If you’re thinking of adding a pet to your family, or have recently adopted a new family pet, you’re probably interested in dog obedience training. Both adding a pet and making sure your pet gets off to a good start with obedience training are great decisions on your part. Dogs can bring so much joy into our lives, it makes sense that we repay them by taking the time to give them formal, structured obedience training.
When I say formal, that doesn’t necessarily mean someone other than your family is providing you with training. It means that you should put your pet on a structured training program. This ensures that he knows what is expected of him. This also ensures that you’ll learn how to help your best friend be the good dog he and you want him to be, and you’ll be able to do it quickly and effectively.
Your dog’s behavior will reflect on you and your family, and your dog will only be as good as you teach him to be. You’ve probably heard the old folks say that there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. That doesn’t mean you’re not a good person and don’t have what’s best for your dog in mind. It simply means that with just a small amount of time, energy and patience with your dog when he is young or new to your family, he will be rewarded with a happy and obedient dog in return. You will feel safe and trust him because you will know what to expect when it comes to your dog’s behavior. You know that you can trust him completely when you need to leave him alone at home.
First of all, you must be consistent in your training methods or your dog will only become frustrated and confused. Make sure to give him lots of praise and lots of physical affection while your dog is learning. Dogs are intelligent, but they don’t reason, so repetition and consistency are key.
Make sure to be patient. This is especially crucial if you are working with a puppy. Remember that puppies are basically dog babies with their brains still actively developing. If you get frustrated with your puppy, you will only confuse and possibly traumatize him. Short, frequent bursts of training are best. We should not do anything to miss that lively nature that we love so much in our dogs.
Rewarding your dog is essential during the training process. Not only is it simple but, simply put, it works. You’ll also build a stronger bond with your dog as you reward and encourage the good behavior you want to see. Always have healthy food rewards available, one that is specially formulated to be training treats. This adds up to a lot of praise and petting on the belly.
Last but not least, set realistic goals. Your dog will not receive his newspaper and slippers at the end of the first day of his training program. At first, he just focus on simple, basic commands, a few at a time. Short, frequent training sessions interspersed with game time will give you the best results in the least amount of time.