How to Train Your Dog like A Professional Dog Trainer
When you want to teach your dog some basic skills of obedience, this can be exciting at the same time challenging. The thing is, you don’t know where or how to start on dog obedience training? Begin by getting his attention.
Getting your dog’s attention is very easy because all you have to do is call his name. The challenge is to make him pay attention to your commands. How do you do this? First, every time you call his name, put a keyword command next to it like “look” or “watch.” So it goes like, “Spike watch!” or “Spike look!” This is a way of associating the words to a certain command. Once you have his full attention, you can start the lessons immediately.
Start doing some attention exercises. A very good example is holding his favorite toy or food closer to your mouth. Next thing you do is give your dog a keyword command.
Every time your dog spends time to look, try to last it for a minute, reward him or give him simple words of praise. Do the attention exercise often and eventually your dog would pay attention at longer time. Dogs would learn best through positive reinforcement by means of reward or praise.
By nature, dogs can easily be distracted. So the ideal place to do the attention exercise is somewhere that is quiet and free from any sort of distraction like loud noise. Your training session should not exceed thirty minutes. Beyond that limit, expect the dog to become restless. You’re likely to lose his full attention quite easily.
It’s normal that you will get frustrated if your dog does not learn right away. But do not take your frustration out on your beloved pooch. Here are the three things to take note before you begin the dog obedience training:
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Do not hurt your dog’s feelings. This might result to an aggressive or shy behavior towards you.
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If you notice that he starts to be distracted, shift your voice tone. But this does not mean that you raise your voice.
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Consistency is the key. Your pet is like a human child. If you are not consistent on what you are doing, he would get confused on what you expect from him.
The Basic Commands of Dog Obedience Training
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“Sit” – When you teach him to sit, you also do it with action. That way, he would associate the word with the action. Begin by pushing the backside of your dog down gently while you are uttering the word “sit.”
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“Down” – Usually, dogs show their excitement by jumping around or jumping up on your lap. If you are talking to other people, you don’t want him to be all over you. So to stop him, just say “down.” Pretend to act not excited about him and just keep on saying “down” or you may place his legs down if necessary until he follows your command.
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“Stay” – Start by putting his favorite or some treat on the floor. As he begins to move toward that treat, say “stay.” Another way is putting your hand out while you are saying “say.” The moment he obeys, begin to move gradually away from your dog. If he steps forward, keep on putting your hand out and saying “stay.” This way, he will know that even if you are away, you want him to still obey you.
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“Come” – You can signal him to come by patting your leg. While you are doing that, say ‘come.” Continue doing it until he eventually approaches you. You might want to change your voce tone when you utter the word “come” by sounding to be excited.
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“Stand” – Again, you should sound excited when you say “stand.” You can make a signal by patting your hands on your chest as you say “stand.”
It is best if you begin the dog obedience training when both of you are ready. Just don’t forget that consistency plays a major part when doing the exercises and that make sure that every session is enjoyable for both of you.
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