So, you have adopted a dog and he’s finally home. You think that he needs immediate training because you just bought a new rug, or you don’t want your slippers getting chewed on. You would not want your canine to make your sandals with straps it’s breakfast in the morning. However, where should you start in training your canine?
When it comes to training a dog for the first time, there are several things that you can do.
These things include training your puppy yourself, getting the help of your family members, hiring a private trainer, taking classes, or reading everything on a canine training site.
There are a lot of sites that offer the best pieces of training advice so make sure to check the internet for information.
When you are successful in training your puppy, you should notice that he will grow more obedient and more loyal. He will be less aggressive and more docile as well.
If you are looking for tips on where to start, here are some of them.
Training Tips for your Canine
Establish Rules in the House
Before you get a canine, decide the things that he can or can’t do.
Establish boundaries and list them on a piece of paper.
Decide whether you will allow him inside your bedroom.
Decide if there are parts of the house that are off-limits for him.
When it comes to eating, you should determine whether he gets to eat beside the dining table, or he will have his dining area.
Deciding everything will make things clearer and training him will be easier.
Make a Place for Him
He needs to have a room of his own where he can get comfortable.
You must set up a private sleeping place that is not used by other family members or another pet.
He can become comfortable when he knows that he has a private sanctuary where he can do what he wants.
Get a crate that was not home to your previous canines.
He needs to feel that he has his own space and that he can have peace.
If he remains relaxed and quiet, reward him with treats.
Decide on a Name
You have to pick a name for your new puppy.
To make training easier for both of you, pick a name that ends with a consonant. Consider names such as Max or Daisy.
Make it simple and short.
When you brought an older dog home, he may have a name from his previous owner.
When you got him from a shelter, he may have an assigned temporary name.
Fortunately, dogs are very adaptable, and they respond to positive reinforcement.
If he came from an abusive owner, a new name given to him may represent a fresh start.
Make Him Come to You When You Call His Name
Teaching him to come to your side when you are calling him is one of the tricks that he should master.
You can reinforce your status as the alpha when he comes to you. You can say words such as “Come here Chief! Good Boy!”
When he follows your command, make a big deal out of it and reward him with his treats.
You should try this as early as possible so you can reap the benefits later on.
Discourage Biting
Instead of punishing his biting or chewing, you can put off your canine’s habit by acting like you are in pain every time he attempts to bite you.
If he is a young pup, he will be very surprised and will stop immediately.
If this trick does not work for him, you can try to trade a chew toy for him to bite on.
The swap will also make him avoid chewing your slippers and shoes.
Canines usually prefer bones or toys.
If he still won’t stop his attempts to bite you, ignore his behavior.
Set Boundaries Immediately
Canines don’t care about the past and the future. They live their lives in the present.
They don’t worry about what they’ve done after about five minutes.
He forgets all about it and will do other things. However, when he does something that you don’t like, you should correct it immediately.
He will associate a behavior with a negative reinforcement if the correction is done after he behaved badly.
The constant repetition of the negative reinforcement will train him that there are boundaries that he should not cross.
Be Positive on your Training Sessions
Compliment him by saying “Good Dog”, “Nice Job”, “Excellent” and other positive words after every training.
Your canine works hard to please you and you should show appreciation for his effort.
If he’s done a great job, shower him with attention, petting, and praise.
You can also leave treats so that he will look forward to his next training session.
A Final Word
Do not rush the process of training him. Remember that when you start to train him, you are asking a lot from your canine.
You should take each step slowly.
Make sure that he mastered previous training sessions before moving forward to the next one. Improve your communication with each other.
Training him well is worth the effort and time in the long run.
The basics of stay and sit will be easier for both of you if you start the process early.
Debbie P
Saturday 24th of August 2019
These are all so important. Thanks for the article.