Teaching Good Behavior: What to Keep in Mind When Obedience Training Your Dog

How to connect with your puppy or dog through training and reach your goals without too much frustration

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There are many approaches to dog training, and you'll usually find that the right approach varies from dog to dog. You should always strive to establish dominance, making yourself the alpha to your dog's beta or omega. All canines are pack animals, and they thrive having a distinctive structure in the home. These tips will help you connect with your puppy or dog through training, and reach your goals without too much frustration.

Techniques

Dogs are more likely to listen to someone who they respect, which means you need to be respectful to them, too. Be assertive, but don't challenge them or match their aggression. According to Handicapped Pets, the best thing you can do is bond with your dog in ways that are meaningful to them, such as playing and going for walks. You may also want to explore training techniques such as clicker training, which uses a small device to condition your dog to respond to a sound frequency or series of clicks. Different training objectives work best with their own approach; for example, clicker training may be better teaching standard obedience while mirror training or modeling can be useful when attempting to teach more complex tricks.

Rewards

Always strive for positive reinforcement when training your dog. Punishment rarely works, and the best thing you can do with non-harmful misbehavior is to ignore it. Rather than focusing attention on what your dog is doing wrong, guide them to perform the desired actions instead, and reward them heavily for it. Remember that they may not perform a trick or do something perfectly the first time. Celebrate their effort, and over time, you'll begin to notice an improvement. Treats are great for rewarding good behavior. However, according to VitaLife, it’s important to mind the ingredients, look for additional benefits the treats may provide, and consider the size and calorie count in order to have a happy and healthy dog.

Set Realistic Standards

Some people expect their dog to become robotic, effortlessly responding to every command. While dogs can certainly be well-trained, they are still living creatures, each with their own unique temperament, personality, and motivations. Sometimes, your dog may be tired or not in the mood to train. Accept this, and don't force them to practice or punish them for not listening to everything. Be flexible and patient with your dog as you would strive to be with another person. As you get closer through training, it will become easier to strike a balance and develop a good rhythm.

Dog training can be a wonderful way to bond with your pup. Sign up for obedience and agility classes, ask your vet for tips, and don't be afraid to reach out to a professional trainer and learn from an expert.

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