Most, if not all, dog owners expect some level of obedience from their dog; however, to make sure your dog is obedient all the time requires proper dog training techniques. A well trained pet is a beloved pet; a pet the whole family will enjoy-as well as neighbors and visitors. Just like young children, and even some adults, your dog needs to know who is boss, and it needs to know the rules they are expected to follow.
It is easy, after shopping around for the perfect puppy or dog to share your house with, to allow your new pet to have free reign and unrestricted access to the whole house. Later, you most often find you have regrets because your adorable, gentle puppy has gone on a rampage and chewed up your shoes or furniture. Or, your newly acquired fur-ball has left scratch marks on the door or left those dreaded messes all over the carpet.
Although part of the fun of having a dog is watching it get into mischief and discovering an unending bundle of problems, you soon become disillusioned the more frequently you have to clean up after him or repair things he has destroyed. A dog truly needs to learn to behave when it is young. You will join the ranks of responsible dog owners as you set aside the required time and persistence to train your new pet.
Well-trained dogs are better and safer for you, your dog, and those around your dog. As you continue to read, you will find some basic training tips to help you and your dog develop a happy, healthy relationship.
Step 1: Establish Rules
Step one necessitates you create well defined rules for your pet. The sooner you begin training your dog to observe these rules the more successful you will be.
If you allow your puppy to jump up on your bed, you can certainly expect your full grown dog to do the same. If no jumping on the bed is one of your rules, you cannot let your puppy be on the bed-not even once, not ever. You must be consistent for the sake of your dog and yourself. It is never too early to train your dog to get into the habit of doing what you want and avoiding behavior you do not want.
If you do not live alone, it is important to get together with everyone in the household and go over or decide the "do's" and "don'ts" of training your dog. Establish definite rules for some of the following:
• Sleeping on or being on beds
• Sleeping on or being on couches or chairs (any furniture)
• Learning to fetch
• Walking beside you with or without a leash
• Barking at the door when someone knocks or rings the doorbell
• Biting (whether for fun or in anger)
• Going potty on the floor or carpet
• Licking
• Whining
• Chewing
• Digging
• Jumping up on people
Make sure everyone involved in teaching and training your dog understands and buys into enforcing the rules you establish for what the dog will be expected to follow.
Step 2: Maintain Consistency
Being consistent is a cardinal rule when training a pet. Once the rules have been established, consistency in enforcing them by all owners is extremely important.
If your dog intentionally or unintentionally breaks one of the rules, it is important to correct it immediately.
One of the best and most preferred methods of correction is a simple, but sharp intoned "NO!" Each time a correction is made; however, it is important to show your dog the proper or acceptable behavior. By correcting the bad behavior and demonstrating the correct behavior, the correct or proper actions are reinforced. This type of training will work with all your rules whether it is house training, chewing on toys instead of shoes, or other desirable behaviors.
Dogs will learn best and quickest when the rules are enforced consistently and without fail. One of the main reasons dogs do not learn to "behave" is that their owners fail to take the time and be consistent in their training. Remember, learn for yourself the proper techniques to train your dog and be consistent in applying them.
Step 3: Offer Positive Rewards
Another important lesson to learn when training your dog is that positive reinforcement works. When your pet does follow the rules, reward them for their good behavior. The most effective and humane type of dog training uses positive reinforcement more often than punishment or negative reinforcement to produce desired results. Negative reinforcement generally takes longer to produce results, and it sometimes causes your pet to be apprehensive or timid when you are around it.
Starting out with yummy edible treats is very common. As your dog learns and becomes more familiar with the rules, you will be able to shift to other forms of rewards such as praise or affectionate attention when they obey. As you are consistent in providing positive reinforcement, your pet will soon learn that it is in their best interest to follow the rules.
Dog training is not a difficult task, but it requires a lot of time, patience, and most of all consistency to produce the type of trained dog you are looking for. Most all pet owners who make the sacrifice to train their dog up-front find they have a dog both they, their household, and their guests enjoy being around.
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