What You Should Know About Training Your Dog

Dog training is an area that different people will be approaching very differently. Some people may be confident trainers, whose dogs appear regularly in shows, while others might be new pet owners, struggling with a dog that is showing the effects of his troubled past. However, there are some key ideas everyone can benefit from learning and trying out. You can use the following tips to learn a few things that may help both you and your dog to have more fun and to build a closer bond.

Consider moving your voice up or down in a specific manner associated with individual commands, to help your dog remember them better. Dogs are fantastic at understanding pitch differences, even more than understanding the sounds of the words. So if you alter your voice slightly when you say a certain command, the dog will be more likely to remember what to do.

As you plan out your dog training sessions, focus on only teaching your pet one new skill at a time. Too many instructions and expectations can cause your dog to become confused and frustrated. You will achieve much better results if you work on one skill, achieve mastery and then move on.

Make sure your dog’s diet is appropriate for him. If your dog is a lazy dog who likes to lounge around all day, you don’t want to give him the high protein food a dog who herds sheep would receive. This can cause problems and high vet bills down the road.

If you want to keep your dog off the couch or bed you will need to create a negative reinforcement when he decides to jump on the furniture. Once he jumps on the banned furniture, give a sharp, “No!”. Gently, but firmly, lead your dog off of the furniture. If your dog decides to sit at your feet instead of jumping up on the sofa, reward him with lots of praise.

If you have tried everything to keep your dog from digging up your garden with no success, it may be time to build a fence. This is especially good for large garden plots. A fence doesn’t have to be ornate or expensive to be effective. Just a simple chicken wire fence should keep your dog from getting in.

Have the right equipment and use it properly. Learn how to put on a chain or nylon slip collar and use a standard 6 foot leash for most training. Do not yank or pull on the leash. Just give a quick tug and release when the dog ignores a command to come or heel. Soon just wearing the collar will be enough to remind the dog that you are the one in charge of the training session, and very few corrections should be needed.

When training your dog, you should never punish it for something it did wrong, way after it occurred. If you do not punish your dog immediately after a wrong deed, then you should not punish him at all. The reason is because your dog will be confused and think you are punishing it for doing something else. This is why you must punish your dog while it is in the act of performing the wrong deed or immediately afterwards.

Most puppies have a very short attention span. Don’t exhaust your puppy with too much training at one time. Have short sessions that focus on one thing you’d like them to learn. Keep things simple so that nobody gets confused or frustrated, and try to end on a high note.

Teaching a dog to know its name is the first dog training task a new dog owner should undertake. The name is used in calling the dog and just in getting its attention. Therefore it is more appropriate to choose a short and easily enunciated name than a longer and more confusing one.

All pets, and certainly all dogs, can be wonderful companions. For many people, the time and patience it requires to train their dog properly may discourage them from attempting it on their own. By applying the tips in this article on training your dog, not only will you have an obedient companion, but you will save yourself many headaches and provide yourself great joy in the long run.

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