Getting Started With Dog Training

Every dog owner needs to start dog training just as soon as their pet is old enough to comprehend your commands. An untrained dog is a very stressful pet to own, since you never know what they'll do next and who they might hurt. An untrained dog is also at higher risk of injury and even death. So don't neglect this important aspect of dog ownership right from the beginning.

The first step towards dog training is helping your pet to learn basic instructions like 'no'. Then you can move on to simple commands such as 'sit' 'stay', and 'go'. But the most critical facet of dog training is to start as soon as possible. As your dog grows older it becomes much more difficult to correct bad habits. Starting early will guarantee that your dog learns appropriate behavior and doesn't develop any of those bad habits that you'll have to retrain out of him later on. And starting young also makes it much easier to train your dog.

However, keep in mind that it's important to be patient and take your time with dog training. Puppies in particular have short attention spans and you want to keep your lessons just the right length so they don't get frustrated or bored.
Only undertake a training session while your dog is paying attention to what you are teaching. The best way to approach this is to set up a routine that your dog can become accustomed to. For example, you can have a regular training session every morning for five minutes, another one in the afternoon and a final lesson in the evening.

There will be lots of bumps in the road as you travel along the path of dog training. Very frequently you will encounter problems in getting your dog to obey you. A common reason for experiencing problems is because your dog doesn't respect you and recognize you as its master. It may sound harsh, but the fact is that your dog needs to learn who's boss, and he won't unfailingly obey you until he has this figured out. This takes ongoing effort on your part, and you have to be consistent in your behavior and expectations.

Here's one of the ways that you can help your dog learn that his behavior is unacceptable. Say your dog has a problem with jumping up on people uninvited. Next time he does this, turn away from him to show him that such conduct is inappropriate. By turning your back you communicate to him that he is being rejected, and since dogs are pack animals by nature, he will strive to avoid any behavior that excludes him from the clan.

If you don't have the time required to train your dog properly, or you feel you don't have the skills or commitment required, you should think about sending your dog to a dog training school. Sometimes even the most dedicated dog owner has trouble teaching his dog to obey. This is where professional help can really make a difference between a well behaved pet and an out of control monster.