Having a trained dog is a great thing for you and your dog's happiness. You both understand what is expected out of each other. If you train your dog, you won't have to worry about what might happen when you leave the house. have guests, or walk him in the neighborhood. The time that you spend training your dog will pay off tenfold.
Try to think like your dog. A lot of owners get frustrated when their dog is not understanding a basic command. Don't do yourself and your pet an injustice by simply giving up. Thinking like a dog can make it easier for you to do what is needed to train him. Your dog may not understand because it hasn't been said enough.
You should establish certain feeding habits for your dog. Make sure that they know when a meal is coming, so that they can get into a set routine. This will ensure he eats it all quickly instead of doddling or grazing all day.
Never reinforce your dog's bad behaviors. You should avoid using strips of food or attention to train when you are trying to discourage behaviors. If you wish to keep your dog from begging for table scraps, don't encourage him by slipping him a morsel one night or allowing others to do so.
Your dog must respect you in order for training to work. Your dog must understand that you're in control, so that he knows to obey and respect you. When you walk your dog, walk in front of him to establish leadership.
Training is an ongoing process – your dog needs to be constantly reminded of the rules! Often, people feel that they don't need to continue working with their dog after it has finished training. Don't allow your dog to get out of the habit of good behavior. This shows that you need to do periodic refreshers so that your dog continues to follow the rules.
Don't waste your money on cruel, ineffective gadgets such as shock collars. Most of the time these don't function as they should and can cost quite a bit of money. They can also discourage good behaviors as they inhibit your dog's behavior too much. Using these techniques can have poor results.
Training your dog is essentially establishing relationship rules, and, like with people, enjoyment with each other will be so much more since the groundwork has been established. Keep in mind that you must continually reinforce your dog's training lessons. Watch out for any deviations from the proper behavior, and keep him on his toes. Once your dog is trained properly, your dog can do so much more.