Top 8 Things You Should Know Before Engaging to Dog Obedience Training ~ We Care for Dogs

Perhaps one of the hardest things you have to accomplish as a new dog owner is making your dog learn basic obedience skills. Aside from time and energy, you also have to invest tons of patience to make sure you bring out a well-mannered and polite dog everyone will love.

Although the actual process is tough, dog obedience training can help make your relationship with your dog easier in the long run. To get started, here’s a list of essential things you have to consider:

1. Know how your dogs learn

Know how your dogs learn - dog obedience training

Some dogs are quick to learn but there are also breeds that require more patience when it comes to mastering commands. Before fully engaging with dog training, it’s best if you can do your research first.

Dogs also learn differently from humans. They can only assimilate and associate things that are currently happening. If you find gnawed parts of your furniture that were clearly done a few hours ago, your dog will not understand what he did wrong no matter what consequences you lay out. To help with your dog’s learning, you should catch and reprimand him while he’s doing a bad behavior.

2. Take violence off of the equation

Take violence off of the equation - Dog Obedience Training

No matter how frustrated or stressed out you get, you should avoid using violence. It can only make him fearful, anxious and bottled up. Once these emotions aren’t addressed properly, it won’t be too long before your dog shows aggressiveness. He may snap and bite out of fear.

3. Be consistent

Consistency means implementing the same rules no matter who issues the command and where. It involves having everyone at home comply with what’s expected of your dog.

If you train your dog not to bark or jump at you but your children encourage him to do so, it will create confusion on the consequences of his behavior. He may avoid barking and jumping around you but he may continue doing them when around others.

Aside from this, you should also be consistent about your rewards and consequences until they can be slowly dissociated from the commands. Consistency helps make retention more feasible with dogs.

4. Keep training sessions short

Keep training sessions short - dog obedience training

Dogs, particularly puppies, have short attention span. Instead of spending two full hours engaging him to learn a new trick, try to limit the session to around 5 to 10 minutes. The key to successful dog training is not on how long you train but on how frequent you practice. Dogs that are exhausted and bored aren’t likely to respond positively to commands.

5. Begin with basic skills

Begin with basic skills - dog obedience training

Starting with the basic skills can help you and your dog conquer more complex tasks easier. As much as it’s tempting to continue advancing the tricks, it’s best if you can wait for your dog to master one task at a time. If you see consistency in his response, then you can start with a more complex skill. However, if you see him flubbing, you may need to repeat the process in a much slower pace.

6. Understand the use of rewards and consequences

Understand the use of rewards and consequences - dog obedience training

There are two things dogs like to receive from their owners- treats and affection. You can use these two in encouraging good behaviors and in limiting the bad ones. Responding properly to a command, for example, earns him a piece a biscuit and a belly rub. If he starts jumping on you, simply turn around and leave your dog for a moment. This action will tell your dog that such behavior will not earn him anything.

7. Understand that dogs are dogs

Setting realistic expectations is important, particularly when it comes to training your dogs. Yelling and scolding him for not being able to follow a simple task will not make training any easier. As a matter of fact, these things can only make training sessions stressful for you and your dog.

8. Be a good leader

be a good leader - dog obedience training

Your dog sees you as his pack leader. If he feels that you’re not competent enough for the role, he’s likely to assume the alpha position. The consequences and rewards you impose with the tasks are important in training your dog. However, your energy while delivering the commands also speaks volume of your capability as a leader.

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