pet your dog gently when they leap on you if you want them to stop the behavior.
Have frequent or as necessary mini-training sessions to reinforce and keep the rules fresh in your dog’s mind. One of the most common mistakes pet owners make is assuming that once training has been completed, no maintenance is required thereafter. That’s not a good idea, since animals and humans form and retain habits in a similar way. So, it’s very important that you review your training with your dog regularly.
Let your dog have more freedom as he or she starts to behave and listen to commands more. Rewarding them by showing them you trust them more will only encourage better behavior. Just be careful not to overdo it on the freedom initially as it can set your dog training efforts back.
Anytime your dog does something good, make sure you reward him. It is important that your dog is able to establish a connection between the command and the action that gains a reward. This is how they’ll know what to do and what not to do.
When approaching a strange or unfamiliar dog, approach slowly, while allowing the dog to sniff the back side of your hand. That is the first step in getting the dog accustomed to your smell and building trust between you. After the dog knows your scent, he is unlikely to fear you and may be more willing to heed your command.
Do not wear out your new puppy with an excessive training regiment. A puppy only has short bursts of energy and doesn’t have a long attention; you’ve got to keep your training sessions positive and short. You want to end the session on a positive note; if you push too hard, he will end up dreading your training sessions.
The best way to train your dog is to use different tones of voices. For example, use a different tone when praising your dog than you do when commanding your dog to obey. Keep your commands short and sharp while corrections should be louder.
As discussed in this guide, having a healthy and happy dog is not hard to have. All that your dog needs is good training, the right amount of attention, and plenty of support and love from you. By following these steps you can make your dog a part of the family.
