Train the Dog Blog

If you want a well behaved dog you need to teach him how to behave. An untrained dog can make your life miserable, but you can\’t really hold him responsible for his actions. He doesn\’t know any better. But before you start on a training program there is some basic information you need to be aware of. Professional dog trainers use these basics all the time. Here are their top 10 tips.

1. Begin just as soon as you bring that new puppy home. It\’s crucial to establish routines immediately in order to avoid problems later on. For example, if your dog is not going to be welcome on the couch when he gets bigger, then don\’t ever let him on the couch as a puppy. If you want to cuddle with him, get down on the floor with him. You want the habits he learns to be good ones, not bad ones.

2. Your dog needs to know who is boss and that should be you. At the same time, it\’s important that you be fair in your treatment. Don\’t expect things from your pet that he is not ready for. But once you teach him, expect him to obey. For instance, don\’t toss him a scrap from the table one day and then scold him for begging for food another time.

3. Collar and lead training is one of the most important things you can do to have a well behaved dog. Start in on this as soon as possible when your puppy arrives to make training much easier and more effective.

4. When training your dog, have fun with him and reward his accomplishments, no matter how small they may be. Rewards can be treats, a scratch on the head, or praise. If he enjoys what you\’re doing with him and can look forward to being rewarded, you will accomplish a great deal in a shorter time frame.

5. Patience is a quality that every single good dog trainer needs to have, and lots of it. Progress should be measured in very small steps. Your dog will not learn and remember overnight. It takes lots and lots of practice before the desired behavior will come naturally. Be sure to reinforce the targeted behavior by repeated practice and rewards.

6. There will be times when it will be necessary for you to discipline your dog. There are two important points to remember when it comes to discipline. First, don\’t ever order your dog to come when you are preparing to discipline him. Leave this word for positives in training. Instead go to him. Second, hitting does not have a place in dog training. If you hit your dog as a form of discipline, he will learn to be afraid of you. This will not work with dog training.

7. When beginning a training session, it\’s always a good idea to review what your dog has already learned before starting on teaching new behavior. Be sure to give him a reward for a job well done and then go on to something new.

8. Keep lessons short. You never want to drag things out to where the training becomes a chore. So if your dog begins to lose focus, end the lesson with a simple-to-follow command. Then give him a reward and then spend a few minutes playing with him.

9. Always teach basic commands first. Things like sit, stay, down, and come are integral for success with more involved dog training. So be sure he has mastered these commands before you try to teach him more complex commands.

10. It\’s important for the success of your training program to only give your pet a reward when he executes a command correctly. If he knows that you will reward him whether he sits on command or not, he has no real reason to sit if he doesn\’t feel like sitting.

Consistently following these tips on dog training will ensure success in training your dog. And we can all agree that a well trained dog is a pleasure to have around.

Dog training can be challenging for both you and your pet. Let him know you appreciate all his hard work with a warm, comfortable bed. A cozy cave dog bed is the ultimate in comfort. Keep his bed clean and odor free with washable dog beds and covers.

Often, you may find your dog acting up, and if you\’re contending with dog behavioral problems, it\’s advisable to act as quickly if possible. If bad dog behavior is simply ignored, you may end up with a major issues on your hands. The good news is, there are a plethora of simple techniques to implement change in dog behavior issues in a humane and patient way.

Dog behavioral problems can vary from cute, but annoying little problems, to full on threatening issues such as biting. Though there are many causes of behavioral problems, the solutions are pretty consistent. The old saying, \”You can\’t teach an old dog new tricks,\” isn\’t an excuse and with consistent training, you can address dog behavior problems. Let\’s look at 4 user-friendly dog training tips.

1. Be Consistent. This is the absolute piece of advice when training any animal. You may be tempted to let them slide every once in awhile, but this will only serve to hinder your training. Keep giving your dog rewards as well as with corrections and your pet will begin to realize that you are absolutely the pack leader.

2. Positive Reinforcement is Vital. While many Old-School dog training techniques, e.g.: newspaper smacks, may seem initially effective, they may actually cause more issues later on. Building up and praising your dog helps your dog relate good behavior with good rewards, and is a very effective technique of addressing even the toughest dog behavior problems.

In brief, reinforcing good behavior means that you reward your pet when he or she does the right thing, and withhold the reward when they misbehave. Even the most stubborn dog will begin to respond to these strategies, when they are applied every time.

3. You NEED a Crate. One of the easiest ways to stop destructive behavior is to provide your dog with clear cut boundaries. Crating them while you\’re away, or when you just want some space is an effective and humane training aid. You may need to introduce them to the crate slowly, and allow them time to get used to being confined. Remember, be consistent and reward them for good behavior in their crate. A crate should never be used as a punishment, insted as a safe place for them to go and be at ease.

4. An additional cautionary note for you and especially your loved ones. Once the dog behavioral problems are addressed, and the corrective training has started, it is imperative everyone who deals with the dog use the same-exact training techniques. Everyone must be consistent in the handling of the dog. If not, your poor pooch will become very uncertain and may act out even more than before the positive reinforcement training was initatied.

Once you have these methods in place, you can easily begin to solve dog behavioral issues without undue stress to you or your pet. A well behaved pet is a happy pet and you\’ll appreciate the lack of destructive and potentially harmful dog behavioral problems.

James M. Hussey loves his dog, no matter the dog behavioral problems. He freelances on Elance as \”JamestheJust,\” writing killer web content and SEO articles for his clients. Dog Pet Stores is one of his recent blogs, and has answers to dog behavior questions and doggie goods.