You might be tempted to think of dog training as merely a necessary step between acquiring your dog and enjoying your pet’s company. This would be a mistake, though. If you take the time to educate yourself on the process, you can make dog training just as enjoyable and rewarding as the dog-owning years that follow it. Read on to pick up some helpful tips to improve your dog-training skills.
It is important to leash-train your dog. This will help keep your dog and you safe when going for walks.
Make your dog training fun for both you and your animal. If you are not having fun then more than likely, your dog is not either. This can lead to you both having a bad experience. The more fun you can make your dog training the faster it will go for both of you. Try to look at dog training as a game, and not as a chore.
If your pet is prone to jumping onto your lap, you should gently squeeze his paws after he does so. This communicates that the behavior is unacceptable and should be avoided. This will not hurt him, but it is quite uncomfortable. Since it is so uncomfortable, they’ll avoid jumping on people.
Never allow your training sessions to run on for too long. Dogs can’t concentrate for long periods of time, so long training sessions are pointless. If more training is desired, work in some break times so your dog can play before continuing with training.
Try to limit the amount of accidents your dog has while toilet training. Sometimes, your dog will have triggers for when its that time. Pacing and whining are common signs. Do not hesitate when you see your dog do that. Grab his leash and take him to a place where he can safely eliminate. Praise him for a job well done. With some time, your dog will be able to tell you when he needs to go outside.
To prevent your dog from chewing, you should apply a smelly substance on objects that your dog is not supposed to chew. Buy some chew toys for your dog: some dogs chew because they are going through teething, and some use chewing as a way of releasing stress caused by loneliness.
Learn to read how your dog is feeling. By studying your pet’s body language, you’ll be able to guess whether it is feeling nervous, agitated, aggressive, or calm. If you can predict when a dog is about to behave badly, you can remove it from a bad situation before a problem develops.
To house train your dog, you should establish a regular schedule for their meals. Take away their water at night. If your dog eats on schedule, you should be able to tell when it need to go outside. If you feed your dog right before you go to bed, chances are you will not be able to take it outside on time.
When training a troublesome dog there are many different techniques that one can use. However a key factor is establishing that one is dominant over the dog they are trying to train. By ensuring that the dog knows who is in charge it will guarantee that the dog is listening to the person trying to train it.
If you don’t want your dog to chew your furniture, making it unpleasant, can help. There are many clear and odor free products on the market that you can put on an item. These products will make the item taste bitter or unpleasant, thereby, deterring your pet from chewing it.
If you’re tired of your dog pulling on the leash while walking with you, here’s a simple training method. Take your leashed dog to an outside place that is familiar to both of you – such as the backyard – then begin to walk. If your pet stays beside you, right at your thigh, reward it with a treat. If the animal rushes forward, stop walking. If it wanders off for some reason, say “let’s go” in an upbeat way and turn and walk another way. When it catches-up with you, give it a treat, and if it doesn’t catch-up, pull gently on the leash until it gets the point. In this way, you reward good behavior and don’t have to be unduly harsh for bad behavior.
A great dog training tip is to assume the role of the pack leader. All dogs have a pack mentality. There is typically a pack leader that influences the behavior of the rest of the pack. By acting as the pack leader, your dog will become more obedient.
Your rewards should suit your dog’s personality. You wouldn’t work for free, so why would your dog? Make rewards match the difficulty of the task. Regular treats are great for behaviors your dog already knows, but don’t be afraid to pull out something truly stinky and tempting to teach new challenges.
When teaching your dog how to fetch do not reach for the object right when he brings it back to you. Ignore it and pat him on the head or body. If you reach for the object right away he may try to guard it, or run away. If you ignore it, he is more likely to drop it. You may also find it useful to train with multiple balls or Frisbees.
When you take your dog out to public places, make sure that you remain in control of him at all times. It is good etiquette to assure that he does not run up to other dogs or people without their permission. Not all people are comfortable around dogs and not all dogs get along.
These tips are just a few of the ways you can make dog training more enjoyable and fulfilling for you and your pooch. You should not consider the training process as a separate phase from your overall dog-owning experience; when you do it well, training can be just as rewarding as any other time spent with your dog.