A well behaved dog is a pleasure to own and will become much-loved member of your family. Training need not be a tedious chore. If can be enjoyable and beneficial for both you and your dog if it is appreciated in the right frame of mind you need to be patient and work together as a team. Ifs important to make your dog understand what you are want him to do and reward him when he does it. If you keep the sessions short, repeat them frequently and use reward based methods. Your dog will soon learn to obey your commands and will enjoy pleasing you.
Making training fun
You can make training fun. Like any kind of education, whether it is designed for children or puppies, sometimes the going is thought and you or your dog may despair of ever getting it right, but the joy of having a well-mannered, happy dog that is a credit to you in any situation makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Benefits of training:
The well trained dog is a happy dog. He rarely gets into trouble because he has behaved badly without being aware that he is doing so. He is seldom if ever shut away because he is a nuisance. Te dog who has been trained to be tolerable member of our society flourishes in the approval of his owner, his family and their circle of friends.
The well trained dog is unable to reason that because he is well-trained he is able to go on a lot more outings than a badly behaved dog to behave well, he can accompany you to the countryside, the park and interesting beaches. He can walk through woodland and visit all the places where other dogs can be encountered and enjoyed.
The trained dog has a wider social life, and so will you! If both you and your family take a pleasure in obedience trainings you may decide to take the skill to further lengths- for instance you may want to join a local class for more advanced training or even proceed to competition level with your dog. But first of all you and your puppy must master the initial kindergarten stage of training and learn to exercise the basic commands.
Get a language:
Before you bring your new puppy home. Draw up a short list of the words that you will use to train him. Make the words as simple as possible, easy to say, and distinctive from one another.
You may want to make your word for go and pass urine or defecate in the garden or on the patio a secret word, so that you can use it anywhere in public without any embarrassment. The guide dogs for the blind associations use hurry up! As good a praise as any for the purpose. However, remember if you adopt these words not to use the phrase at any other time, or you may be embarrassed.
Your language list should include the puppy’s name, followed by ‘come’! Usually, just calling name will suffice, and you can use hand signals to back up your request. ‘No’! Said sharply, is a very important word him to learn – the word that you say when the puppy is about to do, or is actually doing, something that you do not wish him to do.
It is important to make sure that all the members of your family use the same words for the same actions, at least for a year or two. When the dog is an adult and familiar with what he may or may not do, it is possible t vary the commands, however, while he is young he should learn to associate a specific word with the desired action.
Reward-based training
Your pup will soon learn that some things he does will please you and will be rewarded and his will make him want to repeat them. You must use hand signals and body language as well as words to train him to perform the required actions.
Early days:
Training begins at home and from the moment the puppy arrives in your house, he will be learning to interact with you and other members of the family. The message he will receive is that little food rewards and lots of praise come from these people as do mutual play experience. Life is good with these people and they can be trusted not to hurt or tease him, and to create a secure environment as a foundation for his further socialization experiences.
Rewards:
You must always be in control of training sessions. Be patient with your puppy if he does not grasp what you want immediately. He will learn with repetition, so be prepared for gradual progress. It is essential that you reward good behavior and the correct response with lavish praise and treats. Rewards-based training has been shown to be the most effective way of teaching a dog. Smacking dog or shouting at him nervous, confused or aggressive and create behavior by rewarding it when it occurs. Use specially formulated dried food treats and dog’s biscuits, or tiny pieces of cheese or liver.
‘Sit’:
It’s a good idea to teach this command while your puppy is still young and eager to respond to commands. It will stop him jumping up at people, bothering you when you are busy or eating, and generally make living together easier and more pleasurable.
Your puppy know the attitude of ‘sit’; he has been doing ‘sits’ spontaneously since he was four word you use want him to go into this position. Use rewards to get his attention initially – dog treats are ideal. With practice and patient repetition he will soon learn to associate the word with the required action. The ‘sit’ is a position that dogs assume readily of their own accord. The head is held high, the front legs are straight, and the hind legs are folded beneath them in a jack – knife position.
