Has a new puppy or dog entered your life? This new addition to your family can be a wonderful blessing or it can be a disaster. Training your dog early on will ensure that this new pet will bring you all the joy and happiness you have imagined.
In spite of all the joy your new pet brings, there are a number of risks in not training your dog. The main risk comes from a safety standpoint. No matter how cute your pet may seem, you must remember that it is still an animal. You must teach your puppy from an early age proper behavior and who is master.
Did you know that the number one reason many dogs end up in animal shelters is that their owners found them too much to handle? Untrained pets are extremely difficult to manage.
Don’t let your friends and neighbors become victims for the absence of dog training. An untrained dog can cause unhappy neighbors, especially if he has a barking problem. If your dog bites or jumps too much, your children might not have many friends come over for play dates because their parents fear for their own children's safety.
Also, you definitely don't want your home to become an environment where you are constantly yelling at your puppy telling him NO, NO or to STOP. Many times it appears that they can't tell the difference between positive and negative attention, so if their behavior gets a reaction they will repeat it over and over again. Therefore negative attention is commonly interpreted by your pet as rough play or being okay.
You may often have a big problem with some of your dog's actions, but it is important to be aware that the dog doesn't know he has these issues. For example, seeing your pee stained carpet may raise your blood pressure through the roof, but from the dog's point of view he was just doing what comes naturally for him, so you should control your anger.
Training for your puppy is not only important for helping to change bad behaviors, it is also important for you to better understand him. You may now be wondering: What steps should you take to train your dog?
Here are some valuable tips to help train your dog.
1. Reward him when he follows a command.
2. Correct him when he does not do what he was been taught.
3. Make sure to repeat the commands several times so he learns them.
4. Ensure that you and the other dog caregivers use the same command words and actions.
5. Continue to show your dog right from wrong.
6. Never punish your dog, just continue to correct.
7. Keep your training sessions short, as dogs don't have a long attention span.
8. Master one command before moving to the next one. Then continue to reinforce the mastered
commands as he learns more commands.
9. Learn what motivates your dog to be on his best behavior. This might be a belly rub, a favorite toy,
or a special treat.
10. Tender loving patience always goes a long way.
