Eight Training Tips For Giving Your Dog Any Command

One of your goals as a dog owner should be to help your dog become successful during his training. One of the main ways your dog secures his success and happiness is by pleasing you.

Avoid Confusion:

To avoid confusing your dog and make sure you are consistent. Any command or speech that may seem confusing to you will certainly be confusing to your dog.

Use Commands Properly:

Only use a command when you actually want your dog to follow the command. This may seem obvious but, often in early training a dog owner might tell his dog to get down when he’s laying on the couch or somewhere else and the dog is already laying down so he may become confused as to what you want him to do. He may understand you but, not react because he’s already doing what he thinks he is supposed to do.

Keep Your Voice Calm and Confident:

It is important to keep your voice calm and confident while giving your dog a command. It is pertinent that your dog sees you as his leader. When a strong willed dog senses your weakness he may be more apt to disobey or test you. However, when a dog that has a timid personality senses that you are angry he will more than likely shy away from you. It is important to have a balance so your dog will believe you are giving him commands for his own good.

Use One Word Commands:

Dog’s typically hear the last thing you say. If you say “sit down” then your dog will believe he is supposed to lay down, not sit down. Even though some dogs are high complex thinkers and may be the most excellent hunter he is still a dog and most dogs have a short attention span when it comes to listening to a command.

Offer Him A Mental Workout:

Obedience training is important for several reasons but, one of the most important reasons is that it offers your dog a mental workout. Dogs can become bored and have behavior issues due to boredom. A dog needs to feel useful and loved. Training him is one of the best ways to accomplish both of these feelings. Even though most of the commands we teach our dogs serve other purposes, like saving his life, he doesn’t understand that part of the training, he only understands how you react and how it makes him feel when he pleases you.

Supervision Is An Important Element:

If you expect your dog to be successful in his training then you must supervise him often. When your dog is monitored closely he is more likely to follow your commands with ease. If you are able to calmly and quickly stop him from repeating negative behavior then you are helping him to get ahead of the training game. Typically bad habits are acquired during times when your dog is not being monitored.

Create Moments In Which He Can’t Fail:

When you see your dog losing his confidence or acting depressed it is important for you to create some situations where he will not fail. If you know a command that he always performs without fail then now is the time to give him that command. Often when a dog begins to sit or perform another command without being asked, we will stop even asking him and therefore stop with the praise. Try to offer him the opportunity to obey when you know he is already aware of what he needs to do. For example, if he refrains from jumping up on someone regularly then the next time a situation comes up that he would have typically jumped up then give him the command even though you know he wasn’t ever going to jump in the first place and then praise him. You will quickly see where he becomes happy and more confident when offered these opportunities often. Even a dog needs his spirit lifted every now and then.

Train With Love:

Train your dog just like you would want to be trained. Set boundaries and expectations but, don’t get all bent out of shape when your dog doesn’t react exactly like you want him to. It takes time and patience to mold him into a well trained dog and it’s usually the fault of the owner when a dog is disobedient and unruly.

Keep in mind the purpose of dog training is to help your dog to be more enjoyable to be around. Even if most of his training is for the purpose of hunting, the point is still to create a partner that you can enjoy and trust. A well trained dog can bring years of happiness to a family and will provide a lifelong friend to all who are in his life.