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Tips for dog training
Learn to listen to your dog
Learn to listen to your dog. If your dog appears to be
uncomfortable meeting another dog, animal or person, do not insist that he said
hello. He tells you he is not comfortable for a reason, and you have to respect
that. Forcing the issue can often lead to more serious problems in the line.
Be generous with your affection
Most people have no problem being very clear when they are
unhappy with their dogs, but they often ignore the good stuff. Big mistake!
Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when he did the right thing. Let
him know when he was a good boy. It's time to be generous with your attention
and praise. It is even okay to be a little higher.
What he likes it really?
Just because the bag says "a treat all dogs love"
does not mean that your dog will love it automatically. Some dogs are very
selective about what they like to eat. Soft and sweet treats are usually more
exciting for your dog hard and crunchy treats. Keep your eyes open for what he
loves.
Tell him what you want him DO
There is nothing inherently wrong with your dog say
"no", except it does not give enough information. Instead of telling
your "no" dog, tell him what you want him to do. Dogs do not
generalize well, so if your dog jumps up on someone to say hello and you say
no, he may jump higher or he may jump to the left side instead of the right. A
better solution would be to ask him to "sit." Tell him what you want
him to do to avoid confusion.
Be consistent
Whenever you train your dog, it is important to get as many
family members involved as possible so that everyone is on the same page. If
you tell your dog "off" when he jumps on the couch and someone else
says "down," while someone else is letting it hang up there, how on
earth is he ever will learn what you want? Consistency will be the key to your
success.
Have realistic expectations
Changing behavior takes time. You must have realistic
expectations about changing your dog's behavior and how long it will take to
change behaviors that you do not like. Often behaviors are behaviors
"normal" doggie take the most time such as barking, digging and
jumping. You also need to consider how long your dog has repeated the behavior.
For example, if you do not mind that your dog jumped on people to say hi for the
last seven years and now you decide that you do not want him to do more, this
behavior will be much more time to undo than if you had touched when he was a
puppy. Remember it is never too late to change the behavior some will just take
longer than others.
Do not overlook the benefits of HIGH QUALITY FOOD
Feed your dog a high quality diet with appropriate amounts
of protein. If your dog spends most of his days lounging in your condo, do not
give him food with a protein level that is ideal for dogs that sheep all day.
The money you will spend on feeding an appropriate quality food will often be
money that you save in vet bills later. I recommend you always check with your
veterinarian for the right diet for your dog.
What you get strengthen - not necessarily what YOU WANT
If your dog exhibits a behavior you do not like, it is very
likely that this is something that has been reinforced before. A good example
is when your dog brings you a toy and barks to entice you to throw. You throw
the toy. Your dog has just learned that barking you happen to do what he wants.
You say "no," and he barks even more. God forbid you give in and
throw the toy now! Why? Because you have learned perseverance pays off. Before
you know it, you have a dog that barks and barks every time he wants something.
The solution? Ignore his barking or ask him to do something for you (like
"sit") before you throw his toy.
CORRUPTION VS reward
The idea of using treats to train is often equated with
corruption. Truthfully, dogs do what works. If you use treats that drives them
to do what you want, so why not? You can also use the world around you as a
reinforcement. Every interaction you have with your dog is a learning
opportunity, so when you think about it, you probably do not use food very
often except during active training sessions. So why your dog continues to lag?
Because you reinforce with praise, touch, games and walks. Remember, the
behavior should produce processing; the treatment does not cause behavior.
FREEDOM
Let your new dog gradually earn freedom throughout your
home. A common mistake many pet parents make is giving their new dog too much
freedom too soon. This can easily lead to accidents relating to cleanliness and
destructive chewing. So shut the doors of unoccupied rooms and use baby gates
to the outside parts of the house section, if necessary. One of the best ways
to minimize incidents is to keep your dog tied to you in the house and using a
crate or doggie safe area when you can not actively monitor.
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