Obedience training is important and essential to every dog. It not only establishes lines of communication so that you can understand each other better, it is also a bond building process to increase the enjoyment, companionship and satisfaction of your relationship with your dog.
Ideally, you should start to train and correct undesirable behaviors as early as possible when your dog is 8 to10 weeks old. This is the period where they learn best and is a vital time for influencing your dog’s future behavior. It’s definitely easier to train a pup when compare to an older dog. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to train older dogs, you just have to correct his bad habits first and then teach him the proper ones.
There are many incidents where owners abandon their dogs at shelters because they cannot understand what their dog is up to. The dogs display annoying behavior such as barking, chewing and defecating all over the place and in worse cases, show aggressive behavior towards the owners.
These incidents can be avoided if obedience training is implemented. Most obedience training is used to create a groundwork from which the dog and his master will learn how to effectively correspond to each other.
In addition, obedience training is also an alternative dog owners can turn to when their dogs are behaving badly. It is one way of incorporating discipline in the dog’s behavior. Obedience training makes the dog realize that certain behaviors are not allowed and that he should not act that way. Done correctly, obedience training can regulate your dog’s behavior and he will be able to respond properly with the right behavior that is expected of him.
Many dog owners wonder if it would be better to let professionals handle their dog’s obedience training. In most cases, it can be much easier to have a professional trainer or an obedience school to teach both owner and his dog the proper way to follow a command. However, if the dog owner feels he can follow simple instructions and do just the same, then, there is no special need for a professional trainer. A good dog training book is usually more than sufficient.
No matter where you choose to train your dog, at home or in a school, there are some universal dog training principles that never change and all dog owners should follow them strictly:
1. Fun and Reward – Obedience training does not necessarily mean that strict rules should be imposed. This is because the dog is not aware of the reasons why he should obey the commands. Therefore, for him to respond to the commands, the training must be done in such a way that the dog sees the activity as something that is fun.
The dog will be able to respond positively if he sees that whenever he follows what he is asked to do, he gets rewards or praises, and that is fun for them.
2. Consistency – It is important to have consistency in the course of training especially when correcting unwanted behaviors. Always use the same “command” for a specific task you require of your dog. Don’t confuse him by using different commands for the same task.
Once you’ve establish some house rules such as – keeping the cooking area or sofa out of bounds to your dog, enforce them constantly. If the dog learns that he can get away with breaking these rules now and then, your previous efforts will go down the drain.
Simple rules and regulations set earlier on should be followed religiously. It is extremely important to teach the dog what he can and cannot do and stick to it consistently. Confusion will only make matters worse. Lastly, make sure everyone in the family accepts and enforce your rules consistently.
3. Timing – Knowing when to correct behavior is essential. Praise your dog whenever he is doing something right. Giving him a small treat he likes will work wonders for most dogs.
Do take him to task immediately whenever he does not respond to your command or behaves inappropriately. Delayed reprimands and praises will have no effect after the teachable moment has passed. fenbendazole for humans cancer