Article Title: Dog Training Overview
Author: Mary Johnson
Owning a dog is a big responsibility. As a pet owner, you are
obligated, both morally and legally, to keep the dog sheltered,
well fed, and safe from harm. You need to keep your pet clean,
and provide him with necessary health care, including
immunizations. Above all, you need to provide the training
your pet needs to lead a happy, safe and productive life.
Basic dog training provides a problem-solving foundation for
your pet. By understanding simple commands like "sit" and
"stay", your dog will be able to develop the skills needed to
refrain from bad habits like incessant barking, chewing,
fighting, biting, and urinating or defecating indoors.
There are two main reasons that pets, and pet owners, fail to
succeed or follow through with dog training. First and
foremost, it is not necessary for you to dominate your dog. To
properly train your dog, you need to show patience, kindness and
support, rather than assuming the "alpha" role and commanding
respect through fear. Those "macho" tricks have been shown to
be false. The second most common misconception of dog training
is that you can't teach old dogs new tricks. You most
certainly can train a dog of any age, so long as the trainer
approaches the situation in the appropriate manner.
The first step in training your dog is finding the right
program. Check your local listings for nearby obedience
schools. You and your dog can become educated on basic
training methods in the classroom setting, and then practice
the lessons at home. After you have mastered the basic safety
commands including "stay" and "come" at home, you can move your
practice sessions to other areas, such as local parks. It's
nice to have a dog that obeys your commands and home; this
obedience is essential when you and your pet are in a public
place.
Short, positive lessons are always most successful. Try to
incorporate the dog training into regular daily activities and
situations. If your dog follows you in to the kitchen to watch
you make breakfast, ask him to sit. If he obeys, praise him and
give him a treat.
Ideally, training will become your dog's favorite activity.
Your dog loves to please you, so the key to successful dog
training is giving him a lot of praise. If you reprimand your
dog when he does something bad, but neglect to praise him for
his good behaviour, he'll concentrate solely on the negative
aspects of training and will miss out on all the fun.
When done consistently and correctly, dog training can be fun
and simple for both of you. The key steps are catching your
dog in a questionable act, giving a firm (never cruel)
reprimand, and redirecting his attention and energy toward an
acceptable activity. Don't nag your dog, and never spank him.
Praise him whenever you can. Even if he's just lying on the
floor minding his own business, take a moment to praise him and
tell him what a good dog he is.
Dog training is a great way to bond with your pet, and you'll
both enjoy a safer, happier life. With plenty of fun, too!
About The Author: Mary Johnson contributes to several online
magazines, including http://home-
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