training your dog? There are many methods and techniques
that will accomplish your goal, but I prefer to stick with
the tried and true methods of achieving a well-disciplined
dog.
Dog training is not only necessary for you to achieve the
enjoyment you desire from you pet, but also required for
your animal to understand what you want from him.
Proper dog training involves not only your pet, but also you
as the owner. You will need certain qualities to make your
training sessions successful. Training your dog will
require your understanding, authority and your fairness.
However, you will need more than that to get the most from
your pet.
You'll need a great deal of self-control. Dogs do not
understand what you want to begin with and it may take a
long time before they do. Your dog will test not only your
self-control, but your patience. However, if you are
patient and persistent you will win the dog training war.
Keep in mind that this experience between you and your dog
will create a bond between owner and pet that will last a
lifetime.
Therefore, when conducting your training sessions, find your
patience and understanding, and begin as you mean to
continue. Be firm when you give your commands to your
animal. Be persistent, perform the same command five or six
times a day over a period of several days.
Reward your dog often when he does what you want. Use
punishment sparingly when the dog misbehaves. Dogs will
respond to praise and treats and not to punishment.
When you are performing your training, try to remember
Pavlov's dog. You will know about this dog if you ever took
psychology. Pavlov had a theory of conditioned reflex, and
by repeating the same action with his dog, he was able to
condition him to the response he wanted from the dog.
No, I'm not suggesting you use psychology with your dog,
simply letting you know it has been proven this method of
training works.
When rewarding your dog, you can use either treats or
praise. The best method is praise. Remember when giving
treats to give your dog a dog biscuit or something similar.
If your dog has a weight problem you will want to stick to
praise as a reward.
If you feel you must use punishment to get your dog to do
what you want, be subtle. You will only need to raise your
voice and say "bad dog" or "no". Raising your voice will be
unpleasant for your dog. There will be no need for physical
punishment.
Keep in mind, for the ultimate success, you dog will respond
best to rewards and praise during training. If you use
punishment to train, he will associate punishment with you
and that is not the relationship you want with your pet.
Cheryl Shank has a website on how to training your dog. For
more information on dog training visit:
Dog Training