One of the best ways to teach your dog basic obedience is to take him or her to a training class. Most dog clubs offer them, and they’re a great way to train your dog while socializing him or her as well. You’ll probably even make some new friends.
Now, we have to point out that not everyone has the ability to commit to regular dog classes, and if that’s the case, you can always train your dog at home on your own time. You can teach your dog basic obedience tips and commands at home in order to be sure that he or she behaves properly when out in public.
The Importance of a Mannerly Dog
You know the importance of good manners. They’re every bit as important for dogs as they are for people. You know how it is with people who don’t have good manners – they are not wanted in social situations, and they may find themselves left out of gatherings due to bad manners.
It’s the same with dogs. An unmannerly dog, one who pulls, barks, jumps, grabs hands or otherwise misbehaves is not going to be welcome among civilized company. Additionally, if your dog is poorly trained, he or she could, simply stated, get you evicted.
Easy Training
It’s not hard to teach your dog basic obedience. Sit, stay, down and come are very basic commands that are easily taught and reinforced, and once they are taught, you will have a well-behave dog who will be welcome in virtually any social situation.
Catch Him Doing Something Right
With dog training, timing is everything. As soon as your dog does what you want, reward him or her, either with words of praise or a treat. For “sit,” simply push your dog’s backside down to the floor, and once that butt is solidly on the floor, deliver praise and perhaps a treat. Your dog will immediately know that he or she has done the right thing, and will want to do it over and over.
Down
Down works the same way. Push down on the hindquarters, and then on the shoulders. When the dog gets it right, the dog gets a reward.
Stay
Tell your dog to sit. He or she already knows that. Now, hold out a treat, but don’t give it. If the dog moves toward the treat, offer a firm “No.” Then reiterate, “Stay.” The dog is going to want the treat desperately, but don’t give it until the “Stay” command has been firmly reinforced.
Basic Training Tips
Always be firm in training, but be kind. Don’t expect too much of your dog. He or she wants to please you, but has the attention span of about a two-year-old child. Don’t forget that.
Also, remember to take your training sessions out to various locations in your house. If you do it in just one place, your dog may think, “I have to do this in the kitchen… but nowhere else.”
If you work daily with your training sessions, eventually your dog will do what you want, everywhere, all the time. Therefore, start with basic obedience training and then move on to more complex training. Your dog will get the idea quickly, and you will end up with a good canine citizen who can move on to more complex training.
The Final Word
The key to good dog training is consistency and caring. Remember that you dog wants to please you, and structure your training program accordingly. With kindness and consistency, you can create a good canine citizen who will fit seamlessly into your neighborhood.
We’ve all heard the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. This idiom is often used as a commentary on the fact that you can’t change people, but its origin was indeed a reference to actual aged canines. In 1523 an Englishman named Fitzherbert, in his book on animal husbandry, cautioned that dogs must be taught when they are puppies otherwise it will be too late (in so many words…the original phrasing was old-timey English with all sorts of funky spelling, of course).