How To Train Your Dog: A Beginner's Guide

Training your dog is the first step in healthy interaction, guidance and building a strong relationship between your dog and perhaps the whole family. Knowing how to train your dog may seem daunting, especially after watching YouTube videos of dogs knowing 10 different commands with ease. There are simple steps you can take today to start implementing techniques and make training part of your routine with your dog.

One important tip to always remember is to stay consistent. While it may seem inconsequential or too difficult to rally the whole family to allow or not allow certain behaviors with your dog, it is one of the key concepts in training that will be easy in time after it becomes habitual.

For example, if you want to train your dog not to jump up on the bed, make sure to keep the bed a 24/7 off-limit zone, as much as you may want to cuddle him on those cold and rainy nights. Then, set your dog up for success by making sure there are no other beds in the house where this behavior is tolerated.

Another important element is to remember to stay the boss. Experts believe it's nature in dogs to find an alpha or be the alpha, so be sure to make that role clear from the get-go when learning to train your dog. This doesn't necessarily mean having to yell or get upset at your dog, but just exuding confidence and, again consistency, will show him you're taking on that role. Affection is encouraged, and of course the best part of being a dog parent, but knowing how to train your dog means also showing your stern side when appropriate.

Focusing on good behavior rewards instead of bad behavior reprimanding is a great technique in any learning environment. Support your dog by giving him room to make a good decision followed by a reward instead of assuming he should know how to make the decision on his own. Assist him in the good behavior and immediately reward instead of waiting for him to make the wrong decision and then punishing him for it. This will not only train your dog but will make your relationship rock-solid.

Toilet training is one of the first concerns of many dog owners, so it's believed to be best started at around 3-4 months old or as soon as possible. If your dog will be spending time indoors, there are some tips to remember when starting your potty training.

First, give your pup plenty of time on walks to allow for him to do his business. It may take a while for him to feel comfortable enough, and not over stimulated, to find a good spot. Then, try to head to the same spot when on walks so he'll recognize the scent and start to learn when it's time to go.

Regular mealtimes will also promote regular and smooth potty training, along with lots of praise for a job well done while outside or on walks.

Start with basic commands, add some potty training and the techniques mentioned when learning how to train your dog. Keep it fun and lighthearted! Remember, this is your precious bonding time, so get to know your dog and start implementing these initial steps to keep the training-train moving. With consistency and confidence over time, your dog will be YouTube worthy in no time!

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Dog Training Tip: How to Get Compliance Without Food

A common issue for many dog owners is that they feel like they have to bribe their dog to behave. Compliance is reliable with food in their hand, but without food? All bets are off. Once your dog knows what the commands mean, you will teach her that just because you aren't holding food in your hand doesn't mean that she won't get a reward.

To start, prepare the food rewards and place them somewhere that you will have easy access when you need them. At the very beginning, it's OK if she sees the food, but as you progress it is better to be more sneaky about it so that she isn't just behaving when she sees food.

You can start with a very easy command, one that she is the most likely to respond to. A good one is usually to ask the dog to come over to you (assuming you are inside with no distractions). When she comes to you, give her lots of praise and then - BAM!- a piece of food magically appears out of nowhere! She will think that's pretty cool. After she eats the food, show her your empty hands, and then ask her to sit. If she does, reward with lots of praise and then make another piece of food magically appear out of nowhere. If she doesn't sit, you can try repeating the command a few more times, but don't overdo it. If you're not getting compliance after a few tries, end the session and try the whole routine again later.

It's handy to keep some treats within easy reach so that throughout the day, you can randomly surprise the dog with a reward for good behavior without her knowing that rewards are an option. The key here is to keep the dog guessing. Think about it like a slot machine - slot machines work on the principle of intermittent reinforcement. You never know when you're going to win, but you know at some point you will, so you keep playing. That same principle is key in dog training.

In addition to having the food out of sight, you can mix that practice up with letting her know you have the food, but not rewarding every single correct behavior. So instead of sit-reward-sit-reward and so on, the pattern is sit-sit-sit-reward-sit-sit-reward-sit-sit-sit-sit-reward etc. Remember that slot machine? Keep the dog guessing.