‘Stay’:
When your dog will go into the ‘sit’ position on your command, you can progress to teaching him to ‘stay’, so that you have some control over him. After some patient practice sessions, you further, and the dogs will be comfortable that he still has the security of your presence even though you are standing a short distance from him.
‘Come’:
Coming when called is probably the most important command for your dog to learn. Success always pays and if your dog comes straight to you when you call him, welcomes him enthusiastically with cries of pleasure. Stroke him but without raising your hand above his head – young puppy may perceive this as a frightening gesture. Quickly reward his good behavior with a tiny food treat – keep tidbits hidden and out of his way in your pocket to bum bag.
If your dog does not come to you when you call him, say noting but walk away to another place call him again from there. Remember that you are more clever than him, so never let him think that he can defy you or evade you. Nor should you ever get cross. Shout or punish a dog, no matter what he has done. Your job is to make training both fun and rewarding and to persuade him that it is worth his while to get the task right. Dogs learn by finding out what behavior pays best for them.
’Down’:
This is the next command to be taught to achieve this position the puppy is required to fold his back legs until they are parallel with the ground. His neck is extended and his head held high. This is another ‘resting’ pose which the dog does not mind taking up when he understands what you want him to do.
It is important to limit the words that you use and always to employ the same ones to avoid any confusion. They must also be used in the correct context; take care not to say ‘down’ when you mean t reprimand a dog that is jumping up to greet you, your dog must get accustomed to precise words of command for each action he performs.
Like that ‘sit’; this command needs to be repeated many times and in different situations before it is engraved on your dog’s mind and the required action becomes second nature to him. However, the ‘down’s easy to practice, wherever you may be.
Walking on a lead:
A well-behaved dog should walk quickly by your side on a lead, without pulling too far forwards or deviating backwards or from side to side. No responsible owner should allow their dogs to walk without any lead control lanes, it is essential that you train your dog from the earliest possible age to walk happily on a leader your side. If your dog is pleasure to walk, you will both enjoy going out together and you will receive mutual benefits from getting more exercise.
‘Fetch’:
This action comes naturally to many dogs; you can start your puppy playing retrieving games as early as eight weeks old. Mastering this command brings many benefits; retrieving games are fun and good exercise for an energetic dog; the dog will bring back toys to you and relinquish them; and it enables you to build a good relationship with your dog – with you in control of the game being played.
As always, keep the session short and be patient with your dog. Retrieving a toy is complicated process for him with many different elements, and it may take time for him to master it. He needs to know that if he brings it back to you correctly, he will be rewarded with a game and possibly a tidbit, too
‘Drop’:
Whenever your dog succeeds in bringing a thrown or requested object back to you are your command, never go into ‘tug of war’ mode. It may be precious object that you want back in one piece! Instead praise him enthusiastically for coming back to you and encourage him to give it to you without having to fight him for it. If wished you can reward him with a favorite tidbit complies.
‘Bed’:
Sending a dog to his bed should never be used as a punishment. Dogs lover their beds and should regard them as safe place where they can lie and sleep undisturbed, or sit and watch in safety. If you want him out of the way, say ‘bed’ firmly to your dog.
But always use a happy voice and give him a tidbit or a favorite toy and praise him when he has settled. Make the bed comfortable with a rug. ‘Vetbed’ or fleecy blanket, and position it in a draught – free place which is out of direct sunlight.
‘Hi five’:
Offering a paw is a very endearing action and your visitors will dote on a dog who gives them a paw in a handshake gesture. You can teach your dog this trick and he will enjoy performing it. Ask him to ‘sit’ in front of you and gently stroke the hairs at the back of one of his front paws until he lifts the foot say ‘give a paw’ and then reward him lavishly with praise and a tidbit when he offers it to you. Always practice this command from the ‘sit’ position. He gets more proficient and does it naturally when asked, you can raise your hand higher so that he has to stretch his paw up to give you a ‘hi five’ a you lower your hand.
‘Find’:
Your dog will enjoy games of hide – and – seek in the house or garden. Show him his favorite toy and throw it out of sight, holding on to his collar. Let go him when he brings it back to you. As he becomes more proficient, progress to hiding the toy in advance and asking him to ‘find’ it. He will enjoy looking for it’s.
