Make Your Training Your Dog A Success With These Simple Tips!

by | Sep 17, 2023 | Dog Training

TIP! Your dog needs to be active frequently. Boredom often befalls an inactive dog, or he may find himself in a “mutt rut” with a dull and listless routine.

Most dog owners need to spend a lot of time reinforcing positive behaviors in their dog and getting rid of bad behaviors such as chewing or barking. Utilize this advice to turn your disobedient dog into a well-manned furry companion.

TIP! Give your puppy some toys to chew on so they do not hurt while teething, keep other things they might want to chew on out of their reach! Give it an actual chew toy in its place. If your puppy seems to be suffering a lot from teething, a frozen washcloth to chew on can give him some relief.

Timing is everything in training your dog. While you want to devote a good amount of time to it, you do not want to go too far. Begin with shorter training sessions and gradually increase the time each day. When the animal appears to lose interest, you will know which duration produces the best results per session.

TIP! Try to get your dog on a regular feeding schedule. This way, you are aware of when your dog will need to do his business, and you can take him outside before an accident occurs.

Make sure your dog is up and active often. Dogs can become bored very easily. When a dog is bored, he will be hard to train. If you have a happy, exercised dog, they will listen better. Before every training session, prepare your dog by taking them for a walk.

TIP! When you’re training your dog, it is important that you understand primary reinforcement. Primary reinforcement makes use of something that is already inherent for a dog to love getting as a reward when they behave.

Do not ever use a shock collar to train your dog. These devices are expensive and do not always work as well as you would expect them to. They can cause your dog to be confused about all their behaviors. Generally, techniques such as these actually produce negative results.

TIP! Understand that getting your dog to respond during the times that you tell him or her ‘no’ is not helpful. You need to look for positive ways to reinforce your commands when you train your dog.

When approaching a dog you’ve never met, approach them slowly and offer them the back of a hand to smell. This helps the dog become familiar with your scent and engenders trust. Dogs that know your smell are less likely to fear you and more likely to obey commands.

TIP! Training your dog requires you to be firm and authoritative. You should not be yelling at your dog all the time.

To put a halt on barking, teach your pup to obey a basic command. Show the dog a treat as incentive, then repeat the command until they obey it. At this time, give the treat to your dog. This positive reinforcement will help to get your dog to learn.

TIP! To reduce the barking of your dog, try getting them used to what causes the barking in the first place. It may be a noise, or seeing other animals or people.

Have some patience when dealing with your dog. Dog’s aren’t human and they don’t speak English. Your dog will not understand if you fly off the handle. Stay cool, and take a break if you need to. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your dog won’t be trained in one day either.

TIP! Try to teach your dog good habits right away. Trying to change bad behaviors after the fact is far more difficult than teaching them the good ones right away.

Does your dog pull on the leash? This is one of the most common complaints owners have about their dogs, and it’s also incredibly easy to remedy. A harness can make walking your dog a more enjoyable experience. It can also reduce the amount of pulling your dog does.

TIP! Keep a spray bottle handy to deter your dog when it tries to bite people or things. This will teach your dog that there are certain behaviors that are unacceptable.

Make sure you are consistent when you train your dog. Use certain commands with your dog, and ensure that all of your family members know and use them. You also need to make certain that everyone should be rewarding the dog’s good behavior and not rewarding any bad behavior. If other people are not following your training program, it can make your dog confused, which will set back your dog’s training.

TIP! Praising your pooch is an absolute must during training sessions. Simple things like smiles, praise and even tiny treats help to reinforce the desired behaviors.

Training should never involve harsh punishment, no matter what happens. You should make every effort to prevent the behavior in the first place, but if your pet does misbehave, show him what he should have done instead. You should teach your dog and talk to him during training sessions. Training is the time to build your relationship in a positive way.

TIP! Ensure you frequently put your dog in social environments at an early age. Your dog will only learn how to behave around people, dogs, cats and so on by experience.

Learn how your dog communicates in order to prevent it from having accidents. Most dogs do the same things when they need to urinate. It is important to be observant and know your own dog’s signals. Being in sync with the natural tendencies of your dog will make house training much easier for both of you.

TIP! Don’t give up when you’re training your dog. Unless you constantly enforce desirable behaviors, the training is unlikely to be effective.

Sometimes, you will notice that your dog may try to bite you during training. Until you have established yourself as the pack leader, you dog may think that the position is his. You should always give them the impression that you are the Alpha. When your dog doesn’t understand your human behavior, even a calm dog can bite you.

TIP! Is your dog eating a nutritionally-sound diet? Dogs are like children in the sense that bad diets lead to them acting bratty and hyperactive. Find out what type of nutrition your dog’s breed requires and adjust his diet accordingly; doing this will help your dog maintain his energy level.

When you are teaching your dog the “fetch” command, make him bring you the ball every time so you can establish the position as the leader. If your dog drops the ball nearby and you walk to pick the ball up, your dog assumes he is the leader. Teaching the dog this way will make him understand what he must do with the ball.

TIP! Teach your dog to lay down on command. This is an important command for your dog to know in social settings.

Reinforce your dog’s positive behaviors. This doesn’t mean punishing them when they misbehave; it means just simply not reinforcing poor behavior. Negative reinforcement does not encourage trust between you and your dog. Positive reinforcement helps dogs do more positive things to gain praise and rewards.

Bad Behavior

TIP! You should be constantly challenging your dog and re-teaching it the tricks you’ve previously taught it. Make sure you quiz him on the stuff he knows, so he stays on his toes.

When you are training your dog, bad behavior needs to be discouraged. Say no with a firm voice. Don’t yell at dogs nor hit them. Make sure to discourage any bad behavior while it is happening, or soon afterwards. Dogs have a limited attention span. If you respond too long after, your dog will not make an association.

TIP! Dogs will always be dogs, so expect his wild side to emerge if you do not give him proper care. Dogs need food designed for dogs, plenty of exercise, and lots of things to do.

If you’ve noticed that specific things trigger your dog’s bad behavior, then keep it busy when that thing is occurring, so your dog can’t concentrate on it. If your dog isn’t comfortable being around other dogs, as you walk him, keep him busy as you walk past other dogs. You will see that your dog will have a better relationship with other dogs if you do this.

TIP! Whenever your dog misbehaves, ensure you don’t provide the wrong signals to your dog. If you seem to be amused by unacceptable behavior, your dog will assume his behavior is acceptable and will do it again.

If you are trying to potty train a puppy, pee pads are not useful. These “wee-wee” pads can leak pet urine and feces, which can cause the puppy to mistake the area for a permanent toilet. Housebreaking pads encourage dogs that indoor bathroom use is okay; similar objects the shape and size of the pads may be used by a mistaken puppy. Instead, make your dog always go outside.

TIP! If you want your dog to be agile, find a breed that is naturally this way. Many dogs can learn tricks and try their best, but if you want a dog that is good at competing, Shetland sheepdogs and Labs are a couple good examples of agile dogs.

Don’t freak out when your dog is being hyperactive. Most dogs simply need training with good techniques and some patience. Use these tips to get great results out of your dog.