Dog training is the secret to well-behaved dogs. You don’t pray that your dog will learn how to fetch or sit on its own. You definitely can’t teach your dog tricks by letting it sit with you in front of the TV while the both of you watch dog training tutorials on YouTube. Dog training is tricky and sometimes it can be tiring but once you see the outcome of your hard work you will find that it is indeed worthwhile. Every effort you put into training your dog will be worth it in the end.
Skills are taught. You can either teach your dog yourself or you can hire a professional dog trainer. Whatever works for you but make sure that during training, you are using the proper dog training methods. If you choose to train your dog by yourself you need to be patient, persistent and you need to spend a great deal of time doing research. Apparently, certain training methods can be detrimental to your dog’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being. So be very careful with the technique of training you use. If you choose to hire a dog trainer, research is also necessary. Check the trainer’s credentials, experience and make sure you ask what training method he or she will use on your dog. This will give you an idea and peace of mind of what your dog is about to go through during training.
If you want to know more about obedience training before you start, read on.
What Is The Relevance of Obedience Training?
There’s more to obedience training than entertainment. Knowing the basics of obedience training is actually for your dog’s safety. One example of this is having a strong recall. A well-trained dog will respond fast and come back to you to safety especially when it’s about to cross a busy highway. Another example would be dropping a toxic substance instead of swallowing it when you say the command words “drop it”.
Basic Tips on Obedience Training
Start training early – training can start anytime but the earlier you train your dog the better. If you have pups, train them ASAP but if you bought an adult dog, we suggest you check what the dog knows and start from there. When you start training your dog early you will develop a much stronger bond with your dog. Plus, the skills will be embedded in its mind.
Check what your dog likes – contrary to popular belief, not all dogs share the same predilection. This means not all dogs get excited at the thought of food, some prefer playtime while others prefer toys. It’s important to identify what treats your dog values so you can keep your dog motivated and focused during training. We also recommend you set aside different rewards for different accomplishments. In other words, your rewards should be based on the importance or the level of the skill.
Training should be fun – training should be fun so that your dog will be motivated to want to do it again. It’s your job to make it fun. To do that, experts recommend using positive reinforcement and incorporating games during training sessions.
Use the same cues – be consistent with the cues you use to avoid confusion. When you use the same cues you can expect to get the same response from your dog.
Takeaway
Dogs are friendly, obedient and they are intelligent beings. Several pieces of training are enough to teach your dog how to do tricks and obey commands, you just have to use the right methodology to get the results you want.
Nick White
Nick White is the owner of Off Leash K9 Training. He has over 80 dog training franchise locations throughout the United States. He currently hosts the A&E show, America's Top Dog.