Dog Training Tips

7 Tips on Dog Training

Here are some tips that could give you the short cuts to training if used well:

Remember training should be fun – When something is strenuous for the dog, it is much easier to discourage him from doing the task. So be sure to incorporate fun and games into the exercises without defeating the real purpose of the activities.

Apart from filling each session of training with fun exercises, you should also make him feel that he is pleasing for you. Remember that dogs, by nature, only want to please their masters so be sure to acknowledge his efforts.

Positive and negative reinforcement – Use both types of reinforcements only when proper otherwise the dog will be confused. Positive reinforcement covers the use of praise, dog treats and taps while negative reinforcement, depending on the viewpoint of the handler, could be anywhere from punishing the dog harshly to refusing to give him the treat you have offered.

Sustain a no distraction training area – Dogs and puppies alike could easily get distracted by things that are not connected to their training. Always keep in mind that they could not sustain their interest on one thing alone so control the environment such that the dog will only focus on the activity. A secluded place such as an abandoned yard or a large, empty room could be good places to train the dog.

Complete the task- If you give a command be sure that the dog follows through it all the way. Never leave it half-baked otherwise the dog will think that it is ok not to follow your directions. If you gave the command 'come' to the dog, be sure to make him come to you completely.

Be firm and gentle – If you are giving commands, use a lower tone of your voice since dogs sometimes confuse high pitched voices with barking dogs. Be firm with the keyword you use but be gentle in the execution.

As much as possible, don’t use force or cruel techniques such as yanking the dog collar whenever the dog misbehaves. Actions like these would make the dog feel unsure of itself, making him lose his confidence.

Keep the training short – Bite size training works well with canines. There are two reason why dogs are incapable of learning for extended periods- one, they have poor attention span and two, dog's retention capacity is relatively short so chunking the lessons into one session does not yield positive training.

The key here is to condition the response of the dog instead of flooding him with tasks and commands that his brain is not able to accommodate.

Be patient – Dogs just don't learn as fast as we want them to learn. In fact, the faster we expect them to digest the training, the slower the process becomes. This is not because they become slower learners, instead the trainers become impatient with their dogs that they just want to fast-forward everything.

So be patient, nothing good ever came from rushing your dog's training. Guide him as he learns at his own pace.

Train him as a puppy – If you train him during his old age, there is lower chance that he would learn easily. On the other hand, training him as a puppy would yield a better chance of grasping the lessons fairly well. The ideal age for training a puppy is when he is at his 6th to 8th weeks.

As he ages, training becomes more difficult due to the development of some habits that most owners dislike.