Whether you decide to go it alone or get some professional help, training your dog is bound to bring a few moments of frustration. However, do not fret. As long as you have the right information, you can train your dog without too much stress. This article can guide you in the right direction.
Crates need to be treated as the dog’s second home. To help your puppy feel at home, place your puppy’s food dish inside the crate. This will allow your dog to have a positive association with the crate.
Throughout your dog’s training program, continue to play with them as much as possible. Interacting through games and activities is one way to bond with your pet and relieve stress. Dogs respond much better to people they trust, so go out and throw a ball, play tug of war or just rub their belly.
If your dog does not seem to be responding to your training, make an appointment with your vet. If your dog is not learning properly, it does not mean they are dumb. Sometimes physical and occasionally mental maladies could cause your dog to not respond properly to training. Your vet may be able to give you some indication to the problem.
You don’t want to make your training sessions go on for too long. In the beginning try not to go over fifteen minutes. Even for dogs who are accustomed to training, you don’t want to go over about twenty minutes for basic training. If you notice your dog starting to lose interest, stop the session for the day. If you try and push it. you’ll get to get irritated and things will go down hill. It’s better to quite while you’re ahead.
When you are trying to train your dog to follow a command, repetition is key. Practice the command multiple times a day and be sure to offer your dog praise and a treat when he or she successfully follows your command. Repetition will ensure that your dog will remember and follow the command in the future.
To teach your dog anything, you need to be consistent. This means you should give the same order every time, and reward or punish your dog in a similar way, all the time. This will help your dog assimilate certain concepts much faster than if you were using a more complex and diverse way of communicating.
Learn to read how your dog is feeling. By studying your pet’s body language, you’ll be able to guess whether it is feeling nervous, agitated, aggressive, or calm. If you can predict when a dog is about to behave badly, you can remove it from a bad situation before a problem develops.
If you have a dog that is not learning, despite training, sometimes bringing in another dog that is already trained, can work wonders. The trained dog can lead by example and will receive all the praise from the people around. Meanwhile, the untrained dog will be watching what the trained dog is doing and learn from this.
Do not call your dog to you for a scolding. You might still be angry at the dog for the trouble he has just caused, but do not punish him for coming when called. It should always be “safe” to come to you when called, and the dog should feel that you are glad to see him.
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.
Crate-training is excellent for dogs with separation anxiety. Crates effectively become safe spaces for nervous dogs. Blankets or dirty laundry that smells like their favorite people can be helpful during the crate-training process. Anxious dogs are also likely to be destructive when their owners are not home. A crate keeps anxious dogs out of harm’s way.
Dogs with separation anxiety will benefit from affection from places other than their favorite person. In other words, their favorite person should diminish attention. You should only greet the pooch when she is calm and quiet. Other people in the home should take her out and help with training sessions so she builds a relationship and comfort with others as well.
Your dog will benefit from having a strong leader. Be confident in your ability to communicate with your dog! You two may speak different languages, but your physical gestures have more meaning than you think. Stand straight during training sessions and always make physical gestures clearly. Your dog will thank you for your clarity with great behavior!
Anxious dogs might benefit from having music played when you leave. Classical music is proven to be soothing for a variety of species, and dogs are no exception. Calm, soothing classical music played at a mellow volume might be a benefit to your dog and keep the house from being silent while you’re gone.
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.
Training a dog is never a frustration-free endeavor and there will be moments when you may feel like pulling your hair out. Just relax, breathe and know that a well-behaved pup is just around the bend. Now that you are armed with some great information, training your pooch will be a whole lot less stressful.
