If you want your dog to be more well behaved and obedient, you should click here for some dog obedience training tips that actually work.
Did you know that dog owners live a longer and happier life? According to a recent study of over 3.4 million people, people who owned dogs were more active, happier and felt more connection in their lives.
Having a dog has so many benefits, and in fact, when you think you are saving a dog from a shelter, the reality is that it is saving you.
Perhaps the only downside of having a dog is not knowing some dog obedience training tips, leading to not be well-trained. Not only will it drive you bonkers, but it could also endanger yours or other people’s safety.
So how do you teach your dog simple commands so you can make the most of your relationship and not feel overwhelmed?
Keep on reading to learn some dog obedience training tips that will strengthen you and your dogs bond, and ensure they will listen to your commands.
When to Start Training Your Puppy
A common myth with being a new ‘pawrent’ is thinking that you do not need to train them right away when they are really young. This is not exactly the case, because the younger you train them, the deeper engraved the commands are in their memory. This is much easier than breaking bad habits and teaching new ones.
The moment you bring your puppy home, they need to learn that you are the Alpha dog or the leader of the pack. The biggest thing to remember is to not reward poor behavior, but reward the behavior that you do desire.
You could either train them yourself, or you could hire a professional dog training company. Who knows, you may learn more about your dog’s potential if you do!
Positive Reinforcement
Just like a child, your dog will learn best through the consequences of their actions. If their behavior is followed by a reward they love such as a walk, treat, toy, etc, then they will continue that behavior to reap their reward.
On the contrary, if their undesirable behavior is followed with the lack of reward or even a mild low-voice “no,” then they will not feel the need to behave that way again.
Your dog is not doing these behaviors just for the fun of it, just like a baby cries when they need something, your dog will probably jump up on you when it needs your attention. Once you reinforce the good behaviors, they will stop doing the undesirable ones.
Do Not Punish Them
Your dog is your best friend, so the last thing you want to do is punish your dog for something when it didn’t know any better. By doing so, you are causing your dog to become fearful of you, and possibly other people around as well.
Depending on the breed, your dog could become aggressive if it is fearing for its life or safety. Think of how you would behave if someone was constantly scolding you, you would begin to coward and then eventually fight back.
Common Commands Broken Down
There are a few simple and common commands that every dog owner should know how to do. These are, sit, stay, come, lay down, and heel.
We will go over the basics for each of these below.
Sit
Sitting is the most basic and most important command because it will lead to other tricks in the future.
Simply just:
- Hold a treat in front of your dog’s face
- Move your hand until they follow the treat and eventually sit
- Follow their action by saying the word “sit” and “good boy/girl”
- Give them the treat
- Repeat
Stay
Stay is another important command, it could lead to your own safety as well as your dog’s safety. If you are near cars, the last thing you want your dog to do is run out into traffic, so having them master the stay command could help save their life.
- Have your dog sit
- Show them your open palm, face it towards them and say “stay”
- Start to walk back a few steps
- If they stay in place, reward them with a treat and tell them “good boy/girl”
- If they follow you, say “no” and restart again in a few steps until they get it
Over time, you can start to increase the number of steps you take while your dog stays, rewarding them every time for their good behavior.
Lay Down
Laying down is another essential command. For example, if you are out on a walk and you come across a small child, it is important for your dog to learn how to lay down so that they do not accidentally injure the child with their tail or other movements.
- Hold a strong-scented treat in your hand, with a closed fist
- Put your hand near your dog’s nose so that they can really smell it
- Put your hand near the floor so that they follow your hand to the ground
- Slide the treat along the ground so that they start to lay down and follow it forward
- Once they lay down, say “down” and “good boy/girl” and give them the treat
- Repeat daily
Come
This is another very important command that could also save the life of your pup at some point if there is danger nearby or if you need to leave the area.
- With the collar and a long leash on your dog, squat down to their level
- Gently tug on the leash as you say “come”
- Once they reach to where you are, give them a treat and say “good boy/girl”
- Repeat until you can practice without the leash
You never know when these commands will come in handy, and in fact, it is essential for your dog’s well-being to learn some mind stimulating tricks.
Learn More Dog Obedience Training Tips Like These
These are some very basic, yet essential dog obedience training tips to learn. Once you master these, there are so many other cool tricks that you could teach your furbaby.
Want to learn more cool tips like these? Check out more articles on our blog about dogs, there is so much to learn about different breeds and dog safety.
