It is not uncommon for most new dog owners, and many dog obedience trainers, to find themselves overwhelmed in the beginning. Common questions are what should be done first and then the how do we do it? These questions are not the same as the old “What comes first the chicken or the egg”.
Do not let these feelings discourage you as it is natural with new dog owners. These types of feelings simply show how concerned you are for your dogs overall well being. In the following paragraphs I will list a few extremely simple rules that can be used when training your new dog making this task pleasurable for the both of you.
First you must remember to be consistent. Consistence is the key in any dog training and can make or break your ability to accomplish the task. Secondly, keep a level head and reward your pet appropriately. A reward can be as simple as lots of praise but sometimes a small snack can be helpful. If you will do these two things you will have won the majority of the battle and will be well on your way to success.
Just what are these dog training basics? In the following few paragraphs we will cover each of these simple actions to make this a rewarding experience for you and your dog.
Keep in mind that all dogs are naturally creatures of habit. This has been bred into these wonderful pets for eons. Every portion of your dogs daily life naturally revolves around their internal clock with specific routines. Dogs always anticipate the return home of their owners at a certain time of the day. They know that meal times occur regularly and if not start a set meal time now.
Dogs need to be walked on a schedule. This teaches them how long to hold it and when they can expect to relieve themselves. This one trick can save you lots of headaches for you and your dog and virtually eliminate any accidents.
After they have been trained your dog will start exhibiting very defined actions that mark these set times of the day as you have taught them. They will begin to do certain things - like wait by the door when its time for you to come home. They will bring you their empty food dish when its mealtime, if you have forgotten!
We humans may see this as a sort of dull existence but our dogs thrive on these types of consistent routines. The new trainer knows this is the type of behavior they can expect beforehand and it becomes very useful. It will make your job much easier by incorporating this knowledge into your dogs training routines. Why?
You must use the repetition of defined actions to be successful at dog obedience training. The success of obedience training is based upon one simple, but undisputed, fact. A dog will respond with certain actions every time certain commands are given. Do you remember Pavlov’s experiment from your school days?
What this means is that when if tell your dog to sit that is exactly what will always happen. To make the proper use of this instinctive behavior you must always remember to be consistent. Never fail to go thru your training routines exactly the same way each and every time. Try to never allow any deviations until the new commands have become “second nature” with your dog. If you tell your dog to sit do not move on to the next point until he/she has done so. If they don’t sit, immediately, then push their hindquarters down gently to accomplish this - illustrating the command. To be proud of your newly trained pet it is imperative that this type of rigid consistency must be used.
The next point to remember is to always keep a level head. However, this is the most difficult point for all new dog owners to learn. Understand this simple truth - dog owners have to have some training also!
When you are tired at the end of a long work day and your dog just isn’t responding it is quite easy for tempers to quickly flare up. Don’t let his type of incident convince you that your dog just can’t be trained. Sometimes this type of incident may even leave you convinced that you may not have the correct temperament and/or skills, that is required. This in turn often leads to a feeling of discouragement by the, seemingly, apparent lack of interest on your dogs part to learn even the simplest of behaviors.
Trust me - you will encounter these feelings many times in your dog trainer adventures. If this happens then immediately stop the lesson for the time being and retire to less strenuous amusements such as reading the paper or watching TV. Dogs are very much like young children and will invariably find ways to irritate you just for their own amusement. Remember your new pet is more likely, than not, still a child themselves. Dogs are just like children and they take a little time and patience in teaching them anything that is worthwhile. Please just keep in mind that your dog won’t become that well trained “champion of champions” overnight!
Now to the third major tip to becoming a successful dog obedience trainer. This tip can make or break any training regime. Properly reward your dog whenever they do any trick correctly. This is the most important part of the whole dog obedience training process. Why?
This builds your relationship with your pet. It also illustrates to your dog just how much you appreciate their good behavior and their hard work. It is critical, however, that this be consistent in your training and that a reward should be given every time a performance or a command is properly executed. This does not mean that you give your dog a food treat every single time as a reward. On the contrary. A tidbit of food is a great reward but doing so consistently will be counter productive to all of your training efforts. It can also result in an unhealthy and overweight pet.
To enhance your overall relationship and make future training session’s even more rewarding use other forms of reward for your dog. Use lots, and lots, of verbal praise and petting your dog to show affection. You can even play with their favorite toy as a means of reward. By using these methods your dog will eagerly anticipate them and work harder to please you even more.
Following these three simple steps will make your dogs training an easy, and rewarding, task. You will even find the whole experience less frustrating and more enjoyable for yourself. Have fun and build a strong bond while using these three principles. You and your dog will both be better for it!
Michael Domeck has spent 100’s of hours interviewing dozens of dog trainers, breeders and veterinarians to bring his readers the best information available on dog training, raising and caring for their dogs. Visit http://www.poodle-lovers.com/dog_training.html to learn more.
