Helpful Hints For Teaching Your Dog To Listen

by | Dec 4, 2023 | Dog Training

TIP! Have a good reward system when training your dog. Giving them treats at the proper time and with the proper amount is crucial.

Deciding to get a dog is an important decision not to be taken lightly. Owning a dog requires a firm commitment from you. They must be trained properly in order for them not to get into trouble. Whether you are a new pet owner or have a dedicated dog in your home, the ideas from this article should be of use to you as you work on a training program.

TIP! Be careful of disrupting your training time with rewards. When your dog does commands correctly, they get a treat.

When crate training a new puppy or dog, help the dog realize that the crate is its home. Whenever it’s time for them to eat, place their food bowl into the crate and leave the door open when eating. Thus, they will associate a good thing like yummy food with the crate.

TIP! Repetition is the key to success when teaching a dog a new command. You may need to repeat the command more than 20 or 30 times.

Make sure you feed your dog healthy food. A poor diet can negatively affect them in various ways. Without proper nutrition, your dog’s general health will suffer and there may also be direct effects on behavior. Something as simple as improving their diet can sometimes have a huge impact on how receptive they are to training.

TIP! When you meet an unfamiliar dog, you should go up to him slowly and allow him to sniff your hand. This gives a dog a chance to become familiar with your personal scent, which engenders trust.

Dogs will focus on something and ignore all else unless something breaks that attention. Eventually, you will be able to ensure that your dog is more focused on you and your commands than other distractions.

TIP! One of the first commands you need to teach your dog is how to step away from things you do not want him to touch. This will help prevent them from chewing on your furniture or other items, as well as prevent them from having dangerous items in their mouths.

Make certain you’re consistent when you are crate training your young puppy. When you allow the puppy to come out of the crate, you have to immediately and without fail give him the chance to relieve his bladder. This will teach your dog that he can wait until he gets out of the crate to relieve himself.

Dog Learns

TIP! Primary reinforcement is good to use when training your dog. With primary reinforcement, you use something that your dog loves when it needs to be rewarded for positive behavior.

You will have to repeat commands several times before your dog learns it. You may need to repeat the same command lesson from 25 to 30 times before your dog learns it. Keep trying, your dog will pick it up.

TIP! Watch the number of treats you give your dog during the day to avoid making your dog overweight. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog.

When trying to train your dog, avoid accidentally reinforcing negative behaviors. Never give your dog any treats or special attention for doing bad things. For instance, if your dog does not sit when commanded, do not rub his head affectionately unless he actually sits.

TIP! If you use a leash to train your pet, you must ensure that it remains loose rather than taut. Dogs like to explore new places when they are out on a walk.

Primary reinforcement is the method commonly used to train dogs. Primary reinforcement involves utilizing something that the dog loves to reward good behavior. You can use dog treats or a bunch of love to reward your pet. This is how you teach your dog to be good to get what he wants.

TIP! In order to encourage good behavior during training, praise is critical. Smile, get excited and provide them with treats to help them relate proper behavior with positive reinforcement.

Call your pooch by his name to keep his attention focused on you. Use it constantly in the first few weeks that you have your dog: your puppy should associate this sound with paying attention to you. Make the name simple and easy for the puppy to recognize.

TIP! If you take your dog with you when you travel, pack everything he needs for eating, sleeping and eliminating. Items such as food and water dishes are essential when traveling.

Don’t bog your puppy down with more information than he can process. Puppies have short attention spans and they cannot focus too much, so have shorter sessions and try to be positive during them every time. If you try to teach too much, he won’t like the training sessions and won’t remember everything. This will only frustrate you over time.

TIP! Teach your dog to learn ‘down’. This command helps them build upon other commands, or it can be used in emergency situations.

You should never spend more than a few minutes training your dog. Fifteen minutes is a good amount of time since more will only frustrate your dog. Once you’re finished with each session, praise your dog and play with them.

TIP! Try using a crate if you’re house training a dog. Use a consistent schedule for proper crate training of your dog.

Make training as fun as you can for your dog. Training sessions need only be 10 to 15 minutes, so the dog reaps the benefits within his attention span. Keep your rewards coming and vary what you give them. Make sure you shower praise on your dog when they do well. The more enjoyable training is for your dog, the more he will look forward to it!

TIP! Consistency is key to successful obedience training, and it is essential that you devote time to training on a routine basis until you are seeing the behaviors you want. Dogs learn from consistency and repetition.

Stay consistent when training your dog. Write down the specific commands you want to use with your dog, and get everyone in your household to review the list and use the same words. Also, make sure to be on the same page regarding rewarding good behavior and never rewarding bad behavior. If the dog deals with inconsistencies while training it can become confused and it will delay the dog being trained.

Mixed Signals

TIP! Each dog will respond to certain training methods. For instance, a loving and laid back dog will do well when positive reinforcement is administered.

Don’t give mixed signals. If you act amused when you dog misbehaves, it is likely to repeat that behavior. Sending these mixed signals will undo some of the time that you have already invested in training, making things even harder on you. Even if you are amused by your misbehaving dog, don’t let it show.

TIP! If you plan to allow your pet to eliminate indoors, provide an area that is designated for that purpose. Always keep potty pads in that area, and change them regularly.

If you have a large-breed dog, he needs a big bed on which to stretch out. Large, rectangular beds are readily available, or you can purchase a crib mattress. A crib mattress is also an easy to care for alternative to a dog bed because the sheets can be changed regularly with little fuss. They also have the added benefit of being waterproof!

TIP! If training does not seem to go over well with your dog, directing anger at them is inappropriate and counterproductive. Remember that in a teacher/student relationship, the student is only as good as the teacher.

Do not neglect to make a visit to the vet for a spay or neuter around the six month mark. This should be happening roughly at the same time as the first obedience class. Any dog not “fixed” will be very excitable and easily distracted in obedience sessions. This will make your dog easier to train.

TIP! Never use a tight leash to walk your dog if you seek to train him for good behavior. Doing so is sure to encourage the dog to keep pulling.

When you train ball-fetching to your dog, prove yourself the leader in the relationship by forcing your dog to return to you with the ball always. If you pick up balls your dog drops, he will think think he is in charge. When you teach your dog to do this, he will know what to do with it all the time.

Even untrained, mature dogs can benefit from these tips. You must act promptly to prevent harm and injury caused by a dog that has not been properly trained.