The Truth About Dog Training

The truth is, you have been training your dog ever since you got him as a puppy. When you call your dog's name and he approaches you, you have been teaching him the command "come". All you need to do is to add the word "come" every time so your dog associates the word with the action. Training is not at all difficult if you really put your mind to it. Remember, your dog knows only what you teach and allow him to do so training is a must.

Here are a few TRUTHS about dog training that will most definitely help you:

Truth No. 1 - Let There Be One Trainer
If there are a lot of members in the family, let one member train your dog initially. The reason for this is to avoid confusion. Aside from possible variations in commands, discrepancies in timing may also be a great factor to confuse your dog. Let one very patient member of the family do the training first. When commands have been learned, then other members may be able to use the same command words as effectively as well.

Truth No. 2 - Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement training methods such as clicker training help dogs associate obedience with something pleasant, making training easier and more effective. To use this method of training, treats are often given as rewards once the dog has successfully accomplished a command such as "sit", "stay", or "leave it". You will see that your dog is more enthusiastic to learn when using positive reinforcement techniques as they are more willing to try new things out either for a treat, praise, or a toy.

Truth No. 3 - Take It Easy
Taking it easy simply means that you should teach your dog one command at a time. This will help your dog understand and associate better. Mixing up commands will most certainly confuse your dog and training will become unsuccessful. Move on to the next command once your dog has already mastered one command.

Truth No. 4 - Integrate Training Into Play
Doing this will help lighten training sessions and will make your dog want to train even more. For instance, before throwing your dog's favorite toy, give the command "sit". Once your dog has successfully done the command, praise and throw the toy. Before you walk your dog, ask him to "stay" or "heel". This way, your dog associates commands to something pleasant.

Truth No. 5 - Train in Different Places
Training in various places such as the park, your home, a friend's house will allow your dog to be versatile and sociable. Doing trainings in different places will most likely help your dog realize that he should obey you in any place you both may be.

Training your dog need not be difficult if you know how to do it. With the right attitude and enough patience, you're on your way to owning a well behaved dog! So stick to these truths - have one trainer, use positive reinforcement, take it easy, train and play, vary your location - and you're sure to have a trouble-free dog training journey.

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