Educating yourself about dog training should be the first step one takes prior to actually training your dog. Certainly there are plenty of sources one can access, but sometimes it just results in information overload.
Canine training isn’t really all that difficult. An important thing to remember is that many dogs simply want to make their owner happy. The problem is communication. Of course there is a language barrier, and you need to get your dog to understand what you want.
Dog training can be summed up with just a few tips. Lets take a look at some of the methods that I have used in order to train my dog, making both he and I happier.
Try to avoid the negatives that often come with training. Hitting or striking your dog, either by hand or with an object will only teach the dog to fear you. A stern verbal NO, is OK, but don’t go any further than that, or you risk alienating the animal. Focusing on praise and rewards when your dog acts as he should is the better way to go.
Praising your dog reinforces correct behaviors. Loving or petting your dog for acting positive behaviors is of course nice, but experience has shown better results happen when treats are distributed at the time the behaviors observed. When you really think about it, food motivates almost every animal, so to it works with our four legged friends.
Body movement can also influence your dog’s behavior. Many canines can actually can actually sense and read your body language before any verbal communication is given. A method that works well in doing this is to match an audible command with a particular movement of either the hand, arm, or even leg.
Never giving up is the final key to successful dog training. Sure at times it is frustrating. It would certainly be easier to give up, go sit on the couch and watch your DirecTV, but you need to persist in your training. Nobodys dog is going to train himself, and training always takes longer than you would like. It is so important to keep this in mind when things are tough with your dog. Things will not always fall into place, so do not give up at the first sign of trouble.
Training your four legged companion can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. Keeping these brief tips in mind will help you keep on track in your natural dog training efforts.
