Your dog can be considered a member of your family. Much in the same way that you would train and correct your children, it is important to do that for your dog as well. How can you expect them to behave if you haven't taught them what that means? Read on for ways that you can start training your family dog.
Enforce all of the commands you issue to your dog. Do no issue a command on a whim. Only give a command to your dog if you truly mean it. This can lead to having to repeat your commands. A well-trained dog should only need to be told once to do something.
Never reward negative behavior. Many dog owners have difficulty training their pet. When a long training session has ended and there has been no progress, they might find themselves tempted to reward their dog anyway. Even if you love your dog dearly, never reward their bad or undesirable behavior.
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 often become destructive because they are bored and lonely. Consider a house dog that destroys the sofa while you are away from the house. Consider the larger outside dog that chews up the shrubbery. The answer to alleviating their destructive behavior might be as simple as spending more time with them or buying them a new toy.
Make sure to keep your dog training sessions brief. Animals become bored quickly and are less likely to respond if they are not engaged in what you are doing. Aim for working with your pet three times a day for approximately five minutes at a time. This will leave them wanting more and will make your overall program more successful.
Be consistent with your dog training to make sure your animal stays obedient to the rules it has been learning. People think that just because their dog has been trained once, that is all they need. Like their human owners, pets truly are creatures of habit. That is why it is vital to ensure your dog maintains a strict rule system.
After your dog training session is completed, finish with a command that you know your dog already can do. This allows your dog's subconscious to remember that it has completed the days training, and can also help your animal to retain the information it has learned from the training session. It also will help maintain the routine.
If your dog tends to chew on your shoes or other household items, you can stop this behavior by giving the dog a yummy substitute, such as a raw hide bone, to chew. The dog will likely abandon your shoes in favor of the raw hide, as the only reason he or she is chewing your shoes is that he or she is bored and needs something to do.
If your dog seems depressed or gets anxious when you are about to leave the house, your dog might suffer from separation anxiety. To help your dog go through the day, leave something that has your smell on it, such as an old piece of clothing. This could mean that your dog will not miss you so much.
Create an environment that is learning-friendly for training sessions. Remove distractions such as children, TV or anything else that may pull focus from you. Young children love to help but they can be your biggest hindrance in the process. When distractions are removed you will not have to constantly redirect your pet, and this allows for easier learning.
Staying aware of your dog is vital to a successful dog training program. There is a great deal of expert advice available to the trainer, but you must keep in mind that outside information should remain secondary to the feedback you get from your pet. Every dog is different, and you have to stay aware of your dog's particular feelings to make your training program truly effective.
The dog in your life is very important to you. Your relationship will only be helped by having good training and discipline now. You can focus more on having fun with your dog when you aren't always concerned about what trouble he is causing. Use the tips from this article to get started.