Dog Training Tips: How to Train a Dog

Training your dog is one of those things you need to get right because a small mistake can end up being serious. It is a good idea to take the time to learn the proper ways of training your dog like dog socialization. Every dog owner out there wants a dog that is well-trained because it makes things easier for them. The good thing is it doesn’t take a lot to start training your dog, but you should be ready to invest time into the process. You will be motivated by the progress. Below are some great tips that will go a long way in helping you train your dog.

Keep in mind that the puppy is not a miniature adult – it is an infant dog

This is important to keep in mind when training your dog. This will help in adjusting your expectations when training your canine friend. You should consider their mental and physical limitations. Don’t worry too much because you are going to see some progress during the process. Know what the limits are. In no time, the dog will be all grown up. When you have the wrong expectations, you end up making the experience unpleasant for both you and the dog.

Dogs aren’t born understanding English

The new puppy you brought home has no idea what the word “no” means. You don’t tell him no the expect him to stop doing what he was doing. You have to show him what he should do instead. This is a good way of communicating with your dog. While your dog cannot talk, he can let you know how he feels. It is important to take your time and learn more about the dog’s body language. When you know that, you can know what he is saying. This makes it easier to communicate with them.

Training with high-value treats

You will be surprised at how harder the dog works when you give them a tiny piece of cheese, breast, or liver compared to the premium treats you bought from the store. These treats can work when they are in a distraction-free environment, but when the job gets harder, you need to give them the good stuff. It is a good idea to use soft treats when training your dog because they can chew them fast. You don’t want them to have a hard time chewing the treat when you are training them. It will take longer and they can easily get tired.

Catch your dog being good

It is easy for most dog owners to scold them when they are in trouble, but it is also a good idea to reward them when they are being good. Good training is about reinforcing good behavior and discouraging bad behavior. Always let the dog know when they are doing the right thing. You need to know the right ways of rewarding them so that they can stick to that behavior. This is going to be an important tool when training your dog.

Be quick with treats and praise

This is something that many people forget about. When you wait a few seconds to give them a treat after they did something you asked, it doesn’t do much to train them. This is because they don’t know what they did to earn the treat or praise. You might be rewarding the wrong behavior without even realizing it. The dog will always be happy to get a treat, but you will have failed in reinforcing the good behavior.

Training your dog is one of those things that can take time, which makes it important to be patient. Understand them and work with them so you can see great progress.