Everything You Want To Know About Dog Obedience Training

Dog Training

Most dogs are naturally loving animals, and they want to please their owners, but things like walking on a leash without pulling, house training, or keeping barking under control are not behaviors that come naturally.  This is why dog obedience training is so important for all dogs, no matter what size, breed, or temperament.

Obedience training for dogs requires that you form a partnership with your pet: you have to be willing to participate and work at it too.  It does take a lot of work and determination, but the upside is that you form a great bond with your dog. He will learn to trust you and communicate with you through this process. Dog obedience training focuses on five key commands: sit, stay, come, down, and drop-it.  These commands are vital to your dog’s everyday behavior and can make your daily interactions fun and stress-free.

Because dog training can be overwhelming and you may not know where to start, here are some tips and reminders to get you started:

* Repetition is key.  Your dog will not learn a command if you only show him once.  It takes multiple practice sessions to ensure that your dog has a good understanding of what he is supposed to do.  If he doesn’t seem to remember commands from one session to the next, he is not trying to irritate you.  You just need to go over it again.  And again.

* Start with an easy command and build up.  You don’t want to start your dog obedience training with fetch, which is more complicated.  Start slowly, teaching your dog to come.  Once he masters that, you’ll both feel more confident and have more motivation to continue.

* Be involved.  If you entrust someone else with your dog training, obedience may suffer. Your dog needs to associate you with the training so he will listen to your commands.  You are the one he looks up to; it’s important to be a good role model.

* Don’t punish your dog, especially when you don’t catch him in the act.  For instance, if he has chewed on a piece of furniture, and you discover it hours later, punishing him won’t have any effect.  He won’t know why you’re angry and won’t connect it with the chewing.  If you do catch him engaging in an undesirable behavior, redirect him.  Sternly say “No.”  Hitting or yelling at your dog is not going to help, and may, in fact, cause more aggressive behavior.

* Work on dog obedience training continually.  It is a process, and while it gets easier, you should always take time to work on commands so your dog can practice them.

Teaching your dog obedience can be a challenging process, but there are some great pieces of dog obedience gear available to help you.  For instance, if your dog continually barks for no reason, Pet Street Mall offers a citronella spray collar that works to deter your dog from excessive barking.  For people who are wary of using shock collars, spray collars are really effective and humane.  Another great aid to training is a dog obedience video or online course.  These allow you to train your dog in your own home when it is convenient for both you and your pet.

Dog obedience training is a great opportunity to interact and bond with your dog.  You’ll learn to trust each other and communicate.  In addition, you can focus on behaviors that will keep you all safe and happy.  The key is to start now and keep at it.