The most common question asked by new dog owners is 'how do I train my dog?'. There are several ways of training a dog, I am going to explain to you a few techniques which have proven both quick and effective. Remember the most important aspect of training a dog is not method, but consistency and always remain positive with your pet.
Toilet Training.
I have found the most effective way to toilet train a dog requires a clicker. A tool you hold in your hand which clicks every time you press it. You first must get you dog used to the clicker. To do this keep clicking it until you get a reaction from your dog, then reward him with a fuss and a treat. Do this 20 times in a row everyday for a about a week. Get him used to the sound so that he associates the sound of the clicker with something good, this is when you get begin toilet training him. To do this take your dog to a specific toilet area and encourage him to go, it will take a while to start with. When he is finished press the clicker, give him a fuss and a treat. Make sure you do it as soon as he has finished though.
Walking On A Leash.
The most common problem with a dog is pulling on the leash when walking. I am going to share with you a few tips to prevent this.
Firstly do your best to always walk your dog after it has used up a bit of energy, especially if it has been inside all day waiting for you to come home. Do this by playing fetch in the garden for example.
Start using a 'gentle leader head collar'. They work in a similar way to a horse bridle, by controlling the head you can control the rest of the body.
Use a treat to teach him where he is supposed to walk. Hold a piece of food in front of him with your free hand so he follows it. Reward him every couple of meters.
Always keep the leash a little bit slack. If you pull on it your dogs natural reaction is to pull back, so keep it loose.
General Tips.
Keep each training session short. Your dog has a very short attention span so if you train him quickly but frequently he will learn a lot faster.
Make it enjoyable. Give him lots of praise when he does something right , but don't be too sharp with him when he doesn't. Make it something that you both look forward to and it will stop seeming like a chore and more like fun.
Always use different places to train your dog. If you only train in one place he may seem to be learning and progressing well but as soon as you go somewhere else it will be completely different. Keep changing locations so he doesn't get used to just the one place.
To be a good dog owner you need to do more than just training. Dogs spend a great deal of time doing nothing but waiting. So when you do have the time make sure your dog gets enough exercise, both mental and physical. Make sure you are providing your dog with a good diet.. Check the labels for poor quality meats, chemicals and dyes. A good quality diet will help prevent bad behaviour and poor health. In the wild dogs live in packs, with a leader. Make sure your dog knows you are the leader so it knows where it fits it. Do this by controlling when he does anything, such as sleeping and eating. Patience is one of the main things that will make you a good dog owner. Having a dog can be very frustrating at times, especially puppies, so always do you best to be patient with them.
I hope this information will be useful to you improve you and your families relationship with your dog.
