Important Dog Training Information That Anyone Can Use

Dog training is something that takes a great deal of patience and dedication, but also requires that you know what to do in order to get your efforts to work. Understanding the various ways that dogs respond and how to implement training can begin with these simple dog training tips that could give you a great hand in your new adventure.

Dogs need a well fitting collar and lead if they are to be properly trained. Don’t choose these items because they are cute or because they have rhinestones on them. Choose your dog’s collar and lead based on the service you desire from them. Ask yourself if a halter might be more appropriate for your particular dog. Do they need a long lead or would a shorter one be better? Make the right choices, and your dog will benefit.

When training, be specific about what you want your dog to do. Using vague commands like “no” tend to be ineffective. No only tells him that you didn’t like what he did, but not why. If you say “no” when he jumps on the couch, he may think you wanted him to jump higher. Use specific commands like stay and sit for better results.

It is important to take a leadership role while training your dog. This does not mean that you need to try and force your animal to bend to your will. Acting as a teacher and showing him what you want him to do by rewarding his actions will help your dog succeed.

A good plan when training your dog is to keep your sessions short. When you have multiple, short sessions of training, as opposed to one long set, your dog will stay interested and will anticipate more. Keeping your pet motivated by short interval sessions will be effective and have a stronger impact.

Do not train your dog through fear of physical punishment. Teaching your dog to respect your commands and dominance will create a healthy and stable pet. Dogs learn to respect the pack leader in the wild by being dominated, not attacked. Physical punishment can lead to an irrational and often violent pet.

Feed your dog consistent amounts at approximately the same time every day. This is particularly important during the house training phase of pet ownership. This allows the dog to establish a regular elimination pattern and the discerning owner can use that pattern to their advantage in speedily training their pet.

If you are going to be training a pet, you should think about a word or noise that will tell your pet they did a good thing. “Yes” is the perfect word to show dogs approval before giving a treat.

Maintain consistent volume and voice tone over time when giving your dog commands. Using a even, official tone will let your dog know you are serious. Good consistent tones also let your dog know when tones are sharp for discipline or for a command that is not punishment.

Have a treat prepared for rewarding your dog when they follow a command properly. Giving a treat is how you show your dog that you appreciate the behavior. Your dog will soon learn the difference between good and bad behavior.

Begin the dog training process with a simple task. Not only will you achieve gratification due to your success, but your dog will know what acceptable behavior is. This will give you much better results while training.

When training your dog to deal with its fear or anxiety related behaviors, go slow. Responding to a fear or anxiety response with aggression only leads to more fear and even mistrust. Take your time and give your dog the opportunity to succeed. He will grow in confidence and reduce fear induced behaviors.

Ignoring your dogs barking can be an effective way to get him to stop. When your dog barks, he is looking for attention of some sort. If you give it to him, this will encourage him to continue. Instead try looking away and pretending he isn’t there. When he quiets down, reward him with a pat on the head.

Never punish your dog, or discipline him, after the fact. If you find that he urinated on the carpet earlier in the day, punishing him now won’t help. Dogs cannot reason and have very short term memories, so they will not associate the earlier accident with the punishment at hand.

Teach your puppy the “Leave it!” command. This command is very important in day-to-day situations. Use it if your dog tries to grab food off a table or eat rabbit poop when you are out for a walk. To get the dog to follow your command, hold a treat in your hand (have one in the other hand, also). Hold your hand open, and when he goes for the treat, close your hand as you say the command “Leave it!” Then offer him the other treat, and discard the one you told him to leave. Repeat this step a few times, and he will learn to “Leave it!” when you tell him to.

Good behavior should be reinforced and bad behavior should be discouraged. Your dog will benefit from consistency. This consistency will allow your dog to understand your message clearly. If there’s no reward to performing a behavior, your dog will be less likely to try it.

Listen to professional advice. If you adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue organization, listen to their advice. More often than not, they will have spent a lot of time with the dog, and will know the best method to train him. Some shelter dogs are very skittish, and require extra care when trying to train them, especially if they have been previously mistreated.

If you want your dog to be on his best behavior, you have to learn and understand the many dog training techniques that really work. These tips are just a start to a wonderful new world of strategies that could be used for optimal results in dog training on your own.