Teaching your Mutt the Essentials
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If you take the time to train your dog the essentials, you are building a foundation that is sure to make teaching your old dog a few new tricks no problem at all. The best thing you teach your dog when you train it is the process of learning this is a valuable tool he or she will use with you for the rest of your dog’s life.
Be patient when training your dog. You may need to repeat positive reinforcement numerous times to consistently get the behavior you want. You may also need to consistently refocus your dog from negative behaviors. Realizing it takes time to train a dog can make the experience much more pleasurable for both you and your pet.
If there is a behavior you’d like your dog to be able to do on command, make sure you praise him whenever he offers this behavior. This works well for tricks that you are actively teaching, as well as actions that he does naturally. For instance, if you think it’d be fun to teach your dog to sneeze whenever you ask, simply say, “Sneeze” and treat him whenever he does sneeze. Sooner or later, he will learn the association between the word “sneeze,” the action of sneezing, and the reward.
If you are getting a new dog, and you intend to train it, look for a younger dog. The old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is somewhat appropriate here. Younger dogs are more receptive to dominance from a pack leader and will learn quickly in an effort to please. Another plus to this is that young dogs really enjoy learning new things, much like children do.
It is fun teaching your dog how to do tricks. Pick a time when he is fed, relaxed and calm. First, extend your hand to your dog’s paw. You may have to pick his paw up when you first start. Regardless of how he acts, give him a treat. Pretty soon he will learn that if he extends his paw he will get a treat. In no time, he will simply give you his paw on his own.
Dogs with separation anxiety experience extreme stress when left alone. This can result in extremely destructive behavior, both to the dog itself and to your property. Make sure your dog has plenty of exercise before being left alone. Treats that provide mental stimulation may also ease anxiety. By preventing boredom, you can ease the stress of separation anxiety.
Be consistent. It is going to take a lot of work to train your dog. And if you aren’t consistent, you can undo all the work that you did in the first place. You have to teach your dog the way to behave, and that is true whether you feel great or whether you’re busy, stressed or sick. Consistent behavior from you leads to consistent behavior from your dog.
Making sure your dog knows how to learn is the best benefit of working with your dog early on in his or her life. When your dog understands the benefits and rewards of learning the tricks you teach it, the desire to learn is often as rewarding as the reward itself.
