There are many different ways to train your dog. If you have a puppy, you’ll need to be patient and consistent while he learns the ropes and while it could be slightly easier for some older dogs to get it, that doesn’t mean there won’t be some hurdles to overcome. In both cases though, love and mutual respect for your dog is the most important tool when it comes to training them.
Here are some tips for effectively training your dog.
Tip #1: The dog must respect you.
When it comes to training your dog, you must be the alpha and the one in charge. This is an important concept for anyone who owns a dog and wants to have their pet follow their commands. The relationship between you and your dog must be based on respect, which cannot be forced upon them—it must be earned through leadership.
If you want your dog to listen when you tell him or her something, they must respect you as a leader first. A lot of people are tempted by positive reinforcement methods when training dogs because they feel like this will make things easier; however, if there is no sense of authority or respect in place between owner and pet then these methods won’t work very well at all because neither party will feel confident with the relationships between them.
Tip #2: Speak directly to the dog in a confident, sweet tone.
When you sit down with the dog, talk sweetly to him in a calm voice. Remember to use your dog’s name at the beginning of each sentence and speak in a high-pitched tone that encourages listening. It’s important that you keep talking until he sits down, but it’s also very important not to make eye contact with him while he’s still standing. If his eyes are on yours, then he will know this is an invitation for playtime or other attention and may not want to listen as well as possible when sitting down!
Tip #3: Teach your dog his name first.
Dogs should be taught their name first, even before other commands. A dog should respond to his or her own name and not someone else’s. If you train your dog with this in mind, it will be easier for you to get your dog’s attention when needed.
Tip #4: Be very patient.
Be patient. Your dog is new to this and needs time to learn. Be patient when teaching your dog new things and as they are learning to obey. If it takes 10 minutes for your dog to sit on command or walk on leash without pulling then that’s fine! Just keep at it until they get the hang of it.
Tip #5: Be mindful of what your dog is feeling
As you are working on training your dog you should also be aware of the dog’s body language. If the dog is showing signs of stress, stop the training session for a break. If the dog is showing signs of aggression, stop the training session and if the dog is showing signs of fear you will not get very fair in training and should attempt it at another time.
Tip #6: Reward with treats, praise and love.
Dogs make mistakes—even the best-trained dog will occasionally have an accident or get into something they shouldn’t. When this happens, it’s important not to punish your dog for their mistake. Punishment is not the way to train a dog. When you punish your dog for making a mistake, you are essentially telling them that it is unsafe to trust themselves or others because if they make mistakes, there will be consequences (namely hurt feelings) from their mistakes. This can lead to other problems down the road such as aggression issues if your dog feels threatened enough by something else happening around them.
Instead, use it as a teaching moment and correct them immediately after the mistake has happened with a verbal command that tells them what’s wrong. Then reward them with praise and treats (if appropriate). This will help them learn from their mistakes so that they can avoid making it again in the future. The most effective way to do this is by rewarding your dog immediately after they’ve done something correctly with praise or petting (depending on their preference). The more often you do this type of training, the faster your dog will learn!
Tip #7: Love is the most important tool in training your dog.
Love is the most important tool in training your dog. Yes, you read that right: love is the best reward for your dog. When you’re playing with your pup, use positive reinforcement to encourage him to do what you want him to do. Let’s say he’s doing something naughty like chewing on your couch; if he stops after being scolded and given a stern look by his owner, praise him lavishly! This will encourage him not only to stop chewing on things but also to repeat behaviors that earn praise from his owners. Some people may think this method is too simple or even “icky,” but there’s no denying it works wonders when paired with other methods of behavior modification such as shock collars and punishment-based training (which I vehemently oppose).
The most important thing to remember when training your dog is that you need to love him and be patient. You can’t get frustrated if he doesn’t understand something right away, because that just means he needs more time with you in order for him to learn.