Training your dog properly is one of the most significant and fulfilling things you can do as a pet parent, but it can be challenging to know where to begin. We thought we’d provide some helpful recommendations to get you and your dog started since January is National Train Your Dog Month.
1. Make use of strategies for positive reinforcement
Training your pet with positive reinforcement basically consists of rewarding good behavior instead of penalizing poor conduct.
Reward your dog whenever they behave well and obey your orders with enthusiasm! You can strengthen the correlation between positive behavior and positive outcomes by providing rewards for excellent behavior.
Furthermore, you must use caution so as not to inadvertently promote unwanted behavior. Reacting to your dog’s inappropriate behavior—like jumping up to say hello or barking at you to play—will just make it worse. Instead, ignore it. Instead, wait to show them affection until they feel more comfortable.
2. Select the appropriate prize:
Some dogs have a strong desire for food, and they will react quite well to any kind of edible incentive. Some are pickier; they frequently want their treats softer and chewier than crisp and crunchy.
However, other dogs just have no interest in food at all. If your dog behaves in this way, consider experimenting with different rewards, such as a brief play session with a favorite toy or even just plenty of love.
3. The key is consistency.
Maintaining consistency in your training is crucial. This involves being consistent in the way you train your dog, such as asking them to perform a task with the same term and even tone of voice every time.
Having everyone in your home in the agreement is equally vital. Because dogs require consistency in order to form new behaviors, your dog will become confused if you never allow them to sit on the couch but your partner does.
4. Exercise frequently and little.
Longer training sessions are significantly less effective than shorter ones that are repeated throughout the day. Sessions should last no more than five minutes, according to the American Kennel Club, as any more could cause your dog to get irritated or distracted.
It is also helpful to repeat your training sessions in different settings, with different people, and with varying degrees of distraction so that your dog learns to consistently respond correctly to the same command. Dogs also frequently have trouble generalizing commands to other places or situations (e.g., understanding that asking for a “sit” at home is the same as asking for a “sit” on a busy street).
5. Increase gradually.
When it comes to more complex actions like “stay” or behavior modification (attempting to stop undesirable behavior), starting small can be beneficial.
Consider dissecting behaviors into manageable chunks. When teaching your dog to come, for instance, acknowledge, and treat them for even the first step they take in your direction. Once your dog begins to get the concept, it will be much simpler to add more steps and gradually work up to the entire behavior.
6. Have fun with it:
Both you and your dog should enjoy training! Remain upbeat at all times and experiment with different approaches to keep things fresh, like interspersing few play sessions with your workouts.
In addition to routine obedience training, you can think about teaching your dog tricks. Seeing a dog roll over makes us humans naturally respond more enthusiastically than just sitting down; our dogs take up on this enthusiasm and end up liking to perform tricks for us!
It’s simple to become fixated on the training’s ultimate objective, but never forget to give your dog praise for even the smallest progress.
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7. Give the little things praise.
Never fail to acknowledge your dog when they make any progress, no matter how small: It’s simple to become fixated on the training’s ultimate objective, but acknowledging and appreciating your dog’s small victories helps keep you both motivated.
8. Incorporate lifelong learning into work.
It’s far simpler to fit in numerous short training sessions if you incorporate training into your pet’s regular routine. For instance, before you feed your dog, walk them, or engage in playtime, ask them to sit or obey another order.
9. Make use of your hands.
Dogs are not as capable of understanding language as humans are, much as we would like them to be. Try combining the two, or even start with just hand signals and add the spoken instruction afterward. Many dogs are more receptive to hand gestures than to spoken orders.
10. Speak with a dog trainer or go to a course.
Don’t be afraid to enroll in a training session or get in touch with a professional dog trainer if you’re having trouble. Professional trainers have years of experience that they may utilize to help you and your dog, and they are typically one of the fastest ways to see results. They should have ideas on how to handle any troubles you may be having because they will have encountered a wide variety of challenges throughout their job.
Make sure you take your time and conduct some research before selecting a trainer. Verify that they employ positive reinforcement strategies, and if you can, obtain references or read a lot of reviews.
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