Guide: Tips to Become an Expert at Training your Dog
Do you plan on getting a dog? Do you already have a dog whose behavior could be improved? Read these 3 tips and apply it to your everyday life with your dog/future pup!
June 14, 2022
Tip #1: Rewarding Good Behavior
If your dog is demonstrating good behavior, this should always be rewarded. However, how can you tell your dog is being well behaved? It’s quite simple actually, any actions that aren’t negative should be rewarded with lots of praise. For instance, they listen to your directions, they’re calm when you’re busy with work, or they simply go to the bathroom outside when asked to. Any dog enjoys at least a little bit of attention and treats, so rewarding them for obedience convinces them to sustain it! It is crucial to not reward bad behavior because this convinces your pet that their wrong actions can be repeated.
Tip #2: Walking the Dog on a Leash
When you take your dog out to get some fresh air, notice where they are walking. Are they in front or right beside you? If your dog is walking in front of you, it allows them to be seen as the leader. They should not be directing where you guys are going, you should. If you lead the walk, this also permits your dog to put more trust in you to lead them somewhere safely. To change the habit of your dog walking in front of you, DO NOT pull their leash back. If you and your dog are approaching other people, again, DO NOT pull their leash back. This can make them scared and convince your pet that there is something they should be afraid of. Instead, to keep your dog right beside you during your walk, slightly pull up on the leash and keep them close to you. As always, praise them for walking beside you so it is repeated on future walks.
Tip #3: Setting Boundaries
How often do you allow your dog to sleep on your bed with you? How often do you feed your dog from the table? How often do you feed your dog food that isn’t their own? Setting boundaries are extremely crucial to both you and your dog. Of course, when you first meet your pup you want to build a strong and trustworthy relationship with them. Nevertheless, it’s extremely important be willing to create ground rules so they don’t become too privileged. As a dog gets more spoiled with the human lifestyle, the less they see you as their leader. Here and there, it’s okay to spoil your dog, but it’s also important that you earn their respect by taking a leadership position (like parenting!).