Remember too that food isn't the only reward that you can use to get compliance. Praise, affection, attention and toys can also be used (and should be incorporated as much as possible). You can also use life rewards, like getting to go outside, allowing the dog to go sniff something particularly enchanting, allowing her to chase a squirrel on a walk, having access to spaces in the home like the bed or sofa, etc. Determining what motivates your particular dog (other than food!) will be very helpful to you in the long-term and provide you with lots of other options for rewards besides food.

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Why Dogs Lick

When a dog licks a person it can be irritating and uncomfortable, but it all depends on if you have a liking to dogs because otherwise, it's a nice feeling. It's not everybody who would like to be licked by a dog. Dogs also lick other dogs and themselves constantly. It's best to first know the cause of the licking in order to know how to curb it if it gets out of hand. The following are some of the reasons.

For cleaning purposes.

Dogs lick themselves clean. They will use licking as a way to groom themselves, this is by licking their face clean, their pawns and also the body.

We taste good.

Yes, our bodies have a salty taste that the dogs enjoy licking, this will lead to the dog constant licking so as to enjoy that taste. A dog will lick you when you have a new smell and it wants to taste it.

As a form of communication.

A dog may be licking so as to pass a message; maybe it's feeding time, grooming time or it may need something. It's good to check out and see what may be needed and as soon as it's sorted the licking will stop. If its licking another dog maybe it means that it likes the dog.

Attention seeking.

The dog may be neglected and therefore it's seeking to be noticed and recognized. As soon as you take note the licking may stop. A dog may simply want to be included in whatever the owner is doing, maybe they are having a talk and the dog is just out watching.

As a form of affection.

The dog uses licking to show its affection towards the owner and other family members and also towards other dogs. When the dog is constantly licking you, it's a form of affection towards you.

Skin irritation and allergies.

The skin maybe irritable as a result of maybe being dirty and therefore have bred flies which causes constant itching and scratching which the dog will calm down by licking. Allergies also result in a lot of scratching and the dog will resort to licking to calm down. Therefore check the skin so as to be sure.

Injuries and pain.

If the dog has been injured, he will lick the wound constantly to clean it and also because saliva from the dog helps in speeding the healing process. The dog will lick an injured body part to help relieve the pain.

Stress and boredom.

The dog may develop a liking to licking, the reason being bored. When it has nothing to do with its alone, it turns to licking. When the dog has stressed it turns to licking which is good since it helps in relieving stress.

In conclusion, it's advisable to visit a veterinary officer for consultation and also to ascertain the reason behind the licking. When a dog continuously licks one part it should be stopped so as to avoid it turning to a serious wound and to also avoid hair loss.

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Puppy Training Done Right

Puppy training is a life-long process. Puppies learn very quickly with proper instruction. The first few hours with your new puppy will make an indelible impression on your young dog, and the precedents you set now in training your puppy will usually last a lifetime.

The family members in the household must accept responsibility.

Decide on the rules and agree upon a routine for the care of the new family member. While everyone is excited and thrilled to have the new puppy in the house, puppy training starts as soon as the new dog enters the home.

Whether or not you are aware of it, you and the family have already begun to teach the young arrival, although it is not to say that your unintended puppy training has been all for the good. The unintended consequences of your puppy training may be that you and the family have already taught through example that it is perfectly fine to be on the couch. Your puppy training, although unintended, may have begun to reinforce that it is fine not be in the crate for the night's sleep, but instead to be on the bed, only to find that on a subsequent night the puppy will cry when put in its crate.

Puppy training is happening by your action involving the puppy and the puppy's observations of its new pack members. The puppy will regard you and the family as its new pack. What you do correctly and not do correctly in the early stages will affect your dog's behavior for the coming years.

Puppy training requires that you play a dual role of caring and loving guardian, and strong leader.

If you do not take up the role of leader, your dog will, and you will end up with a disobedient dog that can be a real problem. Lots and lots of affection is a wonderful thing for most puppies, but it must be tempered with the discipline of authority.

The puppy has recently been separated from its littermates and feels vulnerable and is very impressionable. Puppy training begins with its first observations and will continue through its entire life. Puppy training also entails picking up the education process where the dog's mother left off. Mouthing and biting is a common practice in puppies and young dogs in play and teething. Training the puppy to refrain from mouthing and biting would normally be learned from its mother and littermates, but since your puppy has been removed from that environment before the lesson has been learned, this part of training must be completed by the puppy's new guardians.

