Dog Training Tip #1:
After you've had a great day of working out in the morning, watching what you eat at lunch, avoiding the 4pm chocolate snack at your office, what do you deserve' A reward. Dogs also like rewards for good behavior in the home. One recommended way of training a pet puppy or a grown dog is to use a favorite reward and give them a treat as food for good behavior and positive work. You can use small pieces of regular dog food, or any other type of other small treat that can be broken up into small bites to reward each time something goes right. Some younger puppies also respond to dog toys when they are new and shiny. When your dog successfully completes a certain task or activity, consider a reward for your dog's good behavior. Don't forget verbal praise to go along with it. Dogs can respond to high pitched voices and kind voices. So when something goes right, don't hesitate to say 'great job, Charlie!' in your most enthusiastic voice- and reward with petting, stroking, and a treat.
Dog Training Tip #2:
Sitting. Almost every dog can learn how to sit. This command teaches your dog obedience, safety, and the ability to learn more complex tricks after it is mastered. The following are the steps to teach your dog how to sit. First, put your dog on a leash, and have a treat ready to reward good behavior. Next, put the treat in front of your dog's nose. Pull the leash up and move the treat us as well, next to your dog's nose. The dog should follow the treat upward and go from all fours to the sitting position. When your dog does sit due to this motion, you should say 'Sit', and then give the dog the treat. Dogs learn from repetition, so be prepared to do this activity more than just once a day! While some dogs can learn this command quickly, others need more time, so just be sure to reinforce as much as possible the treat, the command, and the reward. As your puppy starts to understand the idea and sit just when they sense this activity beginning, you will be able to cut out the treat and just say 'Sit' and get the correct response.
Dog Training Tip #3
Laying Down. After your dog learns the art of sitting, the next command to learn is laying down. First, the dog must be in a sitting pose on his leash. Take out another treat, and slowly and very gently pull the leash and the treat downward. Once your puppy understands and is on his belly, say 'down' and then he can receive the treat. Again, practice makes perfect, so be sure to have patience and be firm about both commands and rewards.
Dog Training Tip #4:
Staying. Unless you live on a farm where there is no road traffic and no tractor traffic, you'll definitely want your dog to learn this command to guarantee his safety, yours, and the safety of others near your dog including humans, dogs and other animals! To do this, first take a practice run without an actual 'moving target'- such as a car, bike, person, or another dog. Teach your dog while in the 'sit' position, to 'stay'- by putting your hand in front of their nose, and saying- stay. If they stay, then you can reward them with a treat. Next comes the hard part. You will want to ask the dog to 'stay', while you move. Taking a few steps, extremely slowly, and looking into the dog's eyes, you will begin to move away from your dog. IF the dog starts to move, you have to begin again. If the puppy stays put, you get to say 'Good!' and reward him with a treat! When first starting with this training tip, you should only take a few steps back from the dog. After a while, you'll be able to move a bit farther away. When the dog continues to respond positively, you'll be able to practice staying without a leash. Eventually you'll also be able to add in other distractions. When you feel totally confident that you've trained this aspect properly, you can introduce people to your dog and he shouldn't jump on anyone's lap or onto furniture that he is forbidden from climbing, or run away without following your commands. You will have created a safety zone and a safety net both for the dog and for anyone around him.
Dog Training Tip #5
Come. This command can also get you out of a jam and is much like the opposite of the 'Stay' command. It's crucial for your dog's safety as well as for those around him. To practice this command, again, keep your dog on a leash. Start in the sitting or down position. Walk a few steps away from your dog and then begin to say your dog's name. There may not be an immediate response to just the name. Next, take out a favorite toy and continue saying your dog's name while putting your hands to your knees and patting them. Us a high-pitched, positive tone while repeating the dog's name. If your dog begins to walk toward you, say the command 'Come'. And of course, treats as a reward.
Dog Training Tip #6
Practice makes perfect. If you're looking for tips on just HOW and WHEN to implement any of the above, our final tip should make it clear as day. Every training session for a puppy or a dog should only be about ten or fifteen minutes long. You want to engage the dog, but also not overexcite him nor lose his attention. Try not to make it all about treats and rewards. Throw fun things into the mix like favorite toys, different locations (although make sure you're always within a safe distance of any real distractions or dangers). When can you begin to train your dog? Well, if you just bought a puppy, then immediately. Just like babies, they have the capacity to learn a LOT in the early stages of their development. So as soon as you begin training, the better results you may have. What else can you teach a dog? Well, besides the basics outlines above which are for the basic training and safety of every puppy, you can also teach tricks like 'give me your paw, or begging, even barking, rolling over, playing dead. There are many books and online resources for those tips which can help guide you.
For the health and safety of your dog, we recommend that you read or watch videos online -- anything and everything you can find about your dog's obedience, so that you can curtail a problem before it begins. Whether it's with clicker training, or other methods, teaching your animal breeds according to their more common learning methods is very important to prevent mishaps and other accidents that you don't want to have as an owner of pets. Using our resources above here at the Tradebit Pet's Corner site, you will be able to find all of the information you need to have a healthy and happy puppy that responds to your safety commands.
