Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dog Training Brings The Whole Family Together


Dog training is beneficial for a household with a canine pet for several reasons. One, it's easier to have friends and family over without the dog barking or jumping. Also, they are less likely to destroy furniture. Read these tips on how to train your dog so you can live together peacefully.

To augment the training you've done with your dog, make sure if you are going to be leaving the house to leave your dog plenty of toys to play with. Many dogs go through separation anxiety when their owners leave. Having plenty of toys will help them fight this by replacing it with a squeaking raccoon toy.

<DIV style='float: left; width: 150px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px;'><DIV style='background-color: #FFFFCC; color: #000000;'><small><font color='#FF0000'><b>TIP!</b></font> To prevent your dog from digging in your flower beds, set up an area where he can dig. Be sure to have all of his favorite things there - toys, food and water dishes and dog house.</small></DIV></DIV>

When training your dog make sure you never stop training. This may sound silly but it is actually very sensible. Your dog may learn tricks quickly and not forget them, but dogs never stop learning so you need to take advantage of this by teaching often. Also, it never hurts to reinforce what has already been learned.

Do some research on your dog's breed before planning a training regimen. Some breeds respond differently to training methods, so learning about a specific breed can help both of you be successful during the training process. For example, some breeds respond better when training is mixed with herding activities. Other breeds are more receptive to acrobatic training.

Use food as a reward when training your dog. Many dogs will respond on a basic level to edibles. The reward of food will usually encourage them to continue on a food winning path. Vary the types of treats you get for your dog. Alternate fresh meat with packaged treats.

<DIV style='float: right; width: 150px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px;'><DIV style='background-color: #FFFFCC; color: #000000;'><small><font color='#FF0000'><b>TIP!</b></font> Before your dog can learn a new command it will take several repetitions. It is not uncommon for it to take between 25 to 50 repetitions of the same command for your dog to learn it.</small></DIV></DIV>

While training your dog, observe his body language and general behavior closely. Look for signs of enthusiasm. Is his tail wagging? Does he follow you around? This shows he's ready to learn. If you see your dog is scared, bored or nervous, stop what you are doing and reevaluate.

Use your dogs name whenever possible but try to make sure it is only used in a positive and rewarding tone. For example "good boy Zeuss" instead of "bad dog Zeuss". This will ensure that your pet realize that it has done well and will continue to want to please its owner.

 Dogs can have an annoying habit of jumping up on you or company out of sheer excitement. An effective way to help your dog to learn that this is not a proper greeting is to gently place your hand on his chest, shove him away and firmly say "Off!" Then you can offer him a greeting by calling him back at your invitation for a friendly pat on the head!

Whether you have a puppy or a dog that isn't well behaved, you can find ways to train your pet and make it easier to live with one. You can try training yourself, or enroll your dog in an obedience school. Remember the tips in this article if you've got a dog you need to train.