Dog Training Tips

 

So you want to train your dog!

There is a lot more to dog training than meets the eye. The most effective dog trainers and authors understand the psyche of the dog. They understand how the dog reacts in it's natural 'wild pack' and understand how the community and hierarchy of the pack is structured. Your pet dog at home instinctively speaking is a member of your pack and the best way to train your dog is by understanding it nature as do the top trainers and authors.

I'm going to present you with a few tips to guide you in the process of training your dog, however I would still highly recommend that you either take your dog to obedience classes or get hold of one of the many quality Dog Training Books or videos available for download on the internet.

If you do decide to buy a dog training ebook or video then we have put together a Dog Training Book review page highlighting the best of these training materials to minimise your chances of stumbling upon publications that give erroneous advice - also consider downloading your FREE copy of our ebook, The Top 5 Dog Training Commands

You need to be consistent in your training. If you are training your dog to do something a certain way then it should do it that way always. Pick a training method and stick to it. Don't change training methods halfway though the process. Dogs can learn extremely quickly but they can also become easily confused. Try to get some training in every day until you consider your dog to be completely trained.

Training sessions should be fun and short. Don't force the dog once it has responded a few times. Always reward your dog preferably with a treat and always with a lot of fuss. Once the dog is starting to perform then the reward can be eased off. Constant rewarding is counter productive. A period without rewards is good and then every so often reward for good performance will stimulate the dog more. This is known as intermittent reinforcement.

Try to match your dog's character. Every dog has its own unique character just as we do. If you have a lively dog then you should try and match this in it's training sessions and be as lively and enthusiastic as possible. This will help the dog to bond with you and in the end the dog will really be trying to please. If you have a timid, scared or shy dog then you should still be lively yourself but take into account that just as with a shy person the dog will take more time in demonstrating what it can do. This doesn't mean that it isn't learning just that it isn't showing that it has learned. You should understandingly be tolerant and try to encourage the dog to come out of itself.

Empathize with your dog. Make your commands consistent, clear and try to incorporate visual commands. Your dog is intelligent and understands your intentions however it does not understand language. A good example here is when you go to a foreign country and hear the people gabbling away in a foreign tongue. You have no idea what they are talking about but if someone wants to communicate with you, they will look at you, maybe point or make a gesture, and speak slowly and clearly and you will most probably understand what they are getting at. This is how your dog will perceive you when you talk to it.

These are just a few guidelines to training and I would highly recommend that you get professional help before you begin your training whether it be a book, video or dog training classes, if you plan to be training a dog to heal or training your dog to walk on a leash or if you need to teach your dog to do tricks.

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