Your happiness, as well as your dog's, is based on its training. A dog that is well-trained assures that your dog knows exactly what he can expect. If your dog has been trained effectively, you will be less reluctant to leave him at home alone, allow him to interact with visitors or spend time together in public places like dog parks. The time that you spend training your dog will pay off tenfold.
Be consistent when training a canine. Have a strict list of command words that you always use, and make sure that anybody that associates with your dog knows the command words as well. Be certain that everyone understands what constitutes good behavior and what constitutes bad behavior. Make sure that responses to these behaviors are uniform. If everyone is on the same page, the dog will better understand what is expected of him.
In order to get your dog to obey you, it may be wise to take obedience classes. Instructors can help you teach your dog tricks, to listen to your commands, and to behave appropriately.
Don't use doggy treats as your sole positive reinforcement mechanism. Offering treats as rewards for learning new tricks or behavior can be effective. That said, you likely don't always have treats on hand during the times that are not spent formally training your dog. Giving your dog physical attention and praise will reinforce his positive behavior, as well as save you money and him calories.
If you are working on crate training your indoor puppy or dog, you can always try a few tricks. If they are hesitant about the crate, you can put a nice chew bone inside and shut the gate while they are not in it. The dog will smell the bone and want to go racing into the crate to eat it. After your dog goes into the crate, give positive reinforcement to increase the chance that he will go into the crate again.
Use your dog's name often to get and keep his attention. Over time and repetition, the dog will begin to understand their name and that they are being spoken to. A short name which sounds distinct from many other words is preferable.
Harnesses are not as uncomfortable as a collar for the dog, but a harness offers less control for the owner, making training the dog more difficult. When training your dog to obey in a harness, start by working him with a collar in addition to the harness. Eventually, the harness itself will prove sufficient in your dog obeying commands.
Avoid playing tug-of-war type games with your puppy during training. These games often encourage a puppy to start biting. There is no way that you want them to exhibit that type of behavior. When they are older you will be able to play those games with them without causing them to act out when not playing the game.
An highly useful tip for anyone to incorporate into dog training, and the environment in general, is to promote feelings of safety and comfort. If dogs feel afraid, unprotected or unsafe in anyway, they will start to lash out or show other types of poor, defensive behavior. This can be avoided if you make sure to train in a place where your dog will feel safe.
It is important to leash-train your dog. Not only is this safer for the dog and easier on your body, such a frequent activity mandates good self-control and reinforcement of the chain of command from training.
Try using a crate to assist you in housebreaking your dog. Always take your dog out consistently if you want to be effective at crate training. Dogs who are crate trained are often the best trained, having less accidents.
Dog training can help you set rules for your dog, so it understands the relationship. Once those rules are in place and followed consistently, your dog will have an easier time understanding its role and your needs. Don't forget to continue providing reinforcement. Keep his training consistent and watch for any issues with his behavior. Once your dog has the basics of training under his belt, there is no limit to what the two of you can achieve.
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