When you first meet your dog, chances are he didn't show his true colors and may have come to you with a few “problems”. However, there's still hope! A bit of training goes a long way in reducing bad dog behavior.
Keep treats on hand to reward your pet for doing good. The first step is to get the dog to lay down. Then hold one treat near his head and near the floor. Pull the treat over the dog until your hand is on the other side. He should then roll over while following the treat. When they roll over, yell “roll over.” Keep doing this until they do it just with the command. Be patient if they don't get it right away; they'll get it soon enough!
Training Sessions
Limit the time of your training sessions with your dog so he doesn't lose focus. If you try to focus for a long period of time on one command, your dog will show signs of boredom and begin to get antsy. Early on, your training sessions should be limited to less than 10 minutes.
When training your dog, make sure to have fun with him too. When you play with your dog, you help make a stranger bond between the two of you. In return, he becomes more receptive to being trained. While training can be considered fun, be prepared to spend some time just playing as well.
Ensure that your dog gets 60 minutes of daily exercise on top of routine potty breaks or training periods. By allowing your dog ample play time, he will be more willing to pay attention during training time. A dog who has received plenty of exercise is happier and more responsive.
Do not have overly long training sessions. Dogs' attentions are very short. Maintaining short training sessions ensures that your dog can remain focused on the task at hand. If you want to do anymore training, let the dog have a play break for stretching and relaxing before continuing with their training.
Make sure you avoid all the accidents you can whenever you're toilet-training your dog. Sometimes, your dog will have triggers for when its that time. Pacing and whining are common signs. When you notice this, do not delay. Grab a leash and take your dog to a designated spot in your yard. Praise them for going to the bathroom properly. He'll want to go out and do the right thing soon enough.
You need to be very consistent when training your dog. If more than one family member is training your pet, make sure they all you the same commands, rewards and discipline. The dog is sure to have a simpler time learning, as long as he is asked to obey just one group of commands and is given consistent responses.
Basic canine training is easily incorporated into daily routine providing for fast training results. Consider giving some of the ideas outlined above a try, in order to improve the bond between you and your dog.