Proper training is one of your dog’s basic needs. Having a well -behaved dog can be a good thing for you as a dog owner. You will enjoy spending more time with your dog and have fun. Training your dog can be overwhelming if you have busy schedules at work. You can enrol your dog in a dog boarding school where there are experts to train your dog. At the same time, it can be a bonding time when you create time and train your dog.
Here are tips to guide you with your puppy training:
- Train your puppy to stay in the crate and house rules
Teaching your dog to stay in the crate can be helpful to you in some situations. It helps your dog learn house rules and limit his access to the house. It can help you transport the dog easily in the car and, you can use it to take your dog to places where he is not allowed to run freely. House training will help your dog know the places he can chew or eliminate.
Crate training can take time before your dog adapts to use it. Be patient and take the exercise slowly. Put the crate in the family living room where you love spending most of your time. Put a soft blanket inside the box for the comfortability of your dog. Use a soft voice to call your dog and put some treats inside the crate to encourage the dog to enter the crate. Do not force him to get in the crate. Put his favourite treats in the container until he gets used to it. Use a command like “kennel up” when you want your dog to get into the crate.
- Leash training
It is essential to teach your dog how to walk on a leash so that you avoid wandering away when you go outside. Start by introducing your puppy to wearing a collar or a leash. Give your puppy some treats and play with it while wearing the leash in the house. For a start just let him wear the leash for short periods. Your puppy will love leash time as it represents fun and eating his favourite treats.
Teach your puppy a clue sound when you want it to come to you. You can click and show it treats it will make the dog come to you. Start by practising to control your puppy while on a leash indoors and when you think it has learned to come to you once you call it, you can go outside and practice. Reward your puppy once it comes to you. Remember to keep your sessions short because puppies have low concentration power.
- Teach your dog fun and impressive tricks
Committing to teaching your dog some fun tricks can be an opportunity to form a stronger bond with your dog. You can instruct your dog on how to bark at your command. It can be challenging to train your dog how to bark at your order, so you need special skills to practice it. However, it can be impressive after your dog has mastered it.
Shake hands trick can be very cute for you and your dog. It is simple for your dog to learn it. Teach your dog how to shake hands by presenting a fist with treats. Your dog will paw at your hand since it cannot take the treat with its mouth. Use the command shake repeatedly, and your dog will eventually learn how to shake hands with you.
You can also teach your dog how to hug. It is an adorable trick. If you want your dog to know how to embrace you, take the training at a slow pace and be patient. It is a simple trick as the dog will put its paws around you and hug you.
- Train your puppy how to socialize
Socialized dogs are well behaved and fun to be around. It is crucial to train your puppy socialization process as early as possible. Handle your puppy gently and allow it to explore its surroundings. Introduce your puppy to new sights, sounds and smell. You can take your puppy to experience new things also, by taking it out for a walk in a park. Let him see different kinds of people to socialize.
When introducing your puppy to new experiences, please give it a lot of treats so that he can have more fun and enjoy the new experiences. Give the treats in small portions for easier digestion. You can involve your family in the socialization process of your dog. Your dog will get used to many people in the socialization, making it easier for your family members to help you feed it. Ensure the process is fun and do not be stressed out.
Taking your puppy to obedience classes will not only help him to only basic commands but will also help him to socialize with other puppies. Trainers will help your dog to socialize with people and other puppies safely. You can also take your puppy to your neighbour, who also owns a puppy for a play date.
- Clicker training your dog
Reinforcement training focuses on rewarding your dog for the behaviours you want to see in them. Similar to reinforcement training, clicker training involves rewarding your dog for the right actions that you want it to repeat in future. Focus less on your dog’s bad behaviour and focus on its good behaviour.
Use the clicker to tell your dog which behaviour you are rewarding. Click at the time at your dog does what you want. Your dog will know why you clicked. You can click at the moment your dog sits if you are teaching it how to sit. The clicker helps to mark a moment in your dog’s training journey. You can cluck your tongue, blow a whistle to communicate with your puppy. Use clackers at the right moment and reward your dog with treats.
Clicker trained dogs love training. They will try to do the right thing to earn a clack and some treats. Rewarding your dog will make the teaching of new behaviour easier. Clicker training will also make you focus more on your dog training as you focus on the dog’s good behaviours and ignore the wrong actions. Clicker training improves communication between you and your dog, making your bond stronger.
- Proof your dog’s behaviours and troubleshooting
After training your puppy, it is not a guarantee that behaviour problems will not pop out. Learn to proof your dog’s behaviour so that it will behave well when you go out for a walk or visit a friend. Practice the behaviours at different places with distractions. Your dog might behave well in your house but change when you are outside. You need to test if your dog is acting well after the training.
Teach your puppy that nothing comes for free, and he needs to earn treats through obedience. Observe if your dog has problems and solve them in the early stages before they get out of hand. Learn how to manage your dog behaviours and control your puppy.
Bottom line
Dog training is a continuous process that you can never finish. It is essential to keep on working on obedience training for your dog for the rest of your dog’s life. If you teach your puppy about obedience but stop training it after it grows up, it might forget about obeying your commands.
Training your dog will help it to stay mentally stimulated and active. You will strengthen your bond and have more fun during the training process.
