Having a dog can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It can also be incredibly frustrating if your pet doesn’t obey commands or repeatedly does things that it shouldn’t. Here are some tips on how to train your dog.
Start Early
The sooner you begin training your dog, the better. It will be much easier to teach your dog desirable behaviors right after you bring it home than to let it develop bad habits, then try to modify its behavior later.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Praising and rewarding your dog for good behavior will be more effective than punishing it for unwanted behavior. If your dog responds correctly to a command or behaves in a positive way, provide a reward.
Different dogs respond well to different rewards. Some love treats, while others prefer a toy or a game of fetch. Figure out which reward(s) work best with your pet.
When training your dog, be enthusiastic and use a positive tone of voice. Dogs are eager to please. If your pet understands that it made you happy, it will be more likely to repeat the behavior.
Reward Small Improvements
Learning anything is a process. Don’t be frustrated if your dog doesn’t do exactly what you want it to do the first few times you try to teach it something new. Instead, reward your dog whenever it takes a step in the right direction. Those small improvements will add up.
Use Short, Frequent Training Sessions
Trying to teach your dog too much at once, or devoting long periods of time to training, can backfire. Your dog will learn better if you work on obedience training a little at a time, several times per day. Give your dog occasional commands and provide rewards when it responds appropriately.
Work on obedience training in different places and situations. For example, give your dog commands when you’re in the house, in the yard, in the car and at the park so it will learn to follow commands in a variety of settings, even when there are distractions.
Be Consistent
Dogs can become confused if they’re given different commands or if some people allow behaviors that others don’t. Make sure that every member of your family is on the same page as far as what behaviors are and are not allowed. When asking your dog to do something, such as sit or stay, make sure that everyone uses the same command.
Use Both Verbal Commands and Hand Signals
Your dog might not understand or respond to verbal commands alone, at least at first. Using hand signals can help your pet understand what you want it to do. You can incorporate both verbal commands and hand signals in your training sessions.
Get Professional Help
If your dog doesn’t respond well to these strategies or you’re struggling to figure out how to deal with a particular behavior, consult a dog trainer. Professionals have experience addressing a wide range of issues. A trainer might recommend group classes or individual sessions.
