Training a dog is one of those skills that seems very easy, but never seems to go right whenever amateurs try it in their own home. The most frequent problem dog owners make with regards to dog training is that they forget that every single animal has its very own personality and its own likes and dislikes – just like human beings. You can’t train a dog by working from a book and then become demoralized when those dog training methods do not appear to do the job.
Work with the following tried and true dog training methods; some will do the job with one particular dog and not with another one. Methods connected with treats will need to be modified to include something that your dog actually enjoys. And the most critical factor to keep in mind when you are training any pet is to have patience. They don’t fully understand why you are yelling at them when they do something incorrectly and in exactly the same way that yelling at kids is usually counterproductive, shouting is only likely to get dogs over-excited and resistant to respond to commands.
Among the most commonly used strategies is to use positive physical contact when your pet follows an instruction correctly. No matter how smart an owner thinks their animal is, a dog does not fully understand the words “good dog.” He does, however, recognize that a lot of attention and patting is really a pleasurable experience, and he will ultimately begin to associate that with the positive language commands that owners employ.
In some cases that love of attention could cause difficulties for people who haven’t employed dog training methods correctly. A vicious loop can start to form, in which the owner only seems to be aware of their dog when they do something wrong, such as run off with the newspaper. Therefore the dog will keep on with this behavior because it is the only real way they get the attention that they desire, pretty much like a naughty child playing up to get mom and dad’s attention. Always make sure you only reinforce good behavior with contact and attention, and ignore the dog when he’s doing something he should not be doing.
Dog toys are often a great aid in training, but be certain that the pet does not have access to his playthings all of the time, or their effectiveness with regards to training will be diminished. A few people invest a fortune on extravagant toys for their pooches, only to find that their pet is more entertained by a length of rope or even an empty box. Ensure your pet’s collection is a good mixture of toys that he can have fun with by himself and those that you play with jointly.
As a final point, all dog training needs to be fun for you and your pet. If either owner or animal is becoming upset in the course of training sessions then something is completely wrong, and it is possibly time to consider a different approach. Even if the pet has to be disciplined in the course of a training session or while out working, always ensure it is followed with positive praise and possibly a treat; there’s no point in having a well behaved pet if he’s afraid to be around his owner.
Are you looking for tips to more effectively train your dog? Be sure to visit Dog Training Answers for tips on how to house train a puppy and crate training puppies.