The Secret to Learning How to Train Dogs Successfully

Do you have a new addition to the family…the furry four-legged kind? If so, you probably want to know how to train dogs. The sooner you start training, the easier it will be for both of you. Dogs want to please their owners, but can only do what you want them to do if they understand what you are saying. Confusing, right? That’s how your dog feels. The key to a happy, well-behaved dog is learning how to train your dog the right way. Here are some excellent guidelines for training your dog.

Consider the breed. Dog breeds have different characteristics that make them unique and valuable individually. Don’t choose a breed based on popularity, choose based on the natures of the breed. Dogs can be characterized in groups, such as herding, working and sporting. Traits can range from barking, hunting, tracking and guarding instincts. The same traits you may want to learn how to train dogs to diminish may be hard-wired into their true natures. By taking these into consideration when training, you can discover the best way to utilize these traits and make training easier. If you try to discourage these traits entirely, you will be left with a frustrated, unhappy, unmanageable dog.

Establish a protocol. How to train dogs starts with a set of rules the entire family must follow. Make it easier on your dog by having everyone use the same words and commands. Training can be quite frustrating for your dog when everyone is teaching him something different.

Establish a routine. A dog likes routine, especially when it comes to the basics, such as walks, food and sleep habits. This helps him understand how he fits into your home and what’s expected of him.

What are you saying? Contrary to popular belief, dogs don’t understand what you are saying. You have to give them some clues. For example, if you’re teaching your dog to sit, you can gently run your hand over his back, gently pushing his rump down. Then say the command “sit” when he complies, accompanied by tons of praise and a treat. This helps him associate the action with the command.

How to train dogs with the power of positive reinforcement. Food makes dogs attentive, and praise makes dogs want to learn, which is what training is all about. Positive reinforcement means rewarding your dog every time he does something right. This can be in the form of a treat or praise.

As a rule, there are three ways to handle unwanted behavior: ignore it, interrupt it or redirect it. For example, if your dog barks every time the doorbell rings, interrupt the behavior by shaking a shaker can. This will startle the dog and make him stop barking. For more severe cases, you can redirect your dog with another obedience command, such as “sit” or “come”. Always praise and feed him treats when he listens, which is considered positive reinforcement. These three methods are far better than using negative reinforcement that would involve yelling or hitting your dog for his bad behavior. By hitting a dog, you will teach him that aggression is the answer to any unwanted behavior. The last thing you want your dog to do is bite you when something he doesn’t like happens.

Keep sessions short. Dogs have short attention spans; so limit training sessions to around 15 minutes each. Start in a safe area that has little or no distractions.

Keep sessions happy. Dogs will do just about anything to please you. As long as you stay happy, your dog will find training fun. Plus, they will be excited every time training starts.

Practice makes perfect. Dogs need lots of repetition before they truly understand a command, so command, treat and repeat!

Change up the environment. Surprisingly, if a dog understands the command “sit” in your home, he may not understand it in the backyard. Don’t get frustrated and think your dog is being stubborn. You will need to teach your dog obedience commands in a variety of places, such as the yard, the park and the dog training school. Knowing this one rule can make understanding how to train dogs so much easier.

Sign up for an obedience class. An experienced instructor can give you some great tips to get started. Plus, it’s extremely important for dogs to be socialized, especially when they’re puppies. Dogs that don’t have a chance to interact with their own kind may not get along with other dogs, animals or strangers. In fact, these dogs may lack confidence, which could pose some serious side effects in the future. If you have a rescue or animal shelter dog, you should probably seek the help of an experienced dog trainer when socializing your pet. They can guide you through the process, teaching you what behavior is acceptable and how to patiently socialize your dog.

What’s the Number One Question Asked by Dog Owners? “How do I train my dog to stay in my yard?” Dog owners have struggled with this for centuries, how to give their dogs freedom to roam yet keep them safe from the dangers of the outside worlds. Teaching your dog to stay within your yard remains the important factor in the life of your dog. Physical fences can be expensive and costly to erect. Not to mention the fact that your dog can often figure out a way to jump over or dig under it. Underground electric fences come with their own set of problems, including the painful installation process of digging a trench around your yard to bury the wires. There is a better way to keep your dog in the yard – the wireless dog fence.

Why a Wireless Dog Fence? Many dog owners are choosing to keep their dogs in the yard with wireless dog fences. With the new technological advancements, securing your dog has never been easier. Wireless fences can be installed and set up in about an hour. How to train dogs with a wireless fence relies on teaching dogs where the perimeter of their yard is. Proper training is essential to the success of any wireless fence, and usually takes around two weeks. By carefully following the training instructions that come with your wireless fence, learning how to train dogs can be a breeze.

Wireless Fence Dog Training Tips: 1.) Start a calendar to track your dog’s progress. Train a minimum of 15 consecutive days. 2.) Keep training sessions short, fun and frequent. Train 15 minutes per session and 2-3 sessions a day. 3.) Don’t rush your dog through the phases. Since dogs learn at their own rate, adjust your training schedule based on your dog’s performance. 4.) Never let your dog receive too many static corrections within one session. You don’t want your dog to become nervous or anxious. 5.) Be patient and consistent in your approach to training. 6.) If training two dogs, train them separately. 7.) Invest in a system that never gives your dog a correction for returning home. Systems that correct your dog when they reenter your backyard will negate your training by actually penalizing a dog for returning home. 8.) End every session with plenty of praise and playtime well within the roaming zone.

Some little known facts about new wireless dog fences. No longer just for smaller yards, wireless fences can provide dogs with a huge roaming area of up to 11.5-acres. Unlike underground fences, no digging is required, so installation is truly fast. New innovative fences monitor your dog’s location and sound an alarm if he leaves the roaming area. In addition, the wireless collars utilize eco-friendly rechargeable batteries.

How to train dogs is not an exact science, but there are many ways to make the process easier on both dog and owner. Hopefully these tips help you on your road to a happy, healthy, well-behaved canine.

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