If you have a new dog or puppy, you may be interested in getting some basic dog training. Dog training can be taught by an obedience instructor, or you can do the dog training yourself. Dog training with an obedience instructor can vary in price and it usually takes place in a class. If you do the dog training yourself, it is usually free and you can do it from your own home. If you do choose to do the dog training yourself, it is best to get educated on dog training.
There are 3 basic things your dog should learn through basic dog training. These are: sit, stay, and come. The first part of dog training is to teach your dog to sit. To start this dog training, you will first need some dog treats. Do this dog training in a quiet environment so your dog doesn't get distracted. Tell your dog to sit repeatedly as you hold the dog treat just over their head. This way the dog has to look up and may sit on there own to reach the treat.
If not, gently push there rear down. When they sit, praise them and reward them with a treat. This kind of dog training works because the dog constantly hears "sit" and will learn to associate the command with sitting and receiving praise.
The next part of dog training is to teach your dog to stay. This is often a difficult part of dog training. This kind of dog training is also incorporated with teaching your dog the command "come." Sit your dog in an area with no directions. Tell your dog to stay repeatedly as you back away. Start out by keeping eye contact with the dog. If the dog gets up, tell it "no" and start again. Remember this dog training takes a while. You may need someone to sit with the dog to help reinforce the dog to stay the first few times.
Once you have made progress with this dog training, you then start by walking away with your back turned. Dogs will often get up to follow you at this point. Tell your dog "no" and start the dog training again by repeatedly telling your dog to stay as you walk away.
Once your dog has mastered this part, you can teach it to come. After your dog has stayed, tell it to "come." Have a happy voice and pat your knee as you say "come." Your dog should respond to this dog training right away and you may then reward it.
Always use praise instead of punishment with dog training. Dogs respond best to positive dog training, rather than negative. With all of this in mind, you should be able to teach your dog the 3 basis commands. Follow all of this advice and you should soon have a more obedient dog that is worth everyone's praise!
Eating is one of the most primal activities for dogs. They love it, and they have respect for whoever gives them food (the leader in the pack). You can use your "power" of being pack leader to enhance your dog training efforts -- every day.
The following suggestions will help you establish your role as pack leader and reinforce dog obedience, deferment to your leadership, dog training techniques, and overall attitude and disposition (yours and your dogs).
A good habit to have in feeding your dog is consistency. Dogs love routine and food is a very important subject to them.
For example, feed your dog at approximately the same time(s) each day (some modification is fine for weekly schedule changes.) If feeding two times a day, pick two windows of time that you can be consistent with, for example, between 7:00 and 8:00 am and then again between 5:00 and 6:00 pm.
Having a window of time helps prevent anxiety in a dog expecting to be fed at a specific time each day (5:15 pm -- yes, dogs can zero in on a specific time of day like 5:15).
This is a very real concern for dogs and some dogs can fall apart emotionally and physically if they are expecting food at that time and don't get it. Ever hear of the dog that is panting and spastic and throwing up or having diarrhea? This dog is anxious. Setting a window of time and sticking to it will help your dog remain calm. Practice the same routine every day.
A big mistake is to offer up the running buffet, where food is available around the clock. This is actually a pretty common feeding program in many homes because its simple for the humans -- add food as needed.
So why not do this? Because it leads to an obese, lazy dog who doesn't listen to your commands, respect your leadership position or adhere to rules you've set forth in your dog training.
Wonderful things happen at mealtime -- for you and Fido. You get the opportunity to have your dog perform (reinforcing all that dog training you've done) for his meal. This could be sit, down, come, place.
So what, you say? Well, this is the easiest way you have of getting your dogs affirmation of you being the leader and reinforcing dog training. If you aren't the leader, guess who is. It will be the demanding, obnoxious dog bossing you around for a meal.
What exactly does it look like? Hold the food bowl in your hand. Your dog may be spastic, jumping, yipping, and pawing at you for the food. This is another dog training opportunity for you -- teaching him to be calmer at mealtimes.
By changing your dogs feeding routine, you change so much more. You get to reinforce all the dog training and dog obedience you've worked so hard on -- and it feels effortless. You get increased respect from your dog for providing the important commodity of food and for being a consistent provider. The more you establish yourself as leader of the pack, the more your dog will want to please you and dog training will be a snap.
Reward training is commonly thought of as a modern method of training a dog, but reward training is actually much older than you probably think, when compared to other methods of dog training. Many principles of modern reward training date back many decades. It is possible that reward training for dogs has been around as long as there have been dogs to train. Early humans probably used some informal kind of reward training when taming the wolf pups that eventually evolved into modern dogs. However, what is called reward training today has only enjoyed is remarkable popularity for the past 10 or 15 years.