As a new dog owner, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to make sure your dog is both healthy and well behaved. This article will go into detail regarding tips specific to your situation, a new dog owner, and ways that you can successfully train your dog.
Don’t ever ignore good behavior from your dog. If they do something good, even if you didn’t ask them to do it, make sure that you reward them for it in some way. If you start to ignore them when they have done something desirable, then they will see no reason to keep doing it.
Until your dog is well trained, training should be constant. If you are unsure that your dog will follow any command that you give, training is not done. Every interaction with your dog should be approached from a dominant, training standpoint. You should consistently teach your dog that you are in control, much like a true pack leader does.
Your dog will perform best on a healthy diet. Feeding your dog bad food is very bad for several different reasons. It can negatively impact a dog’s health and disposition. By making small changes to your dog’s diet, you can alter their receptiveness to the training.
Whenever you want your dog to complete a task, you must reward it. It is important that your dog is able to establish a connection between the command and the action that gains a reward. This is how they’ll know what to do and what not to do.
When you get a new puppy, the best way to train it is to remove the temptation to behave badly in the first place. For example, if you have a puppy that is inclined to chew on shoes, store all of the shoes in the house out of reach of the dog. This way, the behavior doesn’t have to be trained out of the dog later.
As you train the dog, patience is essential. This will prevent both you and your dog from getting angry and frustrated with the training process. Keep in mind that dogs do wish to please their owners, but cannot always understand what is desired of them.
To have an obedient dog, you should establish yourself as a master right away. Do not let your dog bite you or jump on you. You have to punish or reward your dog constantly. Never let your dog get away with anything, or even worst, become hostile towards you.
The best way to potty train a new puppy is to pay attention! Keep your puppy where you can see him always. If you notice him sniffing around or starting to circle, quickly pick him up and take him outside. These are signs that he is ready to go potty.
Teach your dog the “down” command. You can use this command in emergency situations and to build on other training commands. Teaching your dog the down command can be extremely useful.
When training your dog don’t go all out. If you are working with a puppy only work on one skill a week, until your dog has mastered it. Keep your training sessions short and your dog will retain more. You are both less likely to get frustrated this way.
Pay attention to your dog’s body language during the training process. Dogs use their eyes, ears and other parts of their body to show you how they feel and what they want. For example, whether they lift or lower their tail can tell you a lot about their mood. If you can interpret your pet’s signals, you will be a much more effective trainer.
When you take your dog out to public places, make sure that you remain in control of him at all times. It is good etiquette to assure that he does not run up to other dogs or people without their permission. Not all people are comfortable around dogs and not all dogs get along.
Start slowly if you have an aggressive dog. A sudden change in your behavior can be seen as a challenge if your dog already considers himself to be the alpha dog in the pack. Make sure that you don’t approach with aggressive behavior or it will take a lot longer to get your dog in an accepting, learning mindset.
Here’s a neat trick you can teach your dog. Have him sit down, and then place a chair in front of him. Encourage him to put his front paws on the chair, while remaining in the seated position. Then, take a treat and hold it between his front paws. When he lowers his head to retrieve the treat, it looks as if he is praying.
Rewarding good behavior doesn’t require tons of dog treats. Often your dog is happy just to get your praise and affection. When your dog performs well, give him lots of love and attention. Your dog will associate the action with your affection and be willing to repeat the good behavior, even without a treat.
When housebreaking a dog it is quite important for him to know that when he went potty outside that you are proud of him. Give him a treat and some attention as soon as he has done his business. Do not just let him go about his business while you go about yours.
Some dogs are quite picky about the things that they eat. Find a treat that your dog loves. If he does not really enjoy the treats that you are feeding him for good behavior, he is not going to work as hard to get that treat. Find one that he likes and sticks with it.
Because you are a new dog owner, you are faced with many challenges. Hopefully if you follow the steps presented in this article, you will be much closer to being able to successfully train your new dog and will have a better understanding of what goes into dog ownership and training.