People are excited when they get a new dog. They start exploring what the dog can do, in terms of commands and tricks. If your dog is untrained, remember the training process is going to be long, so take baby steps.
Back To Basics
Think about it when your child starts school. They start in kindergarten and works their way up to high school. Dogs are the same way in the sense of learning. If you throw everything at them all at once they will not understand. If you try teaching them advanced tricks/commands, without them knowing the basics, you will be highly frustrated.Try to work on one command at a time. Over stimulating him will cause your dog to be easily distracted, therefor resulting in poor command retention. Make sure you expose your dog to different environments while in the training process. This will teach your dog to obey commands, even when he is not in his home range or territory.I find that "Sit", "Stay", and "Lay Down" to be the easiest commands to start with. If your dog already knows these commands, move on to something a little more complex.
Rewards
Some people use the "treat" method while training their dog, rewarding them with a treat when they follow a command properly. I feel that other methods can be used for rewards, before trying the "treat" method. Say your dog has a favorite toy, or likes you to scratch behind his ears, this is a reward to him. Throw his favorite ball or give him a good scratch down, trust me he will know he is being rewarded. Even something as simple as play time between you and your dog will be satisfying, he will know that it's a job well done.
Correction.
When your dog does not follow a command properly, it is important to correct him and tell him "no", otherwise he will not grasp that he did it wrong. However, after correcting the misbehavior, you need to make sure he is back on a good and positive track. For instance, you are trying to teach him "Lay Down" and he doesn't seem to be comprehending it, let him do something he does know how to do. Bring the situation back to a positive, let him "sit" , because he knows this command. Once he does, reward him with what ever method you use. This will let him know that he is still doing good, and then you can move back towards teaching him the new command. This also allows the dog to still feel confident in its abilities to please his master. A good dog is a happy dog!
Until next time, have a safe and happy pack!
Comments
Nice article. Some very good techniques, and they are presented in a way they should be easy for a new dog owner to utilize.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!