Dog training is one of the responsibilities of any pet owner. It’s a journey that has rewarding results, and it strengthens your bond with your dog.

While it can be challenging, teaching your dog basic obedience ensures your dog’s safety. It also fosters pets who are well-behaved when they’re with other people and pets. Training also helps in addressing certain issues with your dog’s behavior and mental health.

If you have recently adopted a dog or are already prepared to begin training, it’s vital to know how to start teaching your canine companion.

Why Dog Training Is Important

Dog training has many benefits for both you and your pet. It enhances your dog’s safety and behavior as they can explore their environment while being off-leash. Training also helps build trust between dogs and their owners as you can understand each other better.

Without proper training, many dogs develop many unwanted issues, like chewing on furniture and aggression towards others. Also, untrained dogs tend to be more anxious, nervous, and stressed, just like a person who doesn’t get socially and mentally stimulated.

How Do Dogs Learn?

Dogs learn differently than humans, as they can’t use words, so it’s important to know how to make them understand what is right from wrong. And the effective trick here is positive reinforcement.

This method of training dogs involves rewarding their positive behavior to encourage them to continue doing it. Some examples of rewards you can give your dog include treats, toys, and praise.

Some dog breeds may respond better to treats, while others love to please their owners and are satisfied with receiving praise. However, you must be careful when rewarding your dog, as accidental reinforcement of unwanted behavior can do more harm than good.

It’s also important to remember that punishments never work. It’s better to ignore unwanted behavior than punish your dog. Instilling fear can damage your relationship with your pet, and it makes them more anxious and stressed, leading to many issues.

Essential Commands Every Dog Should Learn

Your dog doesn’t need to jump through hoops or learn to play dead as the first lesson they’ll encounter. These are advanced tricks that can be taught after basic training.

Here are the basic commands your dog should learn.

• Sit – This is one of the first and easiest commands to teach. It helps your dog learn to focus and learn impulse control.
• Stay – It teaches your dog to remain in place and builds patience and control.
• Down – This command encourages dogs to lie down and stay calm. This allows you to manage their over-excitement.
• Come – It’s an essential command when doing off-leash activities with your dog because it ensures they return to you even when there are distractions.
• Leave It – This teaches your dog to ignore or walk away from dangerous items or distractions.
• Heel – Teaching your dog this command can make walks more enjoyable as they’ll learn to walk calmly by your side without pulling the leash.

Mastering these basic commands is the foundation of advanced dog training. It also makes everyday activities more enjoyable and calming.

Dog Training Tips for New Pet Owners

If you’re a new dog owner, training your pet might already be an overwhelming idea. Fortunately, there are some ways to make your training sessions easier for you and your dog.

1.    Train in a Distraction-Free Environment

At first, your dog will have difficulty focusing on you and the training. This is why the first few sessions must be done in a quiet and familiar space, like your home. As you continue training your dog, you may increase the distractions gradually.

2.    Keep Sessions Short and Frequent

Dogs have shorter attention spans than humans, so it’s best to keep their training sessions short. Some dogs can experience canine fatigue if you force them to train for longer than 5 minutes. Take long breaks and train them frequently throughout the day to reinforce the command or trick you’re trying to teach them.

3.    Show Training Consistency

It’s important to be consistent with training your dog. Use the same word and tone when teaching them a command. When your dog lives in a household with several people, they must also follow the same rules you’re implementing for your dog.

4.    Teach Complex Commands with Small Steps

Build up behaviors like Stay or Come gradually. These commands can be broken up into several steps that you can teach your dog. While doing so, you must also reward their small progress to encourage them more.

5.    Use Hand Signals

Dogs respond well to visual cues, so hand signals are best to use. Combine them with your verbal commands for clarity and memory retention. Make sure to be consistent with the signals you use.

6.    Make Training Sessions Fun

When your dogs have fun, they’ll certainly respond well to the training. Add playtime activities in between the repetitions. You can also teach them cool and fun tricks like rolling over or shaking paws while working on basic obedience.

7.    Praise Improvements, Big or Small

Always reward their progress, whether they’re big or small. This is to keep them motivated and encouraged to continue learning. It’s also important to note that learning speeds differ in age and breed.

8.    Practice Commands Daily

You should incorporate your training when doing daily activities with your dog. For example, when feeding them, you can ask them to sit. Use commands as well during playtime and daily walks.

When to Seek Help from Professionals

Dog training requires a lot of time, patience, and consistency. It’s understandable that not all dog owners can dedicate their full attention as they have other priorities in life. Fortunately, there are professional dog trainers and veterinary specialists in pet behavior to help.

These experts are not only for dogs with pet owners that don’t have time. They also help those who have difficulty in training their canine companions. Also, there are dogs that can be difficult to train, especially those that already have behavioral problems.

You can choose trainers and behaviorists who provide at-home services so you and your dog can be comfortable at home. In some cases, medical conditions might be the reason why you’re having difficulty training your pet. If this is the reason, your dog must be taken to the veterinary clinic for a check-up.

Conclusion

Dog training can be challenging, especially for new pet owners. Even so, successfully training your dog can be a rewarding experience.

The most important aspects of training canines are positive reinforcement and consistency. These two aspects are key to making sure your dog learns commands correctly and becomes well-behaved.

If you have trouble training your dog, you can always seek help from professionals who are experts in dog behavior. And to ensure that your dog is healthy and ready for training, don’t hesitate to consult your veterinarian and take your pet for routine health examinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can anxiety in dogs be addressed with training?

Yes, there’s anxiety dog training that focuses on managing behaviors in dogs that are caused by stress, such as chewing or excessive barking.

2. What is obedience training for dogs?

Obedience training involves teaching your dog basic commands like sit, stay, and come. These commands ensure your dog’s safety and improved behavior.

3. How do you train a therapy dog?

Training therapy dogs require advanced socialization and obedience skills. They must be calm around strangers, children, and medical tools. A therapy dog must pass a certification or assessment program before they can work.

4. What is guard dog training?

Guard dog training teaches dogs specific protective behaviors, such as patrolling or alert barking. This type of training suits certain breeds, like German Shepherds and Rottweilers,  and must be done by professional trainers who have experience.

5. How can I train my dog to sleep in his bed?

Training your dog to sleep in his bed includes positive reinforcement, creating a safe and relaxing sleeping area for them, using consistent commands, and establishing a sleep routine.

6. What is the best age to start dog training?

The best age to start basic dog training is as early as eight weeks old. It’s best to build a habit of following basic commands at an early age. Still, it’s never too late for older dogs to learn new skills, while it can be more challenging.