Friday, April 27, 2012

Dog Training Made Straightforward

By Greta Neal


When you are training your dog and establishing your leadership role, do not be adverse to letting the dog lick you on the face. This is common behavior in dogs when dealing with the Alpha in the pack. Do not discourage this behavior as it can confuse the animal and confuse your role because you do not show proper response to this servile behavior.

Don't interact with your dog when you are frustrated or angry. Simply put your dog up and take a break. Training will proceed much more efficiently when you return. Each of you will be rested, have a fresh outlook, and be ready to tackle that seemingly elusive training task once again.

Not all dogs are comfortable around other dogs or people. The best way to train your dog to be more comfortable around other animals or people is to expose them to as many people and other dogs as often as possible, preferably earlier in their life. This will make them accustomed to being around others.

Never cave in to bad behavior. Your dog will always love you, but it needs to know that you're the boss. Don't encourage bad behavior and let your dog know that any such behavior will be met with punishment. At the same time, make sure you reward good behavior as well.

Focus on your body language when training. Dogs respond much easier to non-verbal cues. Pay attention to how they respond to different actions and facial expressions that you make to learn what affect they have on them. Keep your words short and too the point and reinforce it with bodily actions.

Don't interact with your dog when you are frustrated or angry. Simply put your dog up and take a break. Training will proceed much more efficiently when you return. Each of you will be rested, have a fresh outlook, and be ready to tackle that seemingly elusive training task once again.

Make sure your dog is eating a healthy diet. A poor diet is bad for your dog on several levels. It can not only damage their health, it can also influence their behavior. Something as simple as improving their diet can sometimes have a huge impact on how receptive they are to training.

Socialization skills are an important part of a well-rounded training program for any canine companion. Learning to get along with adults, children and other pets makes for a happy dog that is welcome in his surroundings. Socializing your dog is easy and can be incorporated into your daily activities. An evening dog walk, trip to the park or visit to the pet store can provide a great opportunity to expose your dog to short interactions with neighbors and their pets, while getting much needed exercise and bonding time with you.

As you begin working with your dog on their training program, make sure to pay close attention to their diet. Much like humans, a dog gets their fuel from what they eat each day. Having a diet that is not nutritionally sound can affect a dog's behavior and make training more difficult.

Reinforcement is a key element in dog training. Reinforcement only works, however, when it is executed with the proper timing. Excitedly saying, "Good girl!" just a few seconds too late has little positive impact on the dog's future performance in terms of the desired act. Reinforcement for desired behavior should be immediate.




About the Author:



No comments: