Dog Training Secrets From The Experts

Regardless of whether you have a brand new puppy or an older dog, it makes good sense to devote a little time training them. Although there is an abundance of information on the market about how to train your dog, you can't go wrong with dog training tips from the experts.

1. Positive reinforcement is essential. Whilst there are many theories on the way to train your dog, most dog training experts recognize that positive reinforcement is most effective. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding your dog with verbal praise good dog, physical praise like a pat on the head and food rewards. It does not involve shouting at your dog, smacking or punishing them.

Positive reinforcement works because it creates a relationship of trust with your dog. Dogs are motivated by rewards especially food rewards.

2. Consistency is essential. If youre working with your dog on a specific skill or trick then make an effort to train them at the same time every day. This helps your pet know what to expect. Most dogs thrive on structure and will perform and learn faster if they know what is expected. If youre training using food rewards, try and train your dog before mealtime so theyre a little hungry and motivated.

3. Show patience. Dogs have a tendency to learn in waves. Sometimes they pick things up easily and the following day it seems like you need to start again from the very beginning. Be patient. Start every new trick with very small steps and be clear about what you expect. Even with the smallest tricks like sit you will need to break it down into smaller steps.

4. Use hand cues along with verbal cues. A number of dogs have an easier time comprehending and remembering hand signals than they do with verbal cues. Assign a hand signal to every trick or behavior you're training.

5. Train in small increments. Dogs have short attention spans. Attempting to train them for twenty or thirty minutes is not likely to work. Theyre going to become frustrated and lose focus. Instead, keep training sessions to no more than five minutes.

At the start, you may choose to train for only a minute or two until eventually your dog learns to look forward to training. Dogs can learn to dislike training. Keeping the training sessions short will help them learn to enjoy the process.

6. Always end on a positive note. Learning a brand new trick is hard work. End each training session, no matter how frustrating, on a positive note. Always give your dog a trick or behavior to perform that they have learned to perform and end with a food reward and a lot of praise.

7. Keep your dog healthy. Last but not least, one of the most important dog training tips from the experts recommends feeding your dog good quality dog food, giving them sufficient fresh drinking water and making certain they have adequate sleep. A healthy dog is a happier dog and will learn desired behaviors far more quickly.

Secrets Revealed - How To Toilet Train Your Dog

Unless you are psychic you probably can't predict when your dog is getting ready to do his business. That's why it is vital that your dog is housebroken. Dogs can in fact "hold it", but they need to be taught how to do so. Puppies are much like babies in that until they know any better, they will just go wherever and whenever they want. Dogs descended from wolves, and wolves are wild animals, and wild animals can do what they please. Unfortunately, a new puppy needs to be taught how to behave. If this is neglected, you'll have a big problem on your hands.

Toilet training your dog is not an easy task. In order to make the process as painless as possible, you need to give him regularity (no pun intended), and lots of attention. The training process will take much longer if you are away from the house often because your dog will need to go, and if you aren't around to direct him, he'll just go. If you make the house the only place he can go, then he has no choice in the matter.

When you first begin training, you need to give him his own place, such as a corner in an unused room. That should be where he sleeps, eats, and plays for the first few months of his life. You need to cover the floor of the whole area with newspaper. Whenever you leave the house, make sure he is locked in and can't get out of his "habitat".

In the beginning, when he needs to go he will just do it wherever he is standing. As time goes on, he'll pick one place and that's where he'll always go. When you see this behavior begin to present, start to remove the newspaper farthest away from his chosen spot. Continue taking the paper away until the only spot left with newspaper is the area he chose to go. If he goes on the floor and misses the paper, you are taking it away too fast. Add a little bit of the paper back, and slow down in your attempt to remove more. The older he gets, the easier it will be for him to control himself, and he'll stop missing the paper.

It's important to spend as much time as you can with your new puppy. This will make toilet training much easier. When you're home, take your dog outside every hour. If he goes when you are outside, reward him with a snack and praise him with some petting or horseplay. If you do this each and every time, your dog will come to understand that going to the bathroom outside is a good behavior, and he should naturally be excited to do so. As he gains more control over his bladder, he'll be able to wait until you get home to go, and he'll alert you when you are home. Remember to have patience. This is one of the hardest behaviors for your puppy to understand. Remember how long it took you to learn!

If your puppy does have an accident, don't scold him. And never, ever hit him with a rolled up newspaper or push his nose in it. These actions don't help him, they only succeed in scaring him and making him apprehensive around humans. You may even cause him to develop bad anxiety, and this will lead to him going to the bathroom uncontollably in most cases. You need to think of your puppy as a human baby. Would you hit your baby with a newspaper for going in it's diaper? Of course not. Well, a puppy is no different. Most puppies don't become fully toilet trained until they are 6-8 months old (depending on breed). It's a lengthy and difficult process, but think of how rewarding it will be when he starts to show results!