Friday, September 28, 2012

A Few Tricks To Help Any Dog Trainer

By Kirk McGee


Your dog is always learning. The problem is - how do you get your dog to learn good habits and NOT bad habits? Dogs understand things very differently than us humans, so frequently when you are training your dog (or even when you think you are NOT) you are actually making behavior problems worse!

If you want to house train your dog and teach it to ask to go outside, you should associate a command with going outside. Stand with your dog close to the door, say the command and take it outside. As you repeat this, your dog will go to the door when you say the command if it needs to go.

One tip to keep in mind when training your dog is to ensure that you make it absolutely clear to your dog what it is that your are disciplining it for. This is important to avoid confusion and to teach the dog what is desired and what is undesired behavior. An example of what to avoid is hitting your dog hours past and in a different room from where it shredded your couch.

If your dog barks and growls at strangers in your home, do this: leash your dog, make him sit, wait until his attention is on you, and hand the leash, in full view of the dog, to your guest. Then wait until the dog is calm again, with the guest giving commands as needed. This teaches the dog that your guest ranks above him in "the pack" and he must accept them. When the dog starts to react again, repeat the exercise.

If your dog is bored, try making him work for his meals. There are toys and puzzles for dogs that require the dog to discern between scents. There are toys that make the dog think creatively to get food out of a chamber. Either way you go, your dog will have his scavenging instincts fulfilled!

When you train your dog, you don't have to train him to do exactly what your training book or video says he should do; however, you must train him to behave in a way that will fit in well with your family. You must train him in such a way that you can take him for a walk or to the vet without a lot of drama. By determining exactly what sort of behavior you need from your dog and then working consistently to attain that behavior, you will support your dog in having a happier and more successful life.

While training your dog, observe his body language and general behavior closely. Look for signs of enthusiasm. Is his tail wagging? Does he follow you around? This shows he's ready to learn. If you see your dog is scared, bored or nervous, stop what you are doing and reevaluate.

You now have the knowledge you need to train your dog in a happy, healthy and productive way. Keep your patience, and you and your dog will find the work brings many rewards. Make sure to apply all the tips with compassion and common sense, along with consistency, and you'll do great.




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