The Best Dog Training Practices
Getting a puppy and calling it your own is perhaps one of the joyous things a dog lover and owner would experience. But, one must realize that it’s only the beginning. Owning a puppy is only a slice of the big pie as the most challenging things are yet to come the moment you decide on getting your pup into dog training. This kind of training is considered critical as it would be a determining factor if you’ll be able to raise a well-behaved dog or not.
You may have come across different dog training techniques before yet finds it complicated to put into play. If this is the case, let this article be your starting point to try once more as you look for excellent training techniques suitable for your dog. Should the search become complex, it’s always easy to browse through this piece and read as follows:
- The power of positive reinforcement – Dogs are easier to train if they have something to look forward to like treats. A reward pushes a dog to do what his owner commands him. Given this, teach your dog commands and make it a point that you praise and reward him afterwards. Also, always make treats available to make learning continuous and without delay.
- Perfect timing – Along with positive reinforcement likewise comes appropriate timing. Picture this: If you ask your dog to sit and he does it without a glitch yet you delay his reward and gave it the moment he stands, he would assume that you rewarded him for standing up and not for sitting down. Hence, do everything in perfect timing. Provide your praises and rewards immediately as soon as he follows your order.
- Commands must be kept clear and short – Dogs are smart creatures but they aren’t genius like humans. They can only pick up one or two words so don’t complicate your commands. If you want him to fetch, don’t say “Buddy, go there and fetch the ball. Simply say, “Fetch” coupled with a hand gesture. Doing it this way makes it easier for him to catch up what you’re trying to say and want him to do.
- Stick to only few commands – Let your dog master few commands first before introducing him to some more complex orders. Consistency is the key to training your dog so confusion won’t get in the way of your training. If you’re just training your dog in the house, you can likewise ask members of your household to only give commands you’re frequently giving. Making a command list for reference would be a sound idea.
- Show your dog you care – This last dog training technique is not really something that you should study. It should come naturally, something innate and not learned. Showing your dog care and affection makes it easier for him to grasp all your commands and still have the assurance that you’re doing it for his welfare. Remember, a well-loved dog constitutes to a well-mannered and trained one.
Tags: dog training, puppy training