Part of the responsibility of pet ownership includes making sure your dog is well-trained. Dogs who are well trained tend to be happier. They know what to expect and when to expect it. This also provides a safer environment for you, the dog, and your neighbors. You can work with your dog on your own, or get the help of a trainer. Here are some helpful ideas to get you going.
Accidents will sometimes happen when you are house training a puppy. Its important to immediately clean up the accident to make your training more effective. If you dont clean accidents up quickly, your pet may smell the mess and eliminate in the same spot again. Many products are sold that will neutralize these odors, so ask about them at your local pet store.
When house training your dog, be sure your dog has a predictable feeding and elimination routine. This gives you important forehand knowledge to prevent accidents and your dog an association of cause and effect to follow. A schedule is a great way to train a dog how to hold in their needs till they can go out.
Always give your puppy plenty of toys to chew on to help with teething pain. Otherwise, you might find your shoes becoming chew toys. Take it away, and give him a chew toy. If painful teething is the problem, let the puppy chew on a wet washcloth that has been frozen.
When teaching your dog not to chew on things that are not toys, you should try to facilitate success. Furthermore, a dog that chews inappropriately needs to be kept away from danger. Items such as nylons, hairbrushes, as well as other common chewable, yet dangerous household items, can be a danger for your dog. He can choke easily, so watch out for them.
Dogs should never be tied up close to each other. This is due to the fact that they could become tangled in each others cords and end up injuring themselves when trying to get free. It can even be fatal if you tie a large dog up with a small dog, and the large dog ends up getting a chain wrapped around the small dogs neck.
Begin training your dog when its still a young puppy. Much like human children, puppies learn faster than adult dogs. If you start training your dog when he is young, he will be almost as well-behaved as a child.
The more active your dog is, the healthier it will be. Dogs get bored just as easily as children. Dogs that are bored are not easy to train. A dog that is happy, and gets the attention that they crave, will be a better behaved and attentive dog. Go on runs or long walks together.
Be very mindful of the way you speak to your dog when you train him. Dogs can pick up how you are feeling. A dog will realize that a stern tone means that he is being disciplined.
Whenever you are teaching a dog a multi-step task, reduce it to a series of smaller tasks. A simple example is teaching your dog to get the morning paper. You will need to teach him or her how to hold something first. He needs to associate the object with a name. You will then need to teach the dog how to pick something up. Then finally, he should bring it to you. When you train your dog by breaking down a behavior into stages, he will understand that each step relates to the other.
During the dog training process, it is a good idea to use various treats as rewards for your dogs good behavior. Dont use your dogs everyday treats for training. You want to place special emphasis on their improvement in training.
A good training method for your dog is to have him hold an object in his mouth. Whenever he puts the toy in his mouth, give a treat and his clicker reward. When he repeats this a couple of times, watch for when he actually puts it into his mouth. After has has done this, you should click and promptly give a reward. Next, only give him a reward if he holds the toy using his mouth.
Figure out the things that motivate your dog to help you succeed at dog training. You need to learn what your dog likes, and what he responds well to. Try all kinds of different techniques and exercises, and make sure to always encourage your dog with positive reinforcement and love. When your dog is happy, he will perform better.
You will get better results if employ a mixture of treats as a reward for your dog. But, keep these reward treats separate from the every day treats you give him, so he understands he only gets these special treats when he does his training properly.
A clicker can be a useful tool for positive reinforcement. When you begin using a clicker, positively associate the clicker noise with positive reinforcement. Try clicking and treating immediately, and doing this several times over a few days. Soon your dog will be able to recognize the click noise means that he did something good, helping to shape desirable behavior.
Keep your dog outside if you are not there. It will reduce the headache you get from the dogs uncontrollable chewing. If you dont have a safe place for your puppy outside, consider closing him in a room that doesnt have tempting things for him to get into.
Be consistent when you are training your pup! Use certain commands with your dog, and ensure that all of your family members know and use them. Be certain that everyone understands what constitutes good behavior and what constitutes bad behavior. Make sure that responses to these behaviors are uniform. When the people around the dog use different commands and responses, he may become confused and training could suffer.
Your dog should be challenged regularly. Test the dog occasionally to check his memory, even though both of you know that he remembers his commands.
When training a dog, watch that you do not overdo giving the dog treats. Too many treats can really plump a dog up. Many people do not factor in treats when they are tabulating a pets diet, but they do add up, particularly while you are training.
Give your dog new challenges often. Make sure you quiz him on the stuff he knows, so he stays on his toes.
When you get your puppy, be sure to create a bond to him by helping him learn his name. Repeat his name regularly, so he will learn to come to you when he hears it. These should be the primary words your dog needs to learn. Spending a lot of time interacting and playing with your puppy is the best way to establish a bond of love and trust. This will make him easier to train later.
If you can get your mind in tune with what your dog is thinking, it will have a great impact on your training. Training programs that make use of such insight, along with thorough preparation, tend to be highly successful. A better trained dog is a joy to the owner and the pet, and brings happiness for years.