Table of Contents
Many people are oblivious to the importance of training their dogs but unable to do so. This is mainly due to lack of information about dog training.
Undoubtedly, the key to having a good dog is proper training. But the question is how to train a dog to do the things you want it to do? Keep watching to end to learn some basic dog training techniques. In this is article, you will discover the 8 main tips on how to train a dog to do almost anything you want it to.
-
Start Training Your Dog as Early as Possible:
According to the American Veterinary Society, training should start during the puppy’s first three months of life. At this stage they learn fast and quickly adapt to their environment. For more information, please read “how to train a puppy” post.
Puppies are actually so curious that their inquisitiveness may outweigh their fears. This makes them more receptive to training. Of course, you can train a fully-grown dog but it will be a slightly harder task.
-
Choose A Good Name for Your Dog and Be Respectful to It:
Some rules need to be followed when it comes to choosing your dog’s name. As a matter of fact, a dog’s name ought to be short, ending with a strong consonant. This allows your dog to clearly hear you when you say its name. A strong ending like in Max, Casper, Jack, etc.… would always perk up your dog’s ears.
However, just choosing a name to your dog wouldn’t be sufficient. As it happens, you’ll need to be respectful to this name. Always use it when you call your canine companion and most importantly of all, associate it with pleasant, fun things, rather than negative stuff. The goal is that your dog associates its name with good things and fine behavior.
-
Make A List of The Rules You Want Your Dog to Follow:
Before starting to train your dog, it’s essential to make a list of the behaviors you want your canine companion to take up. This enables you to avoid confusing your dog with contradictory commands. For instance, your goal can be how to train a dog to sit, how to train a dog stop barking at night, or how to train a dog to poop in toilet.
-
Arrange a Private Den for Your Dog:
Like humans, dogs need their own space. Therefore, as soon as you get a dog, provide it with a sleeping place devoted only to itself. Being left alone for short periods in the comfort and safety of its den will surely benefit your dog. In case you want to encourage your canine companion to be calm while lying in its crate, reward it when it remains relaxed and quiet.
-
Try to Relax Your Dog When It Gets Home:
Well, this is one of the most neglected tips to how to train a dog. Like us humans, changing the environment may tremendously affect a dog. Thus, it’s certainly important to make your canine companion comfortable in its new home. To do so, you may start by giving your dog a warm and slightly hot water bottle. You can also put a ticking clock near its sleeping area. This will imitate both the heat and heartbeat of its previous mates.
-
Teach Your Dog to Come When Called:
Training your dog to come when called certainly is the command to be mastered first and foremost. You may struggle with it at first, but that’s perfectly normal. Simply get on your dog’s level and tell it to come, using its name. When it does, make a big deal using positive reinforcements such as patting, smiling, clapping hands and saying affirmative words with a joyous tone. When it comes to this behavior, repetition is key.
-
Reward Your Dog’s Good Behavior:
This is the basis to how to train your dog. A dog needs to know when it’s done something right. You use treats, toys, patting and praise to vehiculate the message to its brain. Be sure to never ever reward your dog’s bad behavior, for it will confuse your dog and hinder its training.
-
Dissuade Your Dog from Bad Behavior:
To do this, it’s important to employ your chosen training technique right away when your dog behaves poorly. This is because dogs “live in the moment”. They can forget their bad deed within 1 or 2 minutes. Discouraging your dog right away would certainly help it establishing an association between its behavior and the correction. Consistent repetition will reinforce learning.
These 8 tips are the general training techniques. To learn how to train a dog for a specific task, kindly visit our other How To articles. If you know other tips on how to train a dog, kindly comment and share them with our readers.
