Dog Training Basics

Are you confused with the many theories on the best way of training your dog? There are many methods and techniques that will accomplish your goal, but I prefer to stick with dog training basics, the tried and true methods of achieving a well-disciplined dog.

Dog training is not only necessary for you to achieve the enjoyment you desire from you pet, but also required for your animal to understand what you want from him.

Basic dog training involves not only your pet, but also you as the owner. You will need certain qualities to make your training sessions successful. Training your dog will require your understanding, authority and your fairness. However, you will need more than that to get the most from your pet.

You'll need a great deal of self-control. Dogs do not understand what you want to begin with and it may take a long time before they do. Your dog will test not only your self-control, but your patience. However, if you are patient and persistent you will win the dog training war.

Keep in mind that this experience between you and your dog will create a bond between owner and pet that will last a lifetime.

Therefore, when conducting your training sessions, find your patience and understanding, and begin as you mean to continue. Be firm when you give your commands to your animal. Be persistent, perform the same command five or six times a day over a period of several days.

Reward your dog often when he does what you want. Use punishment sparingly when the dog misbehaves. Dogs will respond to praise and treats and not to punishment.

When you are performing your training, try to remember Pavlov's dog. You will know about this dog if you ever took psychology. Pavlov had a theory of conditioned reflex, and by repeating the same action with his dog, he was able to condition him to the response he wanted from the dog.

No, I'm not suggesting you use psychology with your dog, simply letting you know it has been proven this method of training works.

When rewarding your dog, you can use either treats or praise. The best method is praise. Remember when giving treats to give your dog a dog biscuit or something similar.
If your dog has a weight problem you will want to stick to praise as a reward.

If you feel you must use punishment to get your dog to do what you want, be subtle. You will only need to raise your voice and say "bad dog" or "no". Raising your voice will be unpleasant for your dog. There will be no need for physical punishment.

Keep in mind, for the ultimate success, you dog will respond best to rewards and praise during training. If you use punishment to train, he will associate punishment with you and that is not the relationship you want with your pet.

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