Dog Training Tips and Tricks

One down, ninety-nine to go!

If you own a dog, you probably don't want her to just do whatever she wants. You need at least control and obedience; and knowing a few tricks would be great too. In our last article we talked about how to stop your dog from jumping up on people, and some of those tips are applicable to other places in dog training as well. Here are some more general tips and tricks.

Dog training requires patience and dedication from the owner plus some simple methods. It isn't hard, and perserverence will pay off in the long run. First off, positive reinforcement is a top tool for teaching any animal. If your pet receives rewards for their behavior, they'll learn to do the same thing again in similar circumstances. But it doesn't necessarily happen right away. It takes time and repetition for your dog to figure out the pattern of good behavior that leads to a reward. Dogs learn some things quickly, some slowly, and some dogs take a little more time or work than others. So don't be disappointed and keep with it.

Negative reinforcement is heavily debated among animal training experts. Some say that it helps pets learn not to do something in the same way and with the same effectiveness that positive reinforcement works. Others think your pet might develop fear or confuse them. Perhaps it depends on the individual animal or the punishments used. With research maybe you can form your own opinion on the matter.

Start with the basics and don't try to teach your dog too much at once. Your pet isn't as intelligent as you, so introducing one command at a time is your best bet, especially if the commands are completely unrelated. Imagine trying to learn three or four different languages at a time--you'd be sure to get confused.

Train your dog in more than one place if possible. If you only teach your pet to come when you're in the kitchen and holding food, they probably won't transfer that learning into other venues and conditions. In other places, your dog could be distracted and not be in a mindset to obey commands if they were taught somewhere where she was only paying attention to you.

It can be tough training your pet but with a little time each day and most importantly, patience and perserverance, you and your pet can share a rewarding experience together.