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So, you’ve found the perfect puppy, brought him home and are eager to show him off to your friends and family. He’s just the cutest little thing and you are so excited that he’s the newest member of your family. But after the excitement wears off you realize that he doesn’t listen to you and does whatever he feels like. This is where dog training comes in. Every dog needs some sort of training so that he learns what is expected of him. Don’t know where to start? Check out our 4 secrets to training your dog like a pro.
Tips To Train Your Dog Like A Pro
1. Who’s the Alpha?
By nature, dogs travel in packs, with the alpha dog as the leader of the pack. There can only be one alpha dog per pack; otherwise, chaos would ensue and the safety of the pack would be in peril. Your dog needs to understand that you are the alpha dog of the pack. You communicate that to your dog by exerting your leadership, such as taking him for a walk when you come home from work or by successfully completing a dog obedience training course together. You also exert your alpha dog status by controlling your dog’s food. When he knows that you feed him twice a day, it reinforces your position as top dog.
2. Consistency is Key
Virtually every dog trainer will tell you that humans are generally at fault when dogs don’t successfully learn commands. That’s because dogs see the world in black and white, whereas humans see the world in shades of gray. For humans, “Come” and “C’mon” mean the same thing; a dog, on the other hand, may understand “Come” but has no idea what his owner wants when he says, “C’mon.” Whenever you want to modify your dog’s behavior or teach him a command, use a consistent vocabulary and tone.
If there are several people in the house, everyone should use the same word for each command to keep things simple and consistent for your dog. By keeping things consistent, your dog will learn what you are expecting of him much faster.
3. Mutual Respect Leads to Obedience
A happy and healthy human-canine relationship is based on mutual respect. Your dog respects your position as the alpha of the pack and you respect his needs. Contrary to what you may read, respect and obedience do not grow out of a package of doggie treats, nor do they grow out of fear. Excessive rewards and excessive sternness will lead to erratic behavior, while appropriate praise and correction will lead to respect.
Once your dog sees you as the leader and respects your position, training will be much easier. When there is mutual respect between you and your dog, he will work for you because he wants to and not because he is afraid of the consequences. To train your dog like a pro, mutual respect is a necessity.
4. Timing is Everything
When we talk about timing, we need to mention that the timing of the reward or praise is extremely important. Your dog needs to be rewarded, whether it’s a small treat, verbal praise, playing with a toy, etc, but the timing has to be perfect so that he knows what he is being rewarded for. If you tell your dog to sit and he does but you don’t reward him until he gets up to leave, he is going to think that you want him to leave when you say the word sit. To reinforce the command, reward him as soon as he does the behavior. This way he can quickly learn what behavior you want him to do. Some people use a clicker to mark the behavior and some people use a verbal marker word like “yes” or “good boy”. Then when your dog hears the click or the verbal marker word, he knows that he has done what you wanted and a reward will be coming his way.
Some people make the mistake of engaging their dogs in long, drawn-out training sessions. Like young children, the attention spans of dogs are relatively short, a fun 15 minute lesson is more likely to bring results than hour long drills.
Dog training is a necessity, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Regardless of your location you should find a dog trainer that both you and your dog enjoy, and work with her or him to make your new family member feel right at home. Ask friends and other dog care professionals such as veterinarians, dog groomers, etc for recommendations. And with today’s technology it’s even easier to find a trainer. If you can’t find one nearby, you can take online dog training classes.
If you have some tips on how to train your dog like a pro share them in the comments below.
Related Article: How To Make The Most Of Your Dog Training Time
