If you have decided to join the millions of dog owners worldwide that are responsible dog owners, then the first and foremost place to start is with the basics of good dog obedience training.
Training a dog, especially a new puppy is not all that complicated and it doesn’t even require a special degree. Any responsible dog owner can learn the basics as long as they are committed to providing the time and effort required. The key to success is consistency, meaning that you must be prepared to establish a set of simple commands and always use these same commands whenever communicating with your dog. Using different commands for the same task or behavior will only serve to confuse the dog, and the desired behavior or expected results, will not be achieved. So it’s important that everyone in the family uses the same commands when working with or correcting certain behaviors.
It is just as important for everyone who comes in contact with the dog, to follow any guidelines you have set for your dog’s accepted behaviors. For example, if you have decided that the dog is not allowed on the furniture than, everyone must make sure that they do not allow him on the furniture. The dog will quickly learn how to break the rules with family members who allow him on the furniture.
Another important aspect of obedience training is timing. Attempting to correct a dog several hours or even several minutes after he exhibits a negative behavior will have no effect on a dog. They do not have any conception of time. In order for a reprimand, or even praise or to be effective, they must be given immediately following the behavior.
To help you get started, let’s look at the five basic commands that every dog should know. You can begin to teach these to puppies as early as 8 to 10 weeks however, training sessions should only be about 5 minutes at a time. Training sessions for older dogs should not exceed 15 minutes. The attention span for your pet is limited so you need to work with the animal to achieve maximum results within their limitations.
These commands are the foundation for a well-mannered dog:
· ‘Sit” – This command would tell your dog to settle down. His hips and hind legs should be on the ground and his shoulders and front legs upright.
· ‘Down” – On this command, the dog should have his belly flat to the ground.
· “Stay” – You should say the word “stay” longer than you would say “sit” so that your dog can differentiate the two commands. The “stay” command is best done through leash training. Your dog should remain in the position of sit or down when you walk away from him. He must be able to stay in position until you give him permission to move
· “Heel” – This basically tells your dog to walk with you. Your dog should walk on your side with his shoulder in line with your leg. When training your dog to heel, remember to choose either your left or right side where your dog should walk- this should remain consistent.
· “Release” – The release command is used to tell your dog that he can break from the previous command you told him to do. Like for instance, if you told your dog to “sit” he can get up only when you say “release”.
These are just some of the basic commands of dog obedience training. Remember that all dogs can be trained as long at you are patient, timely in your praise and, corrections remain consistent when communicating with your dog. Continue along this path and you will become a responsible pet owner and have a well behaved dog.
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