After providing a safe home, veterinary care and nutritious food, the best thing a pet owner can do for a dog is provide adequate behavioral training. Some of the issues that result in pet surrenders can be traced to behaviors that might have been quashed had the dog undergone thorough obedience training.
All dogs can benefit from learning basic commands, and the RSPCA says successful training is a rewarding part of dog ownership. There are many things one might want to teach a pet and a variety of strategies to pursue that training. These tips can help anyone successfully train their dog, leading to a an even stronger relationship between owner and pet.
• Select a dog trainer. If a dog resides with many people in the household, select one person who will be the primary trainer to establish the ground rules of the training sessions. If multiple people bring various styles to the dog training, that could result in inconsistencies that confuse the animal. Once the training sessions have proven successful, the trainer can share what he or she is doing with others in the home and they can mimic the same commands and gestures.
• Use positive reinforcement. According to Small Door Veterinary, almost all vets agree that positive reinforcement training is the most effective method of training a companion animal. This type of training rewards good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior. The American Kennel Club says training is more successful when owners identify what the dog finds rewarding. Some dogs are very food-motivated, while others might be willing to work for play sessions or just verbal praise.
• Consistency is best. Always use the same word and intonation when asking a dog to do something. Everyone in the home also needs to be on the same page with rules, which means that if one person says “no” to the dog on the furniture and another says “yes,” the dog will end up confused.
• Patience is key. Although dogs can read human body language and gestures, they do not actually comprehend all language, says the AKC. It can be some time before a dog understands all training requests.
• Start small and build up. Teach a dog commands incrementally and reward each step of the learning process. For example, reward the “stay” command even if the puppy only stays for a second or two. Later on, build up to longer durations of staying still.
• Praise small things. It is easy to get caught up in the end goal of training, but experts note little victories are equally important. Praising the pet when he or she does something right, even if it is a small thing, will keep the motivation going.
• Finish positively. End all training sessions with something the dog knows so that the session will end on a high note.
If training does not come easily after many weeks of going it alone, pet owners may want to seek the help of a professional dog trainer. Professionals also can be helpful for those pet owners who want to break dogs out of unsavory behaviors, such as leash aggression or excessive barking.
