Introduce new animals to one another very slowly. Weighs the pros and the cons before adopting another pet. For optimal bonding, select a new pet whose personality is similar to that of your current pet.
Giving your dog mental stimulation is an important part of keeping your pet happy and healthy. Visit your local pet shop for new and entertaining toys for your dog on a regular basis. Bored dogs will often turn to chewing furniture, shoes or even drywall, to amuse themselves if they are not given proper stimulation.
There are a lot of tricks you can teach your dog to do; a common one is training him to hold a toy in his mouth without chewing it. Whenever he puts the toy in his mouth, give a treat and his clicker reward. After your dog succeeds in mouthing an object a few times, move on to rewarding the dog for picking it up with his mouth. Once he does, click and reward. As he gets even better, only give him a reward for holding the plushie in his mouth for a few seconds.
When training your dog, always remember to have fun. Playing with your dog helps build a stronger bond between dog and human, which encourages the dog to respond positively during training. Although dog training can be fun, you dont really want to spend all your time in training mode.
Everyone in your household needs to be on board for dog training to be effective. While he may have one person who works with him on a regular basis, having everyone be a part of his training will teach him that he must follow the rules of the house at all times, and keep his training more consistent.
Set the stage for success so that your dog will have little trouble learning what to chew and what not to chew. Excessive chewing is not only damaging to your precious objects, but dangerous to your dog. Things like brushes, small toys and nylons are common things around the house that pose a choking hazard.
Dogs can learn a multi-step behavior by stepwise refinement just like humans can. One example might be to teach him to fetch your daily newspaper. You will need to teach him or her how to hold something first. Next, your dog will need to learn the objects name. After that, he needs to learn how to lift up the object. Finally, he should learn to bring the object to you. If you break it down, your dog will understand the linear relationship of the behavior.
Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. It is easy to forget about treats when you consider how much you are feeding your dog. This can happen especially when you are training him.
Learning how to show authority is the foundation of all dog training. He needs to know that you are the authority before he will let you train him. Never allow your dog pull on the leash while you are on a walk.
You wont get anywhere in your dog training routine if your dog feels unsafe. If they do not feel safe, they may show bad behavior. Make your dogs surroundings comfortable and safe in order for this not to happen.
While training your dog, make sure both of you are having fun. Taking some time to have fun with your dog makes your dog like you more, which means fewer problems when training him. Having fun with your dog during training is one thing, but playing and having fun with your dog outside of training is also necessary.
A consistent schedule of feeding and potty-time is very important when house training your dog. By establishing a regular potty-time every day, you will get your dog in the habit of doing his business at the same time daily. Sticking to a schedule will teach your dog how to control himself until his next scheduled potty break.
Every dog is unique and is motivated to learn by different things. Dog training can be a learning experience, especially with it comes to determining what motivates your pet. It doesnt matter the reason you want to train your dog, you need to offer a variety of exercises along with positive reinforcement. Any time your dog is happy, you will find they have a better performance.
Challenge your dog frequently. Give him "quizzes" to make sure he still knows his stuff, even if you both know he does.
Remember to enjoy the time spent with your dog during training. Taking time to play creates a strong bond between the two of you, and your dog will be more likely to respond well to training. Training can be a fun experience, however, getting some enjoyment for yourself and the dog through play is a good thing.
Providing your dog with food that it likes while training him or her will help give them incentive to do good. Offering your dog a truly special reward is an easy way to encourage them. Really pay attention to his reaction when he is given the treat and adjust your reward foods accordingly.
If your puppy is caught chewing on something unacceptable, stop him immediately. This will help your puppy understand what is acceptable and what is off limits.
Although a harness is more comfortable for dogs, it does not offer as much control as a cinch-type collar. Keep your dog on his harness, but also use your cinching collar. Tug on his collar when its absolutely necessary, and your dog will soon learn how to obey wearing the harness alone.
A clicker works well when training most dogs. Using a clicker is as simple as showing your dog that good things happen when the clicking noise is heard. Try using this technique right away, doing it frequently over a span of a few days. Your dog will soon know that the clicking noise means that they are doing a good job.
Utilizing the fore-mentioned tips can enable you to curb common training problems and misconceptions. If you keep these tips in the back of your mind when its time to train your dog, it will kick-start your training into an ultra-efficient routine..