Sunday, October 28, 2012

Tips And Ideas For Successful Dog Training

By David Hamilton


Training your dog can be a delightful, rewarding experience for both of you. Training doesn't need to be time-intensive, particularly if you're addressing issues in small steps and creating manageable goals. This article will outline several small but savvy techniques that can turn small problems into big success for you and your dog.

Remember to give praise for good behavior. If your dog is doing what you want him to do, praise him. Don't make the mistake of only giving your dog attention when he is misbehaving. When you do that, you are training your dog to misbehave. Dogs like attention, and negative attention is better than no attention at all.

An often overlooked necessity with dog training is family training. Your dog will be confused and dismayed when multiple members of the family give commands in a variety of ways. Train your spouse, children and anyone else who will have consistent contact with your dog on the proper commands and techniques you employ for training.

Dog training is most effective when it takes a dog's instinctive behavior into account. Dogs are pack animals, and in a human pack, the humans are the leaders. By being a leader to your dog, you keep him out of the stressful position of trying to make decisions, and end up with a happier, healthier pet.

Set boundaries! To train a dog, constantly set boundaries and give your dog a structured lifestyle. Schedules are important to your dog as well as consistency. Never waver from the limits you set for your pet and stick to routine as much as possible, as this is the kind of structure a dog would look for from the pack.

When training your dog, the first and most important thing that you train your dog is to respect you and your family. If they feel that they can get away with disrespecting you, they will ultimately be impossible to train. You must start here and move on to other habits and tricks next.

Your dog should have appropriate boundaries when you're not able to keep an eye on him. This is doubly important for dogs still working through their initial training, because they are less likely to remember the rules of your household intuitively. This warning is doubly important for leaving untrained dogs outside unattended, as there's no guarantee you'll be able to call him home successfully!

A great dog training tip is to make sure your dog gets a little bit of exercise every day. Exercise is not only good for your dog's health, it also keeps them social with other people and other dogs. Taking your dog for a daily walk is key for socialization.

Teach your dog hand targeting for a fun and new task that will bring you two together. Hand targeting is a way of teaching your dog to follow and touch your hand. This behavior can be built upon and turned into retrieval behaviors later on down the line. It makes for a fun project for most breeds!

When your dog understands the benefits and rewards of learning the tricks you teach it, the desire to learn is often as rewarding as the reward itself. Your dog will be happier, and so will you.




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