At some point in most of our lives we have owned a dog, and boy is it a rewarding experience. This is especially true when you have a well-trained obedient dog. Nothing says love like getting pounced on the second you walk into the door. Hopefully this article can help you to have a loving and obedient dog.
You should have realistic expectations for your dog. Your dog may be smart, but remember that breed-specific traits might inhibit some dogs from performing certain tasks as well as others. If your dog is not as able-bodied as other dogs, you should similarly have realistic expectations of his capabilities!
If you want to have a well behaved dog, make sure that you are filling their most basic needs. They need to have water, food, shelter and love. These are essential to a happy and healthy pet, and only then will they want to or have the energy to let you tell them what to do.
To teach recall, you must be the most interesting thing to your dog at the moment you are calling him. Active dogs love movement, so try calling your dog while you run in another direction. Your dog will be likely to engage in a chase, making recall a fun exercise for him and encouraging his response in future situations.
Set your dog up to succeed for the end of a session. End all of your training sessions with a command that you know that he can do and reward him for his effort. You don’t want him to come away depressed about training time, but you also don’t want to reward him if he was not responding well during the session. Giving him a task or command that you know he can do allows you to reward him without confusing him.
If you want to be successful at dog obedience training, you must be willing to commit to a specific amount of time on a consistent basis. Dogs learn from repetition and consistency. Additionally, the very act of spending a certain amount of time with your dog every day will convince him that you are a consistent and reliable person. These are two qualities that will work to make you the leader of the pack!
When training your dog to stay, take baby steps. First tell her to sit or lie down. When she has held that position for a couple of seconds, tell her to stay. If she stays longer, give her a treat. Allow her to move again, and repeat the process, rewarding her after she stays a bit longer with each repetition.
Don’t allow your dog to drag you around. You are leading him, not vice-versa. Use a good training collar and a short leash to begin obedience training, and make sure to keep your dog at heel when walking and to pass through doors and gates ahead of your dog. Remember, you are the leader!
When your dog is trained properly, your experience of dog ownership is so much more enjoyable. This article hopefully took you from dog novice, to dog expert. Consistently apply these hints, and you will see a difference in your dog’s behavior.
