Training can be fun and successful for both you and your dog. When training, always stay positive. Never yell or be forceful while training. Yelling and forcefulness will confuse your dog. He will instantly think he is in trouble and try to stop doing what is making you mad. Dogs love to make humans happy, so always keep training fun and upbeat.
Dogs respond better to positive reinforcement. When your dog does a command or even half of a command, you respond with something positive. Positive things include toys, treats, or even the sound of your happy voice. When something positive happens after the command, it will leave a lasting impression. He now knows that when he does what he is told he will either get a treat, toy or your happy voice.
Treats are great to use when teaching your dog new commands however, they should not be used all the time. When training, treats should be phased out over time. Treats should be replaced with words like' good' or 'yes'. So, for example, when your dog sits you should immediately say 'yes or 'good', or even doing both, saying the word, then treating. When using treats, keep them small. Treats can be store bought. Better motivators include small pieces of chicken, hot dogs or cheese.
When using command words, don't repeat. For instance, if you are training Fido to sit and the word sit is repeated over and over, the training will not be effective. Dogs need time to process. So, if you are saying a certain word again and again, your dog will shut you out. Say the word once and wait. Patience is key to training. A plus side to waiting is watching your dog think about what he is supposed to do. A 15 to 20 second wait between words is fine.
Always keep training short. Only train your dog for about 15 minutes. Attention spans run short in dogs. Keeping it short will help your dog learn faster and keep training fun. Always be consistent. Never use a different method each time. Dogs learn more effectively when things are kept the same. When training is fun, success will follow.
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