Training a dog can be a fun and rewarding activity, both for you and your dog. It does take patience and persistence, though. It also requires that you use some kind of system. This dog training advice can help you to decide how you want to go about this task.
Decide If You Need a Trainer
The first decision is whether you will use a trainer or dog obedience school or train your dog yourself. If you want to train your dog yourself, you will have to learn the techniques and work with your dog consistently. A trainer or school will not relieve you of work, as youll have to practice with your dog, but it will make the job easier as youll be given expert advice. It depends how much patience, experience and time you have.
Start With the Simple Things
No matter how well trained you want your dog to be, dog training is a step-by-step process. First, make sure your dog is healthy and has all his vaccinations. He should also be housebroken. Then teach him to obey simple commands, like "Sit," "Stay" and "Come." You may want to go further than this, but you have to start with the fundamentals.
Clicker Training
Clicker training is a simple yet very effective way to get your dog to learn fast through positive reinforcement. You get a clicker, a small plastic device that makes a clicking sound, and use it whenever your dog obeys a command. You combine this with a treat, so he learns to associate the sound of the clicker with a reward.
This can be used with almost any kind of dog training, and can speed up the process.
Reward Obedience, Ignore Disobedience
If you reward your dog when he obeys, he will learn without the need of punishment when he does not obey. Many trainers use corrections, such as yanking on a choke collar, but these can cause problems such as injuries to the dog. A dog trained with positive reinforcement is more likely to end up with a good disposition, as well as being trained.
Dog Training Requires Patience
No matter what method of training you use, and even if you take your dog to an obedience school, you will need patience. Dogs learn by repetition, so dont get frustrated if your dog does not respond the way you want right away.
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