Training your dog is just like teaching your baby to take his first steps. Every parent wants their children to be able to handle tough situations on their own, same goes for dog owners. We all love our pets and want them to be safe, watchful when their masters are not around. Also it is important to teach your dog a few living etiquettes as they grow up, like what to eat and when, and where to poop. We have put together a list of 10 tips to help you start with your dog training.
1. Basic commands
Basic commands are very important for your dog to learn to respond to your call. Give basic commands to teach your dog to sit, lie down, leave anything it's holding, dropping it, and most importantly emergency call. This can be life saving when your dog is out on the road.
2. Training your dog for a leash
Teach your dog that leash is not a binding thing but a safety measure. A leash is not meant to tie your dog. Rather it is meant to guide it. Introduce the leash to your dog as a sign of going out for a spin. It will make him happier every time you put it on. It will be joyful for your dog and less chasing for you.
3. Proofing basics
Dogs do not follow the same instructions at all places. For example, if your dog understands your command to make it sit at home, it may not follow the same in park or on the roadside. Hence, take your dog to different places and practice the same commands there. This will help your dog to go out with you in crowed places and distinguish between its family and strangers.
4. Self-control
More than humans, dogs lack self control. This is what makes them jumpy all the time and cause trouble when not at home. Teach your dog self-control by instructing commands and training it. For example, to wait till you pour all the food into the eating bowl or not to jump all the time recklessly.
5. Socialization for your dog
To make sure that your dog learns to accept people and other animals around, your dog needs to be trained. Take a walk regularly to a park where your dog can see and meet new people and understand their behavior. Unless you dog is very aggressive, you won’t need a special trainer.
6. Clicker training
Train your dog to respond to a plastic click. This training is a form of positive reinforcement. To train, toss your dog’s favorite treat followed by a click, repeat a few times and you would see your dog responding to the click even when not paying attention. A clicker helps a great deal in teaching various commands.
7. Crate training
Some dog lovers think that training a dog to stay in a crate is not ideal. But think about this, what about the time when you are not around to supervise your dog? It is just like leaving your kid in a crib just to prevent the child from hurting himself. Teach a dog to stay in a crate. Toss in its toys and treats to make him feel comfortable. Make your dog like the place. To your advantage at least it will learn not to poop where you stay.
8. Rules and regulations
If not trained, a dog cannot differentiate between its bed and a $10,000 sofa. Hence, it is very important to teach your dog rules and regulation using the basic commands about where to sit and how to.
9. The canine good citizen test
The canine good citizen test was specifically developed to encourage the owners to teach their dogs the basic good habits. It is the advanced level of training your dog. Before you want your dog to clear the test, make sure it is calm, obedient, and responsive to your commands.
10. The early agility training
When your dog is trained enough, you might want to take his physical activities to the next level. Training your dog for sports will help to keep him mentally stable and physically active all his life.
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