If you wish to develop a well-adjusted dog, puppy training must involve learning how to act around children and vice versa. It includes learning how to behave around adults and other animals as well. An improperly socialized puppy can grow to be aggressive and/or fearful. A well socialized puppy is well-adjusted and makes a wonderful companion.

Puppy training is giving your dog an education.

It is important to set good examples from the beginning. Few things are more demanding of your time in the early days than properly educating your new puppy. It is important to spend as much time as possible with the dog. Play with the new puppy gently and quietly, avoiding loud noises and overwhelming the young dog with aggressive attention and activity. Puppies require a lot of sleep as babies do, so when the dog appears tired allow it to rest. When done well, your training experience will be a wonderful memory you will cherish for years to come.

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Separation Anxiety and How to Fix It

Separation anxiety affects dogs and makes them appear stressed when the owner leaves home for some time. The phrase describes how the dog behaves when the owner is not around. The dog will exhibit symptoms such as excessive salivation, winning, barking and destroying items including scratching the walls, floors, doors and attempting to escape from the room.

Stimulated separation anxiety - The dog may exhibit and show a lack of self-control due to insufficient leadership. This dog may experience stress due to lack of attention from the owner. The dog becomes aware of the fact that it will attract attention if it behaves badly. When such a dog is reprimanded, it gets motivated because it knows that at least there is some form of attention. Negative attention can also be a reward if the owner is not aware of the needs of the dog. This kind of stress is easy to overcome especially where the owner increases the amount of time he spends with the dog by giving the dog proper exercise and leadership.

Fixing Anxiety

Take the Dog for a Walk

To reduce the anxiety, you can start by taking the dog for a walk. If you make the walk more rigorous, and give the dog enough food and water, the dog will spend enough time eating and resting. This leaves him in a quite or resting mode when you are away from home.

Avoid Touch or Eye Contact

Do not let the dog know when you are leaving or when you return. It makes the dog understand that there is nothing wrong when you disappear for some time. Disappearing for an hour before you leave or after your appear will effectively communicate this to the dog.

Say Goodbye Long Before Leaving

Before you leave the house, show the dog some affection. The dog will learn to associate the affection with leaving.

Remain Calm And Assertive

If you are ready to go to work, let the dog be aware of the fact that everything will be OK. This can be achieved if you project some level of confidence. Be assertive and reduce the separation anxiety.

Practice Leaving the Dog for Some Time

You can do this in a small manner. Leave the dog for some time then come back and leave again for a longer period of time. This should be practiced regularly until the dog learns that your absence does not mean anything.

Separation anxiety can be a huge problem however with some patients and the help of a professional you will hopefully solve the problem.

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Understanding How To Keep Your Dog Happy

Your dog relies upon you for care and feeding. You'll want to give your dog the best possible care and the highest quality food that you can afford.

Give your dog love, care and devotion. Take time every day to spend time with your dog. Pet him, take him for walks and give him a lot of affection.

Your dog will respond in kind. He will give you love and affection back. Dogs want to be a part of the family and a loved and treasured family member.

Your dog will need play time, walking time and rest time. He will love a day with plenty of exercise so get him a few toys and teach him how to play with them.

A good game of fetch or tug of war should be ideal for getting things started. After play time he will need a small snack so have a few dog treats handy to give him.

Go into some rest time and take an afternoon siesta before the evening meal. An after dinner a walk will round thing out nicely.

When you treat a dog with plenty of love and affection you'll be given love and affection in return. Your dog wants to please you and given the opportunity, he will.

When dogs are puppies it can be more challenging to keep him happy. Puppies seem to have boundless energy so it's important to have plenty of activity to keep him going until he is worn out.

Put your favorite shoes, your slippers and anything leather such as purses, camera bags and the like up out of reach. Your puppy will require some special chew toys so that he won't be tempted to nibble on your more valuable things.

Keep him busy, walk him often, give him time to play with the kids and take a nice walk. Be sure to allow him some sniffing time, dogs have a thing about sniffing where other dogs have been and it's part of his learning to sniff and smell things.

Avoid locking the dog up in the house all day, dogs require some attention and it's not fair to the dog. Also, avoid keeping the dog on a chain all day long, it's not fair to the dog either. If you're going to be gone a lot, consider a dog sitter, a dog run or a pet care center for your beloved pet.

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