Basic Training Tips For Your Puppy Or Adult Dog

It’s always fun and exciting when you get a new puppy. They are adorable and fun to play with and it can even be easy to forget that the cute little ball of fur will grow up to be an adult dog. But they will grow up and if you want them to be well behaved and obedient as an adult dog you need to start their training right away.

Housetraining is likely the most crucial training you need to complete and it is often given the most attention. However, in order to grow up to be a well-behaved adult dog you will also need to complete training on leash training, training to come, sit, stay and lie down. A well-behaved adult dog will be able to do all of these also.

It is important to have your dog master these basics and there are some constant things related to dog training that always work. All animals respond better with positive reinforcement as opposed to negative reinforcement. Your dog wants to please you and make you happy and he will do anything to achieve that. However, if you give him negative reinforcement he will be fearful and less likely to respond to you the way that you want him too.

So the plan is to reinforce the good behaviors with treats, affection, verbal praise and more. Verbal praise should be your most often used reinforcement. Praise your dog all the time but be inconsistent about giving him treats. If you provide treats every time, he will come to expect it and it can be bad for his health and weight, not to mention pricey for you.

Another thing is if you remember your high school science classes about classical conditioning and Pavlov’s dogs, intermittent reinforcement is more effective at confirming the behavior than consistent reinforcement. When Pavlov’s dogs got the treats every time they were less likely to exhibit the desired behavior consistently, yet when they believe they might get a treat the behavior was more consistent and reinforced deeper.

As you are teaching your dog commands you should use hand signals along with the words. As he gets more proficient at the task, use just one or the other. Pretty soon, he will respond to either and that can make things really easy in different situations.

As a minimum, you will need to train your dog to come, sit, lie down and stay, along with leash training. There may also be some behavior training that you may want to take into consideration, especially if your dog is rather hyperactive and rambunctious. A well-trained dog is a well-behaved dog and everyone enjoys a well-behaved dog.

Training your dog will strengthen the bond between the two of you and both you and your dog will enjoy that advantage for many years to come.