There is no greater joy than a new puppy. Those beautiful big eyes and playful, uncoordinated frolicking will bring you years of fun and love. However, without the proper training your playful pet can easily become an annoying pooch in the blink of an eye. So here are some dog training tips to get you started.
Before you begin training your dog, make sure that his diet is the best it can be. Just as humans can feel lazy after eating junk food, a poor diet for your dog will affect his behavior. A healthy moderate diet will give him energy and concentration to learn what you are teaching him in training.
If you live near a body of water, whether a river, lake, stream or pond, and have a dog, make certain your dog knows how to swim and knows how to get himself safely out of the water. Surprisingly enough, not all dogs possess the ability to swim and even for those that do, they might be taken by surprise by a river's current or waves and tides. Take care to test your dog's swimming ability in a variety of water conditions for their safety and your peace of mind.
When working on teaching your dog a command, keep training sessions short. It is much better to train your dog for 5 minutes, 3 times a day, than all in one 15 minute session. This will keep your dog focused. Before your dog gets bored, end the session. This will keep him interested and wanting more.
To keep your dog from barking, you need to stop rewarding this behavior by giving him what he wants. This means paying attention to your dog, letting him inside the house or comforting him. Your dog will associate your behavior with the barking and will think that you want him to bark.
Yelling at your dog to stop him from barking can be very ineffective. Instead, try talking calmly to him, and teach him a word that he will associate with quiet. Yelling, to your dog, sounds like you are barking right along with him and so, it can further encourage him to bark.
Even if you think that you have taught your dog everything that he needs to learn, find something new to train him. Dogs will never stop learning and the more training you provide them, the more the dog will feel accomplished and happy. Training should be reinforced for their entire life.
If you are looking for a positive way to train your dog, try clicker training. In clicker training you teach your dog to associate treats and good behavior with the sound of a click. This training method is much more clear to dogs than methods that use both rewards and punishments.
When training your dog, try to use positive reinforcement. Instead of harshly scolding the animal when it does something wrong, reward it with a small treat when it behaves how you want it to. Soon enough, your puppy will learn to only do the behaviors that earn treats, becoming perfectly trained in no time.
Don't allow your dog to drag you around. You are leading him, not vice-versa. Use a good training collar and a short leash to begin obedience training, and make sure to keep your dog at heel when walking and to pass through doors and gates ahead of your dog. Remember, you are the leader!
When deciding to train your dog, make sure that you have patience towards your pet. All dogs are unique and learn at different paces. To be effective in training your pooch, make sure you have the patience to see it through. Treat your dog with kindness even if he or she may try your patience.
If your dog is a big bruiser, be easy on your hands and certain of having a good strong leash by using a horse lead rope as a leash. These come in a standard 6' length in soft cotton or synthetic rope with a very sturdy snap attached. They come in lots of pretty colors and are durable and strong.
Rid your dog of pent up energy through indoor games and allow training to be more focused. Have your dog fetch a ball, run on a treadmill or light chasing. These kinds of activities will release the excess energy in your pet and your commands will carry more weight since your dog is relaxed after exertion.
If possible, position your dog's crate next to your bed. This is a critical step in teaching him that is where you want him to sleep. Since you are still within sight he isn't as likely to panic about having to stay in the crate for an extended period of time.
In the foregoing, we have provided the most popular methods for training your dog. These tips and tricks have been used over a long amount of time with many types of dogs and many dog owners. So, if you follow these methods as suggested, you stand a good chance of training your dog correctly.
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