Training your new best friend can be both a challenge and a complete joy. Did you know that 69 million households in the US own at least one dog? Many of those owners choose to train their dogs.
If you’re one of those owners, you may have found that it’s not as easy as it looks to train a dog. It’s important to understand your dog and how he will react to certain things before taking on the task of training. Here are some simple tips that will help you get the most out of training your dog.
1. Make Your House Rules
Before you start training your dog, it’s important to think about what you want the rules to be. Will your dog be allowed on the sofa? Can your dog sleep in your bed? Will your dog be dining with you at the table every evening?
Thinking about these things will ensure there’s a clear pathway to train your dog. Allowing your dog on the sofa and then deciding that you’d prefer your dog off the sofa at a later date will be confusing for your dog.
2. Train in the Moment
A few minutes after a dog has done something, they’ve already forgotten about it. When DIY dog training, it’s vital that you remember to work on ‘dog time’ and be prepared for every moment. When your dog does something bad, you must correct the behavior there and then so they associate the correction with the behavior.
Similarly, when your dog does something good, be ready with heaps of praise and a treat so he understands that what he just did pleased you.
3. Stop Jumping
Most dogs will go through a phase of jumping, especially when they are young. If your dog is jumping on you or another person, have to be quick to stop it. The best thing to do is turn your back on your dog and ignore the behavior until it stops.
Once your dog has stopped jumping, give him attention. If your dog jumps while you’re out on walks, use this harness. It can help you to stop your dog from jumping at passersby.
4. Stop Nipping and Biting
No owner wants to deal with nipping and biting from their dog so it’s behavior that needs to be addressed straight away. If your puppy is nipping you, it could be because of puppy teething. Make a sharp yelping noise and walk away when your puppy bites.
This lets your puppy know that the bite has hurt you and you don’t want to play when he bites.
Training Your Dog at Home
Training your dog at home can be incredibly rewarding and it’s a great way to establish a long-lasting bond that has benefits for you both. Once you start to train your dog, you’ll quickly understand how dogs learn and you’ll be able to apply it to other training commands as you progress.
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