Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Well Trained Dog Is The Best Companion

By Kirk McGee


There are many schools of thought on the best ways to train your dog. Whether you believe your dog should be allowed to sleep with you in your bed or if you think that your dog is a pet that should stay off the furniture, you can teach your dog basic obedience and commands.

A great dog training tip is to always be sure you properly enforce all the commands that are given to your dog. The reason is if you do not enforce them, your dog will not listen to them. You have to be firm with your orders and be sure your dog follows through on them. Do not give up.

Crate training is a good skill for a dog of any age to have. Teaching your dog to stay in their crate quietly takes time and patience but can be a valuable tool while potty training or a safe place for him to stay while you are away from the house.

Sometimes it may be necessary to physically establish yourself as the Alpha in the pack. If your animal is being aggressive to another animal or a person, hold them by the scruff of the neck and put them in a prone position on the ground firmly, not violently. This lets your dog know you are in charge and exhibits behavior they would expect from another dog.

When correcting bad behavior that your dog displays, you should always make sure that your corrections are short and well-defined. If your corrections are vague, your dog will not understand how to improve its bad behavior. This will frustrate both you and your pet. If your corrections are clear and easily understood, your dog is likely to make the correction.

If you want to train a new puppy to walk on a leash, the first step is to put a collar on the young puppy while you are playing with him. Having the puppy get comfortable wearing the collar is important not only so that you can properly use a leash but also that your puppy has the proper identification tags in case he or she takes off.

Realize an older dog's limitations. An older dog will never be able to be trained perfectly: they all have little quirks that you should learn to embrace! Remember that if you adopt an older dog, they may be very set in their ways. While it may be possible to teach them new habits, sometimes it's best to concentrate on the negative things that you can alter, and learn to live with the other things.

Time your rewards properly. Timing is crucial when training a dog. Dogs have very short attention spans, and waiting too long to reward a good behavior or punish a bad one will end up doing more harm than good. For example, when training a dog to "quiet" when barking, rewarding too soon after the barking will serve to reinforce the barking instead of the stopping. When you give the "quiet" command, wait a second or two, and then treat and praise " ensuring your dog knows that it is the calm behavior that is being rewarded.

Your opinion on what truly means a dog is "trained," may differ from your neighbor, friends, or even dog training instructors. Whatever your beliefs, by training your dog to follow basic commands and to obey your instructions, you will create a happier, safer home for you, your pets, and other members of your family.




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