Training your dog is an excellent opportunity for puppy and owner to bond and establish a dynamic where you are in charge, your dog respects you as a leader and enjoys taking commands from you.
You should begin your own training or enroll your furry friend into a training program as soon as possible for better results. Despite the time, money energy required, training with a good dog trainer is easily a worth while investment and will save you in all three of these areas in the future.
Know your dog
Before you start training your new puppy, take the time to gather valuable information about your dog’s breed as well as their own unique characteristics to make the training less stressful.
Different breeds have varying personalities. While some are independent, over-confident, or shy, other types of dogs may be more adaptable. Familiarizing yourself with your dog’s personality and temperament can help you customize your approach to your specific dog.
You’ll also want to narrow down what commands and tricks you’ll want to teach your dog beforehand. For the best results, base their training on your lifestyle to help the dog fit into your life effortlessly. For example, if you work for long hours, your dog will need to be trained to withstand alone time for prolonged periods. If you’re someone who’ll be taking their dogs to cafe’s with them and getting puppacino’s, well you better start practising now.
Similarly, you’ll want to pinpoint what style of training you’d like to employ. It may take some time to determine what method your dog will respond best to, but don’t skip this step. Otherwise, your pup may not retain your training efforts.
Teach the essential skills
You’ll want to walk your dog through basic commands, crate training, and loose lead walking. Basic commands will help you avoid future behavioral issues and enforce a sense of structure. So, teach your pup commands such as “sit,” “NO,” “down,” “leave,” “off,” “stay,” and “come.” During the training process, you’ll want to make sure to solidify these commands so that your pup connects the phrase with the action and is able to perform them reliably in a bunch of environements with varying distractions.
To ensure the success of your training efforts, you’ll want to strengthen your relationship between you and your new dog; build engagement. Take time to participate in your dogs favourite activities with them, such as fetch, walks, tug, puzzle’s, feeding etc. and you’ll quickly become the most fun, intersting and valuable person in their life; and when you become that person, you’ll ALWAYS be listened to and respected.
Whether it’s leash training or crate training, be hypervigilant in all the training sessions to recognize any signs of distress and anxiety. To avoid distress, introduce each new behaviour mindfully and gradually. You don’t want your new pup to be overwhelmed and shut down in response. Keep it fun and go at a pace they’re comfortable with.
Your dog will try harder to earn your approval if you develop a relationship based on trust and friendship. Your dog will never forget the time spent together learning a variety of commands and tricks, so try to make your training sessions enjoyable.
Be patient
It may take several months for your dog to master certain tricks and commands fully. Before you begin training, make sure you’re committed to the task and exercise the necessary patience. You may need to repeat some lessons until your training fully registers.
Don’t give up when your training efforts don’t render desirable results in the first attempt. Recognize any progress you make and celebrate it; adopt an encouraging tone, and divide your training program into small, manageable portions.
Another point in regards to patience. Put the same level of comittment to these commands as you do with toilet training. Toilet training takes months of vigilance, diligence and committment, yet we all make it through because toileting indoors is a non-negotiable. If you apply this same level of committment and a non-negotiable approach to your obedience training, you’ll have a rock solid dog.
Reward the dog
Treat-training is a powerful and game-changing approach to teaching your dog new commands. However, not every type of treat will have the same success.
Experiment with different treats to better understand your dog’s preferences. Once you’ve identified your puppy’s favorites, you should decide the appropriate quantities. Remember, the way you interact with the dog while administering the treats matters, too. Dogs prefer if you accompany treat-training with petting and genuine praise.
Treats can also be a toy or activity. For example, I like to teach my dogs to work for a reward toy, such as a tennis ball, or a game of tug.
Wrap-up
Reward your dog for their achievements, no matter how big or small. You can give your pup treats for walking successfully on a leash, remaining calm in the crate, or even using the bathroom when making a trip outside. Doing so encourages dogs to repeat good behaviors, it’s positive reinforcement.
Always end a training session on a positive note to keep your new dog interested and wanting more!
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