What exactly is dog training? Tricks taught to your pet in a disciplined manner, that’s all! We call “obedience training” nothing but a string of tricks put together to establish your superiority over him and help him lead a more adjusted life. When you spend time with your dog teaching him new tricks and commands, you develop a special bond with him, and he acknowledges you as the “leader of the pack.”
Knowing that obedience training is one of the most crucial elements of your dog’s life, here are some pointers from my side on how you can make the sessions more productive and more valuable for both of you. Pay attention!
Keep Teaching Sessions Fun!
All work and no play makes Rover a very dull dog, indeed! Sure, training your dog is very important, but it doesn’t have to be such a chore, does it? While training him, have fun, enjoy yourself, and let him also enjoy himself. The more interesting the sessions, the more eager your dog will be to do well. You get better results when you work with a comfortable and happy dog.
Choose the Right Spot for Training
Choose a place with the least possibility of being interrupted by anyone. It could be a room in the house, a section of your roof or garden, or a quiet place in the local park. If you are in a place with too many distractions, such as people, other dogs, loud sounds, etc., you can forget about your dog paying attention to you.
Keep the Sessions Short
Unlike human classrooms, doggie classrooms are much shorter in length. When teaching him a command, break the training into small sessions spread throughout the day. In all, you shouldn’t spend more than 20-25 minutes a day on training. Additionally, the training should be consistent, and there shouldn’t be too many gaps between them. Your dog will not be able to remember the commands you taught him two weeks ago if he hasn’t had a regular practice.
Only One New Command Every Week
Of course, you are eager to have the most well-behaved dog in the neighbourhood, but you can’t hurry your dog through dog training. Tricks cannot be learned in a hurry. Concentrate on just one new command in a week, that’s all. Once he has mastered it and you move on to a new command, don’t forget to review the previous command every day. Your dog is most likely to forget the command if you don’t use it regularly.
Praise in Earnest & Reprimand in Leisure
Each time your dog gets a command, praise him wholeheartedly and toss him a tasty little treat. If he knows that there is a treat involved for doing well, he is going to try harder to master every command you want to teach him and do it fast.
Keep your reprimands to a bare minimum. Know when to scold him and when to refrain. If you ask him to fetch the newspaper and he runs your garden’s whole length and breadth before bringing it to you, don’t scold or punish him. He won’t be able to make the connection. Only the last action he’s performed will be associated with your scolding. And he’s going to wonder to himself, “But I did fetch it, didn’t I?”
It’s All in the Voice
All the commands you gave should be in a loud, clear, commanding voice, slightly different from your normal voice. It conveys that you mean business and that the authority rests in your hands. Should you speak in your normal voice, your dog will feel it is a request, one that he has the option of not obeying or carrying out in his own sweet time. On the other hand, a stern voice indicates that it is an order, and he has no choice but to obey.
Once the basic training is underway, you can even consider agility training for your dog to add more challenges to his routine. There are several institutes offering this kind of training, or you can invest in some dog obedience training equipment and consider training him yourself. Agility training is a whole new level of training that stimulates not just the mind but also the body.