Part of training your dog is learning to train yourself as well. A person must know how to communicate what they are trying to teach their dog before the dog will be able to learn. Learning how to tame a dog is something that is not innate. This article can will help to accomplish that.
Break complex behaviors or tricks down into simple steps. For example, you might want to train your dog to retrieve the newspaper every morning. You first need to teach him exactly what a newspaper is and then how to hold it. Next, he must learn to follow a command to approach the object by name. He then should know how to pick the object up. The last step is to train him to bring the object to you. As you break the behavior down into simple steps, your dog will soon grow to master the entire task you want him to complete.
You cannot rush through the training process. Puppies have short attention spans, therefore keep your sessions short and provide ample amounts of praise. If you overdo it, he is likely to forget everything he learned and simply remember the experience in an unfavorable light, making it that much harder for you the next time you attempt the training.
A puppy should have chew toys to get him through the teething pains. Keep other things out of his reach. Give it an actual chew toy in its place. To help your dog cope with painful teething, give him a wet washcloth that has been frozen.
When implementing discipline with your dog, monitor your tone of voice. Your dog can usually tell how you are feeling. An appropriately stern tone can reinforce discipline.
It is critical that you teach your dog the difference between correct and incorrect behaviors. Your dog needs consistency from all members in a household. One family member breaking the rules for the dog can lead to your dog feeling confused when he is reprimanded. It can quickly undermine your efforts.
A clicker is a good way to reinforce positive behavior. The clicker works when you make an association between positive events and the clicker being used. Making the sound and giving a treat is a good way to build this association. In short order, the animal will have a pleasant association with the clicking sound, and the clicker will be very helpful in conveying what is considered to be proper conduct.
Dogs with separation anxiety can benefit from training. Non stop barking and the destruction of your house while you're away occurs when your dog has separation anxiety. Train your dog what is acceptable in terms of his behavior and what is not. Doggy nerves can also be soothed by showing your pet plenty of affection.
If you want to train your dog the right way, consider enrolling in an obedience class. The instructor can give you ideas about how to handle problems like not listening, and excessive barking.
Treats are great rewards, but you need to find other positive reinforcements for training. Dogs are eager to please and respond well to positive reinforcement tactics. Still, you probably don't have treats everywhere you go when you aren't "officially" training your dog. Start using praise and extra attention, hugging and patting, when your dog displays a positive behavior.
If you are training your dog to do a complex behavior, break it down for him. This includes tricks like training your dog to retrieve your newspaper. He will first need to learn how to hold onto something. Then he should be taught to recognize that item by name. After mastering this, he should be taught how to pick something up. Finally, he should learn how to bring it over to you. When you train your dog by breaking down a behavior into stages, he will understand that each step relates to the other.
Walking on a leash is a big step in your dog's training. This helps keep both you and your dog safe when going on walks.
Try training a dog to clench a plush toy in his mouth. Every time he successfully holds onto the toy with his mouth, hit the clicker and proceed by giving him a treat. After this is done a few times, watch and wait for your dog to put the toy inside his mouth. After has has done this, you should click and promptly give a reward. After this, you should only reward your dog after he holds the toy in his mouth.
Now that the people who are interested in training their new pet dog have, hopefully, learned some new tricks, they can proceed to pass them along to their pets. Once a dog is on its way to learning, the owner will begin to appreciate the dedication that he or she has shown for doing the right thing for man's best friend.