Successful dog training means many elements combine in harmony. You and your dog must have a bond, an environment conducive to learning, family support and a whole lot of patience. Keep reading for helpful tips on successful dog training.
1. The best treats in training. Most people and professionals use some type of food as a reward, but since you'll be handing these out frequently, choose them wisely. Look for quality ingredients without a lot of calories. Remember also that you dog prefers praise over anything else!
2. Be persistent and have patience. Training involves a lot of repetition and mistakes and some dogs won't catch on that quickly. If you start to feel frustrated, tell him he's a good boy and end the session right there. If he associates anger with training, he will act in fear and that's not desirable. Go over tricks and commands with a consistent voice and calm behavior until your dog performs well.
3. Understanding your particular breed. If you've got a hyper dog, make sure he is well exercised before training sessions or he's apt to be constantly distracted. If your dog has hunting in his genes, stick to your backyard or someplace away from woods and other animals. Most mutts have a combination of characteristics that you can adapt to, but do some research if you've got a purebred who may need special focus.
4. How long training will go on. Believe it or not, training is a lifelong event. You will need to constantly reinforce what your dog has learned and teaching him new things every once in a while will keep him on his toes and be good for him in terms of confidence and poise. Start with the basics and keep finding fun and rewarding ways of making training a part of his thinking.
5. Involving the whole family. Once your dog understands the concept of learning and has a few basic commands down, have another family member step in. This ensures that he will obey other people and not just listen to you. Make sure everyone knows what commands to use, they all employ the same techniques and that everyone takes part in his care.
6. When to call a professional. After a couple of weeks of training your dog should be catching on. If not, you may want to consider obedience classes for him. Particularly if behavior problems are a threat to people, other animals or property, you need to nip them in the bud as early as possible. Don't blame yourself or the dog, just address the situation according to its urgency. The sooner you realize professional intervention is necessary, the sooner problems can be solved.
Once you and your dog are familiar with the process of training, there's basically no limit to what the two of you can do! Invest the time and energy into getting it right and enjoy the time together. The benefits of effective training extend to everyone your dog meets, and the two of you will be very proud of your accomplishments!