Monday, November 28, 2011

Training Your Puppy To Follow Your Instructions

By Steve Mary


Having the perfect and obedient pooch doesn't happen overnight. You must engage in teaching your dog everything he/she must know, just like a real child. Don't crack under the pressure; instead read some of the dog training tips below for some insightful ideas. You may not end up using all of the ideas, but they can help point you in the right direction.

If your dog does not seem to be responding to your training, make an appointment with your vet. If your dog is not learning properly, it does not mean they are dumb. Sometimes physical and occasionally mental maladies could cause your dog to not respond properly to training. Your vet may be able to give you some indication to the problem.

Try behavioral training with your puppy before the age of one. You may not have much luck training some puppies beyond potty training if you start too early, but training an older puppy can prevent some behaviors before they start. If your puppy is distracted and thinks you are simply playing, waiting another few weeks to try training again.

Walking should be a time for you to work on your relationship with your dog. Your dog shouldn't totally ignore you in lieu of squirrels, trees and other interesting things. Instead, keep him occupied with commands and rewards for great work. This will encourage heeling and attentiveness in your dog.

Puppies respond best to positive reinforcement during training. You should assure that during training your puppy can not get into trouble. If you have to scold your puppy while training him, he may relate the training to being a negative experience and not be as excited as he should be about his training.

Be a leader first and a "friend" second. From the moment you bring your dog home or begin to train him, you must constantly be leading. Attitude is your key to successful dominance and alpha behavior. Giving in to the playful side of your pet degrades the role you should be creating for your dog.

Dogs sometimes make mistakes because they can't do otherwise. It's your job to figure out why they can't. Consider an older dog, for example, that has been completely housebroken for years. If all of a sudden it starts relieving itself in the house something is wrong. The dog is likely sick and should be seen by a veterinarian.

To keep your dog from barking, you need to stop rewarding this behavior by giving him what he wants. This means paying attention to your dog, letting him inside the house or comforting him. Your dog will associate your behavior with the barking and will think that you want him to bark.

To teach your dog to lie down, have him start in a sit position. Take a treat, and place your hand on the ground. Slowly drag it away from your dog. Your dog should initially lower his nose to the ground, and then lie down as he tries to follow the treat further away. If he stands up instead of lying down, have him restart from the sit position. Make sure to praise him once he lies down.

Good training sessions are those in which your dog has expended some of their energy and have a calm demeanor. Find ways to exercise your dog, whether indoors or out so you can deplete some of the energy that makes training erratic. Take a walk with your dog and use the time to plan a small training session when you are finished.

Your dog will not be trained overnight, but you can read some valuable advice overnight. Admitting that you need help is always the first step and reading about the subject matter increases your insight into dog training methods. The above advice is tried and true; so take a friendly approach to dog training and do it yourself.




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