Tips and Tricks to Train Your Dog

Training your dog can be a lot of work and it is a big responsibility, but if you teach your pup the right behaviors, they will be better behaved in all situations. This will help keep your dog happy and safe, and will also prevent problems from occurring. Many people take a training class to get help in teaching their dog basic commands like “sit,” and “down.” Others have more serious issues that need to be addressed such as aggression, fearfulness or separation anxiety. This is where a professional trainer comes in.

In general, dogs learn through positive reinforcement and negative consequences. This means that when your dog performs a behavior correctly, you should reward them with something they love. This can be a tasty treat, lots of petting and attention or a short play session. When your dog is behaving badly, it is important that you provide a clear signal that they are doing something wrong. This can be a loud, firm “NO!” or using a hand gesture such as putting your palm down. Then, immediately redirect their energy by giving them a task such as fetching a toy or walking around the house on a lead. If they comply with this new command, then you should reward them again with a yummy treat or plenty of praise.

Some people use clickers to help them mark a desired behavior. This helps make sure that the click sound is only associated with good things. You can also use verbal commands such as “yes” and “good boy.” Once the dog has mastered the desired behavior, you can start to give them a name for it such as “heel.”

One of the most important training exercises is teaching your dog to come to you when you call them. This can be difficult, especially in a distracting environment. If your dog starts to sniff or wander off, give them a firm but quiet “NO!” and then try again. Keep repeating this process in short, consistent sessions and you will eventually be able to call your dog to you from a distance with distractions.

Another important training exercise is to teach your dog not to jump up on you when you greet them. This can be dangerous for children and elderly adults. Rather than greeting them and rewarding them with a treat or petting, you should turn your back on them and walk away, until they settle down. You can then start to reward them for their calm behavior and they will learn to stay by your side. Learn more on this from Bulldogology.

While this method of training is not as fast as some other methods, it can produce great results with many dogs. It has even saved so-called “death row” dogs that are considered impossible to train using other techniques. It takes a lot of patience and consistency, but it can be well worth the effort.