If you begin dog training when your puppy is younger they can grow up with key skills they need to be a friendly, sociable adult. From toilet training to lead training, a regular routine and some patience from you will help them learn as effectively as possible. It’s also great fun spending time with your dog and teaching them how to behave, especially if you have fun at the same time.

 

Training is more effective when both you and your dog are enjoying it. You can both be rewarded with a bonding experience and the chance to be active, and if you make sessions fun, they won’t even feel like hard work.

 

Good puppy training practices are the foundation for an obedient, friendly Happy puppy, and then for a sociable adult dog. Here are just a few dog training tips so that you and your puppy can get the most out of training.

 

» Keep your training sessions simple and fun, so it’s easier for your dog to retain their new skills.

» Dogs have a short attention span, so keep it as interesting as possible; this will be more fun for you, too.

» Be patient and determined. Everyone has setbacks sometimes, but the benefits of a well-trained dog will more than make up for your perseverance.

» Love and rewards are the secrets to successful training – let them know when they do well, for example by showing your affection.

» Praise and reward your puppy after they do something positive; a favourite dog treat, is great motivation for them.

 

Introduce your puppy to other people and pets as early as possible.

Socialisation is important to their development, and they will grow up being more comfortable with them.

» Be consistent with your tone of voice and the rules you have, so your puppy knows exactly what’s expected of them during the dog training process.

» Keep voice signals simple, like ‘Sit’ and ‘Good dog’. Share these with other family members so they use the same words, reducing the possibility of confusion for your puppy.

» Structure is important when training a puppy: set a regular timetable of walks, feeding and training to help them learn.

» Be firm, but not annoyed, with your puppy.

» Reward your puppy for good behaviour instead of punishing them for doing something wrong; it’s a much better way for them to learn.

» Avoid teaching your puppy a lot of commands too quickly, as they are less likely to remember and understand them.

» Use a firm voice when your puppy misbehaves, but don’t shout.

» Don’t delay reward or praise; as soon as they do well, let them know! Your puppy needs immediate signals so they knows which behaviour to repeat.

» Try not to stop your puppy socialising. If they are friendly towards other people and pets be a much more pleasant adult dog to be around.

» Remember that your puppy won’t understand human language apart from his set of commands.

 By following these tips, you can make dog training easier for both you and your puppy!   

 

The Big Secret!

So what is the big secret in successfully training your dog? If there is one, it is simply, trust. When your dog trusts you they will respect you. The two are mutually inclusive. Once you have that trust and respect, provided you don’t do anything stupid, you will never lose it, and it will be the biggest single factor in helping to properly train your dog.

 

Teach Yourself to Listen to Your Dog.

That doesn’t mean literally trying to understand canine language. It means watch them learn their behavior. If they dont seem happy at meeting another dog, don’t make them, allow them to take their own path. they may be telling you there’s a reason they dont want to go near the other dog. Respect their instinct. If you don’t, if you insist they meet the other dog, you may be storing up trouble for later.

 

Don’t Forget to Give them Loads of Affection.

Many owners are great at chastising their dogs when they misbehave or refuse to obey a command, and that’s not good. Dogs are extremely sensitive. They sense our moods, they know when we are happy and they know when we aren’t. And they need love and affection just as much as we do. Be generous with your affection. Go over the top when praising them for something they’ve done right. Be as enthusiastic as you can – they will respond.

 

Teach Recall.

One of the most frustrating things about owning a dog, is having them ignore you when you call them to you. It needn’t be like that. Teaching your dog to come to you when you call should be the first training you give them. Do it right and you will never be one of those frustrated and angry owners. And by getting them to come to you, you are reinforcing your status as pack leader. Do it by crouching down and calling them cheerfully by name. When they come make a big fuss of them, It’s called ‘positive reinforcement’ and it works. You will see the benefit of mastering this early in his training career every single day.

 

Stop them From Jumping Up.

Sometimes, as dog owners, we are our own worst enemies. We love receiving love from our puppies as much as they love giving it. So when they see us they greet us by jumping up. Our natural response is to stroke and cuddle them. What we’re doing is telling them it’s okay to jump up, that it’s a good thing for them to do. What we must do instead is ignore them, even turn your back. Don’t tell them off, simply wait till they stop jumping. That’s the moment to praise them, stroke them, cuddle them. Again, you are positively reinforcing the fact you don’t want them jumping up.

 

Discover What Motivates Your Dog.

Just like humans, dogs have likes and dislikes when it comes to leisure activities, food, where they like to sleep, treats, and so on. Get to know your dog and learn as much as you can about it. As I said, they are all individuals, some are into fetching a ball, others enjoy working with apparatus in agility training, while others may simply like to have a rough and tumble with you. Discover what motivates your dog, work with them and you will quickly learn how to make the training the enjoyable, bonding experience it should be.

And don’t forget to be generous when you reward them.

 

Rewarding your dog can take three main forms:

Tasty treats – Usually a small piece of biscuit or a sliver of sausage. Always something you know they like.

Praise – Enthusiastic cuddling stroking and verbal praise

Favorite toys – It may be a cuddly toy, throwing a stick or ball, or just chasing them.

If you are fair when training your dog, he will reciprocate and work harder for you. And remember, a treat doesn’t have to be food. Dogs love praise and affection too.

 

When rewarding with tasty treats, remember these tips:

Don’t use the same food treat all the time, ring the changes but only when the puppy is over 4 months old.

It’s a good idea not to give the dog a food treat every time you want to reward them Praise works too.

Don’t let your dog know what treat are going to get until you’re ready to give it to them.

When recalling, ensure the dog comes first time you call, or don’t reward them Use Dog Logic

 

 

It’s said that humans have an attention span of forty minutes. It’s a lot less for dogs, about two minutes in fact. So you have only a few seconds to reinforce something good they’ve done.

 

Nipping the Biting in the Bud!

As we have already established, dogs are sensitive creatures. Their natural instinct will always be to please you as leader of their pack. If they have a tendency to bite you, don’t berate them. Instead, pretend they have hurt you badly. they will probably stop biting straight away. Another way is to give them a favorite toy. This often works, too, when you’re trying to wean them away from chewing your slippers. And if that doesn’t work, simply ignore them.

 

Be Absolutely Clear When You Tell Your Dog What You Want them to Do.

Saying ‘no’ to your dog confuses them. they may understand they are not to do something, but they won’t understand what they have to do instead. Give them the information, tell them what it is you require of them. A well-trained dog is great at obeying commands, but they do need that command. Use commands you have taught them like ‘sit’ or ‘stay’, something they are familiar with and understands.

 

If You Reinforce the Wrong Thing, Don’t Be Surprised if That’s What You Get!

Sometimes we may wonder why our dog starts doing something we don’t want them to do. It’s probably something we have inadvertently reinforced ourselves. Consider this: Your dog has a toy and barks to ask you to throw it for them. So you do. You have just taught your dog that barking is how they can get their own way. But what if you don’t throw the toy and they bark louder and longer. If you now give in and do what they want, you have created your own version of Frankenstein’s Monster. they will now believe their persistence will get them anything. they will bark incessantly whenever they want something. What you need to do instead is ignore them when they bark, or give them a command to do something else. encourage them to stop repeating something they’ve done wrong. The quicker you do it the better the chance you have of your dog associating what to do.