Dog Training

The first and most important rule in dog training is to let your dog know who is boss. Once you get your dog to respect you as his leader, everything else will be much easier. Dogs in the wild travel in a pack with a leader. One thing you should do is make your dog watch you eat, then feed him after you are done. In the wild, the leader of the pack feeds on the prey first, then lets the others eat. If your dog begs while you are eating, growling at him will let him know that begging is not an acceptable behavior. If your dog is in your path, gently nudge him to make him move out of your way. Stepping over him or around him will let him think he is the boss. Rubbing your dogs belly is a way to teach him submission as well as encouraging him to lick the back of your hand to show him that you are the leader.

Dog training requires a lot of patience and consistency. Dog training sessions should be short (10 to 15 minutes a session) and frequent (several times a day). Try to remain consistent in your training. If you always let your dog out the back door, don’t change and let him out the front door. Dogs are easily confused and changing things up can undo all your hard work. Be sure to reward good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior. It is important, however, to correct inappropriate behavior while it is taking place, not after.

Other than housebreaking your dog, there are several tricks you can train your dog to do on command. You can teach your dog to sit by saying “Sit” and gently nudging him down. Reward his behavior by giving him a treat when he obeys your command. You can also teach your dog to shake your hand by putting his paw in your hand while saying “Shake,” then giving him a treat. Do this often enough and he will begin to do it on his own. Other tricks that are typically taught are to jump, fetch, lie down, and stay still. Use a firm steady voice and remain patient and calm. It is best to try to teach these tricks while your dog is still young as the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Dog training can seem frustrating at times but in the end it very rewarding.