Dog Training

If you’re about to embark on your first journey in dog ownership, you need to prepare yourself for the challenge of training. Not only will your dog be happier if he is well behaved, you will enjoy him more if he’s not trashing your house and sabotaging your peace and quiet. You also need to consider what breed best suits your family. Not all dogs are good with young children and most of them need at least a moderate amount of daily exercise. Here are some tips to get you started when you’re ready for training:

Carve out 15 minutes every day for training. If you work with your dog longer, he will get too tired to pay attention, if you work less, nothing you go over will be retained. Also, as a pack animal, a dog responds to only one leader − so choose one family member to take the lead. Once the dog has a good grasp of basic commands, other members of the family can expect the dog to follow their lead as well. The name you choose is another pointer that will help in training. Make sure it’s not too complicated and then gently turn the dog’s face toward you refer to him by name.

The crate is a fundamental in training your dog, not a form of punishment. Dogs are den animals and having an area that is designated especially for them is important. You’ll want to keep your dog in the crate while you are away from home until he is completely potty trained. As den animals, dogs won’t soil their bedding so make sure the crate isn’t so spacious that there’s extra room. Start by putting him inside for just a few minutes at a time and gradually increase the time increments. If you have him sleep in the crate, keep it near the family, particularly his trainer, so he won’t feel isolated.

Leash training is another key component in creating a happy owner-dog relationship. If your particular dog needs a lot of exercise, daily walks will be a part of your life for many years to come. The last thing you want is for this time to be spent playing tug of war every time another dog comes within eye sight. Your dog should walk on the right side of your body, not way out in front of you. This way, he’ll be easier to restrain as squirrels and other temptations come into play. If you are having trouble mastering proper dog-walking form, consider taking a local leash-training class. Your vet should be able to refer you to one in your area.

Even though the old “shake” is a crowd pleaser, before you teach him to give you his paw you should make sure that your dog completely understands the command to stay exactly where they are at any given moment. “Stop!” Or, “Stay!” It could be a matter of life or death in the case of oncoming traffic. Simply using the dog’s name could confuse him and make him think you want him to come to you. So, work on this voice command before you tackle any others.

Every 15 minute training session will strengthen the bond you are building with your dog. He’ll come to trust that you have his best interest at heart and aim to please. Be sure to end each session by repeating something that he excels at so that you can positively reinforce what he is learning. Give lots of love and even a snack or two for a job well done.

Julie Clark Robinson has written articles on dozen of subjects. Among the education related subjects she has written on are online education and California colleges and universities.