6 Training Secrets Every Dog Owner Should Know

Now that you have a dog it's time to do some training. I'm going to share some training secrets that will make training Fido much easier and at the same time more enjoyable.

1. Exercise the Dog If He Is High Drive

If you have a dog that is bouncing off the wall with excitement then you need to wear it out a bit before you start your training. A good way to do that is to take your dog for a nice 15 or 20 minute walk. If it's easier take him out in the backyard and throw the ball for 15 minutes or so until he wears down a little bit. Hopefully after getting rid of some of his energy he will be much easier to work with for your training session.

2. Crate the Dog If He Is Laid Back

On the other hand if you have the dog that is laid back without much energy try crating him for about an hour. Then when it's time to train hopefully he will be more excited to come out and do something.

3. Always Do Something Special for the Dog After the Training Session

I tell people after you do your training session do something special for the dog. In other words if he enjoys going for a walk take him for a walk, if he enjoys chasing a ball, throw it and if he enjoys having his belly rubbed do it. It just gives the dog something to look forward to after each training session.

4. Keep the Session Serious But Fun

When I say keep the session serious I mean, you can't be doing a lot of laughing and giggling because then the dog thinks we are playing. So keep it serious and act as if you are an elementary school teacher who wants to teach her children well. I think the attitude to have when training a dog is to think of yourself as being firm but fair, not mean.

5. Only Give a Command Once

This is an important one. You should get in the habit of only giving a command one time. If you don't your dog starts to learn that you'll tell him four or five times before you get upset. We want the dog to learn that he only gets one command and he has to do it when he hears it the first time. That is the sign of a well-trained dog.

6. Don't Use the Dogs Name Just the Command

Using your dog's name with the command just sort of gets in the way. He really doesn't need you saying Fido sit, Fido down, Fido heel because he knows exactly who you're talking to. Using his name before each command is just sort of redundant and boring.

I think if you'll follow these six simple secrets of dog training you will find that it's a lot easier to train your dog and you'll have a lot of fun in the process.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?6-Training-Secrets-Every-Dog-Owner-Should-Know&id=8331776