How To Approach Dog Training At Home

Proper dog training doesn’t take place only at obedience schools. It’s important that you work with your dog at home as well. Obedience school shows you the dog obedience exercises. But dog training at home is where the real learning takes place. There are some general principals you might think about to make sure the time is well spent.

First, remember to create a positive atmosphere for your dog. Practice sessions should be fun. If your dog enjoys training with you he’ll be more willing to learn and more likely to remember what you’ve taught him. Keeping a good atmosphere means using positive reinforcement techniques and this makes it fun for Fido. The best book we've found covering positive reinforcement techniques is this dog training resource.

Always have treats handy. If your dog gives you a correct response to a command, reward.  Correct bad behavior by interrupting it and getting your puppy to focus on something else. Don’t scold or get angry. Negative corrections just aren’t effective.

Dog Training should be fun for puppy and you

Another thing you can try is turning training sessions into a game. Be happy and enthusiastic, and let your dog know that you want to have fun. Dogs are good at sensing the moods of their owners. If he feels that you’re happy, he’ll be happy too. You can turn a training session into a game if you reward your dog with his favorite activity. If you’re trying to teach him to sit, throw a ball for him or play tug-of-war each time he gets it right. Playing with a favorite toy can be as rewarding to a dog as receiving a yummy treat. This will also keep his mind on the game and, since he will be eager to keep playing, he will try his best to do what you want.

Keep in mind that a dog’s attention span is not very long. You should keep your practice sessions short. Five to ten minutes is usually long enough for a beginner. With short sessions, you can avoid wearing your dog out. If she gets tired of the activity, she won’t pay attention, and your training will be less effective.

Dog training sessions should be short but frequent

Since your training sessions are short, you should have them two to three times a day. Structure your practice around one or two commands only. You don’t want to confuse your dog by throwing too much at her in such a short space of time. It’s important that you practice every day until your dog is fully conditioned to respond to your commands.

Being consistent is very important in dog training. If you go to dog obedience school, you’ll notice that if your instructor gives a command to a dog he won’t say it more than once and he’ll never give up if the dog doesn’t provide the desired response. The exercise doesn’t end until the dog does what she is supposed to – at which time the instructor rewards and praises.

It needs to be the same way when dog training at home. If you give a command while training (for example “down”) and your dog is being stubborn, you need to use the techniques you’re taught to get the desired response without repeating the command or going on to something else. Your dog needs to learn that when a command is given, there is no other option for her than to obey. Nothing else happens until she delivers the desired response.

You may want to take advantage of your dog’s natural habits. If she barks at you when she wants a treat, begin using a “speak” command every time she barks. Give her the treat as you say it. Later, start withholding the treat if she barks without your command. She only gets the reward if you told her to speak. This allows you to get an annoying habit under control with what your dog thinks is just a fun game.

Most of your dog’s training will be reinforced at home. It is your responsibility to make sure that it is consistent and thorough. It is also your job to make training enjoyable for your dog. Keep the atmosphere positive. Never make it a chore and never make your dog feel like he is going to get into trouble for making a mistake. There are many ways to make training fun. If you discover a game that works, stick with it. Don’t be afraid to get creative. This is your quality time together. Quality dog training at home will determine how well behaved your pet becomes.

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