Monday, November 5, 2012

Various Methods You Can Use To Train Your Dog

By Kirk McGee


Dog training is a great way to spend time with your dog, bond with him, and get a well behaved dog out of the deal as well. Your dog needs to know who the boss is in the house, and dog training produces great results. This article can help you choose the dog training that is right for your dog.

If your dog is misbehaving, try to determine why. It is important to work out why your dog is doing what it does. Knowing the reason for poor behavior can make training significantly easier. It is far more difficult to correct an action that you do not fully understand the reasoning behind.

Specific feeding habits should be established with your dog. Training your dog to expect that when fed, once or twice a day, you will be removing the food bowl in 10-15 minutes, will lay down a feeding schedule that your dog will adhere to. Soon your dog will be finished with the meal before you are ready to remove the dish.

One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is that it is a lifelong process. Many owners think that once their pet has the basics down, the training process is over. Dogs, much like people, learn throughout their lives, and consistent training will help them to be well-behaved and friendly.

Dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms or have some other specific phobia can be calmed with kava-kava. This is a natural, herbal supplement that has a calming effect and acts as a muscle relaxer. Consult your vet about the amount of kava-kava that is safe for your dog. Generally speaking, a large dog can take a single 325 mg capsule.

Next time your dog jumps up on you in excitement, tell them "Off" in a firm (but not angry) voice, gently push them off, and turn your back. The verbal command and action of moving them reinforces what the command means, and turning restricts their access to you. This accomplishes two things: a) your dog can't jump on you anymore, b) your dog feels he loses your attention, which is the exact opposite of what he wants. This teaches him quickly not to jump on you.

An important rule of thumb in dog training is that people lead and dogs follow. Never let your dog lead you around while it is on its leash. Make short, sharp, well defined corrections with the dog's lead to bring it back to heel. Your dog must learn that you are the one directing things, not the other way around.

Take care to not punish any signs of desirable behavior. For example, if your puppy goes outside like they should, you should not immediately leave them. If they want to be near you and then you have just up and left, it will confuse them because they did something right and they may feel like they are being punished.

As you can see from the above list of tips, dog training can be very useful in getting your dog to behave and to even do a few cool tricks. After following these tips, you will no longer be new to dog training, instead you will be on your way to becoming a dog training expert.




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