Dog Training - Train Your Dog How to be Obedient
It is very well known that an obedient dog is a dog that is enjoyed for a lifetime. It can be very embarrassing to have a dog that does not listen to you and does what he or she chooses to do.
All too often we hear about people surrendering their dogs to an animal shelter because they just could no longer handle the lack of control they had over the dog. Well, this might seem a bit harsh but, it is not the dogs fault that it does not do as the owner wants it to. It is entirely the owners fault.
Many people get dogs and do not invest their time in the animal. They just assume that the dog will know what is acceptable and unacceptable and that's that. Well, you need to teach a dog how to behave, just as you would your child. You surely wouldn't allow your child to eat your shoes or pull food out of the trash and eat it, would you? You would immediately correct these behaviors with a child but not with your dog?
You have to make your dog want to behave for you, listen to you and obey you. If a stranger on the street asked to borrow $100 more than likely you would not give him or her the money. However, if a friend asked for the same amount of money he or she would be more likely to get it, right? The same is true in animals. If our dog has a bond with you he or she will want to please you, listen and obey you.
To train a dog to be obedient is going to take some time, persistence and patience. You can do this on your own or you can bring your dog to an obedience class. Either way, you will be glad you trained him and have the bond.
When you start training your dog you should have a pocket or two full of treats and be ready to praise him and reward him for everything that he does that is acceptable behavior. You should keep the commands to one word so our dog does not get confused. For example, "no," "down," "sit," "stay," and "fetch." Work on one command at a time, this will also limit the confusion.
Another trick for training your dog is to make it enjoyable. Make your dog want to please you. If you get frustrated easily your dog will be less likely to want to come to you when you call him or sit on command. However, if your dog comes when you call him show him how happy it makes you. Reward him with praise a belly rub and or a treat. Show him that he did what was expected of him. He will associate the command with a positive reaction from you and be eager to do as you wish.
Immediately stop an inappropriate behavior. For example, if your dog is digging in the yard, sternly tell him "no." Call him over to you and do not praise him. Walk over to the hole he dug and point to it, again repeat the command "no." He will soon associate the lack of praise and attention to his action and likely discontinue the behavior.
If you are going to use a profession trainer to assist you with your dog, be sure that you are involved in the training. If only the trainer is doing the work, your dog might not listen to you. The respect and need to please will be for the trainer and not yourself. Many trainers will show you how to work on one thing and allow you to do the majority of the work. This allows for bonding with you and the dog and a better relationship. Honestly, how good will it be if your dog is obedient to a stranger and totally disregards what you say?