They say a dog is man?s best friend, and that is not for nothing?these furry friendly beings are not only loyal, but their zest for life and playfulness can bring a smile to anybody?s face. Now, since us humans have still failed to reach perfection on the matter of behavior, it?s only fair and natural to realize that dogs may also have some innocent tendencies that may be a little less easy for us to accept, like jumping to greet someone, or barking for no apparent reason, chewing on our favorite pair of shoes, etc.
Training your dog can solve those issues and make for a better life for you both, so here are some of the basics when it comes to it:
1. Learn to listen and understand: communicate
What you do is basically empathize with your dog for a moment: if someone would talk to you constantly in a language you do not understand, would you actually pay attention for a long time? I think it is safe to assume the answer to that is ?no?. Nonetheless your dog can learn what you want from him; but through the immediate consequences of his behavior. If he gets something good from behaving a certain way (like a tummy rub, or treats, toys, etc.) he is very likely to behave like that again, and the same goes for the opposite behavior.
2. Do not forget to notice good behavior
As humans, we have the tendency to kind of always see what is bad first, yet forget to notice the good stuff - make sure you show your dog lots of affection when he is doing something good.
3. Be consistent in your commands
Dogs can learn to link certain words to commands and behaviors, unless you make them too complicated. For example, if one day you say ?Marley, down? and then the next day that changes to ?Please sit down, Marley?, do not be surprised if Marley decides to just ignore you. Try to use the same commands on a regular basis and resume to one word commands instead of sentences.
4. Be specific
For example, if you are trying to teach your dog not to jump on people when greeting them, a good tip would be to have him sit when someone comes into the house or even when walking around the neighborhood, or pull him back by the leash every time he jumps on people.
5. Do not encourage behavior you do not approve of
For example, if your dog brings you a toy and starts barking to get you to play with him and you do it, you just taught him that barking will get him what he wants. Best thing: ignore the barking or ask him to do something (like sitting) before throwing the toy.
6. Discourage biting and nipping
If your dog bites or nips you thinking it is a game, a good way to make him stop is to pretend it really hurts and stop playing immediately; that will most likely shock him and he will stop; another way would be trading a chew toy for example for your pant leg.
7. Be patient
Dogs can learn all kinds of new tricks, but you need to be patient. If for example your dog jumped on people since he was little and after years you decide you want to change that, that will take longer than teaching him a new trick. Also keep in mind to always end a training session on a good note, with petting and rewarding your dog with treats.
Training your dog will make both of your lives easier, will enhance the bond between you and him/her, and it can also be a great deal of fun.
Tips For Having Your Dog Come To You When Called
They have a saying??you cannot teach an old dog new tricks?. Well, turns out, if you take this literally, it is not quite accurate. Take for example teaching your dog how to come to you when called. It is actually not hard at all, if you just follow a few steps:
1. First of all, consider the area where you do this teaching process: if it is an enclosed area, you do not need a leash, if it actually is an open space, you should use one, a long wired one, but do not pull the dog towards you with it, just make sure it does not run away.
2. This being said, make sure you have some treats with you as well, show them to your dog and then quickly move away from him. Then put your hands down in front of you and as soon as the dog starts moving towards you, praise him or her, then when he gets to you, give him/her the treat. Try to hold the treat as close to your body as possible, and at the same time grab the dog by the collar.
3. Repeat this for several times and then start adding the command ?come? and call your dog?s name. Always make sure you praise him and then try calling your dog without moving, then introduce more and more distractions.
4. Consider a few more tricks next to your regular practice, like maybe practicing with your dog when he is hungry, before feeding him/her. Get some really yummy treats with you, not the plane ol' food he/she usually eats.
5. If you have a friend maybe to help you with this process, you can have him/her hold the dog from the collar, while you go a few feet away from them, holding the treats. Then put up an exciting voice and call the dog to you, make him/her feel like that is just the best idea he/she could have and that the spot you are standing on is just the best there is. Once the dog gets to you, play with him/her, give him/her a few treats, praise him/her and pet him/her, make it a little party for him/her so he/she understands that is a reward for coming to you.
6. Practice for a few days and then gradually increase the distance between you and the dog, maybe you can add up some distractions on the way, as he/she gets better with this command.
7. You can even take the dog to the park, let him/her run around and play with other dogs, and then at some point call him/her. When the command is correctly fulfilled by the dog, again, praise him/her, offer treats, toys, get happy and pet the dog, make him/her feel like that is a little party just for him/her being so obedient and coming to you when called.
Dogs can offer anyone some really special moments and memories, a real and sincere friendship that is sometimes difficult to be found among humans. Never hesitate to offer them the consideration and effort they deserve, as the rewards are always infinitely worth it.
