Training A Dog

Article Title: Training A Dog
Author: David Beart

Training a dog can be enjoyable and rewarding. Whether
conducted in a private setting or a classroom setting, it
requires consistency, direction and firmness. In general, dogs
are eager to please, but teaching them new skills takes time and
energy.

It's not necessary to have formal training to teach a dog
behavioral skills. It is necessary, however, to be consistent,
firm and loving, while making it fun. When dogs know what to
expect from their masters, they're much more likely to comply.
Here are a few tips to make your training experience a rewarding
one for both you and your pet.

First of all, it's important to begin training as soon as you
bring a dog into your home. Whether you have a puppy or an older
dog, it's important that it knows who's in charge. As dogs are
pack animals, they need to know their role in the hierarchy of
the home. Once the dog can identify its master as the leader, it
will be much easier to teach it necessary commands. Some dogs
may always test their boundaries, but knowing they have a set
role in the family gives them a measure of comfort.

Secondly, make it fun for the dog. Speaking in a soothing,
encouraging voice, and lavishing praise on your pet when it
follows direction helps reinforce the lesson learned. If a dog
thinks sitting, staying or fetching is fun, it will be more
likely to perform on command. When training a dog, it can be
frustrating in the beginning if the dog doesn't follow
direction. If this happens, stop the training session. Dogs can
sense stressful situations, and react accordingly. Lessons
should be enjoyable for a dog. Practicing positive reinforcement
goes much further than teaching a dog to fear its master. If it
thinks it's playing a game, it's more interested in
participating.

Next, be consistent. If you're teaching a dog the "sit"
command, and it's rewarded whether it sits or not, it won't
learn the lesson. Follow through is critical during training. A
dog must be able to identify consequences for its actions. If it
carries out the command, it's praised. If it doesn't do what's
been asked, it isn't. Sending mixed messages to the dog will
make training that much more difficult.

Use the same hand signals and/or simple verbal commands for
each lesson. If you're teaching your dog to stay off the sofa,
repeating the same word, such as "off," each time is much more
effective than using different words, like "down" and "go,"
interchangeably. The dog needs simple, clear, consistent
direction to best understand and carry out its duties.

Also, every member of the family must commit to taking part in
training the dog. If one parent enforces the rules, and someone
else in the home doesn't, the dog will quickly figure out that
it can get away with misbehaving, and all the work the trainer
did can unravel.

Dogs can get bored with lengthy training sessions. Positive
gains can be seen in just a few minutes per session. Focusing on
one trick for too long can cause the dog to tune out entirely,
while shorter sessions spread throughout the week can be
effective and enforce lessons. As your dog learns tricks, add
new ones. This way, their confidence grows when they can respond
to commands they're familiar with, but they can look forward to
learning something new. They enjoy pleasing their masters, and
can withdraw if they sense that they're not doing so.

Formal obedience training is also an option, for owners who
would like to reinforce lessons they're teaching at home.
Professional trainers have experience with a wide variety of
different breeds and temperaments, and adjust their teaching
methods accordingly. Also, group training is a great time to
work on socializing your dog, or teaching it to be more
comfortable around and tolerant of other dogs.

A common reason dogs are dropped off at shelters is because
they're not trained. Generally, it's a simple matter of spending
enough time with the dog, and consistently enforcing rules. Not
only is it rewarding for the dog, it's rewarding for the master
as well. When a dog performs a newly-learned command for the
first time, it's cause for celebration. Not only is a
well-behaved dog a joy to be around, but training a dog can
create an unbreakable bond between dog and master.

About The Author: David Beart is owner of the
http://www.professorshouse.com Professors House, a site
dedicated to family, relationships,
http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/dogs/dog-training.aspx dog
training, and household issues.

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