Dogs make for good students right from an early age. Certain breeders even kick off basic training for their pups that are just 5 weeks old due to their incredible wit and desire to learn. The best way to start would be by teaching your pup to behave properly when it first enters your house.
Remember that every interaction you and your pup have is a useful learning opportunity. With the right guidance, these interactions can help him learn crucial lessons like greeting new people without being overly excited, waiting patiently for his meals, and how to handle his growing puppy teeth.
By having positive interactions with your puppy at an early age, you can acclimatize him for advanced training in the future. Adding new positive behaviors is much more easier than eliminating negative aspects from his behavior. The sooner you start, the easier it will be.
Why You Should Train Your Dog
While preventing inappropriate behaviors and instilling positive ones are good reasons to train your dog, there are other reasons to do this as well:
Mental Exercise – Every dog needs to stimulate their brains and bodies. While basic training doesn’t necessarily strain your dog’s physical abilities, figuring out the exercises may require your dog’s maximum mental strength.
Bonding – Training your dog can help both of you grow closer and strengthen the bonds between the two of you.
Peace of Mind – Once your dog completes his training, you won’t have to be worried about him being disobedient or running away.
Better People Skills – Both humans and dogs prefer hanging out with polite puppies that are well-behaved.
Freedom – Training allows your dog to explore more. Well-trained dogs can be taken outside without worry, meet new people, and enjoy more adventures since you don’t have to be worried about his actions.
Life Skills – Dog training allows you to communicate with your dog and teaches him the complexities of navigating our world.
When Should You Begin Dog Training?
There are several aspects that need to be considered before you can arrive at an answer to this one. While traditional advice has always recommended waiting until your puppy had received its full course of vaccinations, new research has shown that under-socialization during the puppy phase can increase the risks of contracting dangerous illnesses.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends socialization classes from the age of 7 – 8 weeks. Puppies must also be given a complete set of vaccinations and a de-worming session at least 7 days before they begin their first class. Vaccinations must also be given regularly as per the vet’s instructions.
Accepted Training Methods
The last few decades have seen a significant shift in the methods used for dog training. We have more information at our disposal regarding the best ways to motivate learning in dogs. Although traditional dog training strategies revolved around the owners assuming the ‘alpha’ role along with the usage of equipment like choke collars, experts these days prefer using positive reinforcement techniques to train dogs. Training is considered to be a team activity where both the owner and the pet work together for the accomplishment of common goals.
Dog trainers, humane organizations, and veterinary associations extol the virtues of positive reinforcement dog training techniques. This training strategy rewards desired behaviors and withholds rewards when dogs display negative behaviors. Fear and physical punishment have been completely eliminated from these strategies.
One of the best dog training methods that employs positive reinforcement is clicker training. Clickers are small devices that make a specific noise, which you can use to mark occasions when your pet performs the right actions to gain food rewards. Clicker training is useful for all kinds of dog training techniques, from basics like ‘come’, ‘down’, ‘sit’ to advanced behavioral modifications like leash aggression training.
Dog Training Tools
You’ll require the following tools to train your dog effectively:
- A crate – Your dog can use this as its second home whenever you aren’t around in the house.
- A dog clicker – This is a dog training tool used for gamifying the training process.
- Dog Treats – These are meaty and moist food treats that are loved by your dog
- A dog leash – Go for leashes that are 4 – 6 feet long. Leashes that are shorter than this won’t give enough space to your dog and leashes that are longer may result in your dog slipping away too much for your comfort.
- A dog harness or dog collar – Go for a harness or collar that doesn’t tighten or pinch. It’s important that your dog be comfortable being in the collar.
Potty Training
Your dog can be potty trained easily, provided you supervise it adequately, reward positive results, and maintain a regular schedule. Supervision involves paying attention to the dog constantly to pick up any pre-potty behaviors in him. You can use a dog crate in case you’re unable to actively supervise the puppy (the crate can also be used for bedtime and naptime).
Maintaining a regular schedule for your pup’s daily activities will improve predictability and allow you to track his bathroom habits with greater accuracy. Schedule his play times, nap times, meals, and trips out of the house as well. Always accompany your pup whenever it goes for a potty trip. Reward him with treats when he completes his business in a non-messy manner immediately – he won’t be able to connect the dots between the treat and his potty behavior otherwise.
When to Seek Professional Help
Training must be a pleasurable and memorable experience for both of you. Of course, there are many challenges you’ll face while training your dog. However, if you’re unable to train him properly and find yourself frustrated at the slow rate of progress, you can always seek professional help. Frustration always leads to anger, which can negate all your dog training attempts so far – get professional help before it advances to this stage.
You can also get a professional’s advice if your pup starts exhibiting aggressive behaviors like biting or growling excessively. This can be particularly troublesome in households with young children. Behavioral modifications need to be handled by professionals before they can take root in your dog’s psyche. It’s easy to eliminate negative behaviors while they’re still young.
Sometimes, all of us need help in training our dogs. It’s not a bad idea to get a good dog trainer who will help you overcome training obstacles, offer advice when you need it, and work together with both of you for better results. A responsible dog trainer can monitor your results regularly to ensure that you’re making progress in your dog training efforts.
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Source: Petmd