7 Ways To Easy Dog Training
It doesn't matter if your dog is an adult or a brand new puppy in your home, spending some time on training them will pay dividends.
Here I will list the 7 steps that I find give the best results.
This list is by no means exhaustive, as dog training is not an exact science, just what I find works for me.
1.
Be Positive Often called "positive reinforcement", this is generally regarded as the best way for dog training to be a success.
This method means that you will reward your dog with lavish praise, both verbal and physical, and by giving him little treats of food.
If your dog does something wrong, punishing them by shouting or even hitting them will do more harm than good.
Dogs like being rewarded, especially with food, and he will soon make the connection between his behaviour and his praise.
2.
Be Consistent If you are training your dog in a particular skill, it will help if you do this training at the same time each day.
This will help your dog to know what is coming.
Most dogs will learn a lot faster if they know what to expect.
Also, if you are using food as a reward, it will help if you do this training before a mealtime as he will be a little hungry and keen.
3.
Patience is a Virtue Your dog's training will take some time.
Just when you think things are going well, you will get a day where it seems you are back at square one.
This is when you have to be patient.
Each new skill or trick has to be done in small steps, and you need to be clear with your instructions so your dog is clear about what you want.
Even the smallest command, like "sit" needs to be broken down into small steps.
4.
Hand Signals Along with verbal commands, dogs will respond to signals made by your hands as well.
In fact, some dogs might have an easier time remembering hand signals than they do with verbal commands.
You should use a specific hand signal for each skill in your dog training.
5.
One Step at a Time Train your dog in short sessions.
A dog's attention span is not very long, so giving them a thirty minute training session won't work.
Their mind will wander and they will lose interest.
Keeping your sessions to no more than five minutes will work best.
At the start, to get your dog interested and looking forward to training, one or two minutes will be sufficient.
Some dogs can take a dislike to training, so keeping his learning periods short will help him to look forward to it.
6.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy Please remember, for the well-being of your dog, to make sure you are feeding him with a quality dog food, make sure he has plenty of fresh water and make sure he gets plenty of sleep.
A healthy dog is a happy dog, and will be much quicker to respond and learn his new skills and commands.
7.
End on a Positive Note Always end your dog training with a positive action.
It is hard work for a dog to learn a new skill.
So, no matter how frustrating a session has been, always end it positively.
Give your dog a trick to do that he knows and end the session with a treat and plenty of praise.
Here I will list the 7 steps that I find give the best results.
This list is by no means exhaustive, as dog training is not an exact science, just what I find works for me.
1.
Be Positive Often called "positive reinforcement", this is generally regarded as the best way for dog training to be a success.
This method means that you will reward your dog with lavish praise, both verbal and physical, and by giving him little treats of food.
If your dog does something wrong, punishing them by shouting or even hitting them will do more harm than good.
Dogs like being rewarded, especially with food, and he will soon make the connection between his behaviour and his praise.
2.
Be Consistent If you are training your dog in a particular skill, it will help if you do this training at the same time each day.
This will help your dog to know what is coming.
Most dogs will learn a lot faster if they know what to expect.
Also, if you are using food as a reward, it will help if you do this training before a mealtime as he will be a little hungry and keen.
3.
Patience is a Virtue Your dog's training will take some time.
Just when you think things are going well, you will get a day where it seems you are back at square one.
This is when you have to be patient.
Each new skill or trick has to be done in small steps, and you need to be clear with your instructions so your dog is clear about what you want.
Even the smallest command, like "sit" needs to be broken down into small steps.
4.
Hand Signals Along with verbal commands, dogs will respond to signals made by your hands as well.
In fact, some dogs might have an easier time remembering hand signals than they do with verbal commands.
You should use a specific hand signal for each skill in your dog training.
5.
One Step at a Time Train your dog in short sessions.
A dog's attention span is not very long, so giving them a thirty minute training session won't work.
Their mind will wander and they will lose interest.
Keeping your sessions to no more than five minutes will work best.
At the start, to get your dog interested and looking forward to training, one or two minutes will be sufficient.
Some dogs can take a dislike to training, so keeping his learning periods short will help him to look forward to it.
6.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy Please remember, for the well-being of your dog, to make sure you are feeding him with a quality dog food, make sure he has plenty of fresh water and make sure he gets plenty of sleep.
A healthy dog is a happy dog, and will be much quicker to respond and learn his new skills and commands.
7.
End on a Positive Note Always end your dog training with a positive action.
It is hard work for a dog to learn a new skill.
So, no matter how frustrating a session has been, always end it positively.
Give your dog a trick to do that he knows and end the session with a treat and plenty of praise.
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