Dog Training Basics

Training your dog can be a worthwhile endeavor but before you start, there are some things you need to know in order to make training easier and more pleasant for both you and your dog.

The very most important thing you must always remember is that you are the boss!   By nature dogs are pack animals and adhere to a strict hierarchy with every pack having a ìleaderî.  In order to train your dog properly (and easily), you need to establish yourself as the leader early on in your relationship.

Some dogs may be more aggressive than others, some more dominant, some more easy going but no matter what your dogs personality, you must be firm in your commands.  Donít let your dog get the upper hand or he will start to think that he is the leader.  Now, I donít mean that you need to be physically abusive to your dog ñ far from it.  You need to show your leader ship with your actions.

Another thing to consider is that while your dog understands you at about the same level as a two year old, he is not a human.  In fact, your dog has many differences from humans that cause him to interpret your commands and act much differently than a 2 year old child would.  So, do not expect him to behave like your 2 year old during training.

When training your dog, you need to be consistent.  Set aside about 45 minutes or a half hour every day to work on training.  You can start training your dog as young as you want but donít be discouraged if you have an older pet as training can be done at any age.

You want to start training your dog with the basics.  The sit command is a good place to start as getting your dog to sit is the basis for many other commands.  Work on this one command every day until your dog has it down cold, then move on to the next command.

During training, you want to be firm.  Always use the same word for each command and say the word clearly.  Never punish your dog when he does not do what you want but, instead, use positive reinforcement when he DOES do what you want.  Punishing or scolding will only confuse your dog so have patience when he is not behaving the way you want ñ the best thing to do is ignore him and he will soon learn that he only gets the reward when he performs the desired action.

Try to work on training every day at first.  As your dog learns more and more commands, you can slack off a bit, but training should always be a part of your relationship with your dog.  It can be fun and rewarding for both of you to keep learning new behaviors and taking the training to the next level.

Dog training is a task that takes, consistence, persistence and patience but your efforts will be well rewarded with a well behaved dog as well as a stronger bond with your 4 legged friend.  Training your dog properly insured not only his safety, but the safety of those around him and it can also be a lot of fun for both you and your dog!

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