Dog training tips for new owners
If you’ve never had a dog before, you might not know what it takes to turn a boisterous pup into a well-behaved pet. It’s time consuming and your dog will need a lot of attention. However, you’ll find the process rewarding both for yourself and your new companion.
Let’s get started with our top training tips for dogs…
Start early
The relationship between you and your furry friend begins the moment you bring them home. That’s why you should start training your new dog as early as possible. Not only does it help to establish boundaries and build trust, but it also makes training easier in the long run.
Puppies will do cute things that are easy to laugh along with in the early days, such as jumping up at people to greet them. As they get older, these antics will be far more problematic if not nipped in the bud.
Start your dog’s training with simple commands such as ‘sit,’ ‘stay’ and ‘come.’
Positive reinforcement
Start as you mean to go on and familiarise yourself with effective dog training methods, such as positive reinforcement. This type of training is all about rewarding your dog for good behaviour. It also steers away from punishments for unwanted behaviour.
Whenever your dog responds positively to your commands, be ready to reward them. By doing so, you’re creating an association between good behaviour and nice things. Healthy treats, praise and rewards are commonly used to encourage the desired behaviour. Not only that, but they also help to strengthen the bond between owner and pet.
At the same time, it’s important to make sure that you’re not mistakenly rewarding negative behaviour. If you don’t want your dog to demand attention by barking, don’t acknowledge them or give in when they bark. Just wait until they have calmed down before responding.
Keep training sessions short
No matter how old they are, dogs have a short attention span and overstimulating them may just lead to boredom. When training your new friend, limit sessions to 10-15 minutes at a time. Keeping sessions short helps to make sure your dog doesn’t find training tiring, frustrating or boring. If you spend too much time on it, the learning process may be hindered or even reversed, making future training more difficult.
Schedule in 10 minutes of training each day and make sure to stick to the routine. Think about weaving training in just after a meal or a nap. If your dog is doing something that you are trying to train them in, use it as an opportunity to reinforce their learning. You can repeat sessions later in the day if needed, but each one should be brief.
Remember, no puppy will learn how to do something perfectly after one go.
Establish house rules
Everyone in your household must stick to the same command and training method so as not to confuse your furry companion. For example, if you don’t allow your dog to sleep on the bed, but your partner gives in, you’ll have a baffled pup on your hands.
Learn to understand dog body language
Understanding your dog’s body language will help you to know what they need, and when. They may not be able to talk to you, but they can still tell you how they feel. Pay attention to their breathing, eye contact, and tail.
Recognising signs of stress during training? Give them verbal encouragement, regular strokes or pats, and take frequent breaks.
Potty train your puppy
A consistent potty-training routine is all part of house training your pup.
As young puppies don’t have much control over their bladders, accidents will happen. Take them out first thing and every 1-2 hours for the rest of the day - particularly following a meal, a nap, and playtime. Give them a reward if they relieve themselves outside, as it’ll help to reinforce the habit. Over time, they’ll be able to hold it for longer.
Never punish
Dogs don’t speak our language, and we have to find other ways to communicate with them.
Punishing bad behaviour can be counter-intuitive and delay progress. Showing frustration could in fact cause your dog to develop anxiety, fearful behaviours, or even aggressive tendencies.
Instead, stick to the practices of positive reinforcement. Your dog will eventually learn to stop the behaviours that don’t result in the reward they want.
Be consistent
To make sure training is simple and effective, consistency in actions and commands is the key ingredient. Before you start training, create a plan which revolves around a training goal. Decide which word or simple phrase should be used as the command, and how the goal will be met.
Each time you give the command, you must always carry it through from start to finish and look to expect the same response from your dog each time. Treats and praise should only be given if your four-legged friend completes the task successfully. Dogs learn by repetition. The more consistent you are with your communication and expectations, the easier the training will be.
A happy, confident, and well-behaved dog is more receptive to training than an anxious or scared pup. Consistency in your training techniques will help to shape your dog’s temperament and build trust between the two of you. If they trust you to lead them, they’ll be more likely to obey your commands.
Be patient
When training your new addition, it’s important to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Remember that dogs will make mistakes, and they may not always understand what you’re asking them to do. They’ll also learn new commands at varying speeds. If something isn’t working and you’ve tried it several times, move on, give them a break, or try again in your next training session.
It may take months for your dog to be fully house trained. In the meantime, avoid showing frustration and stick to your routine. Always end training on a positive note by rewarding your pup with their favourite toy, a treat or a snuggle.
Eliminate distractions
Much like us, dogs can’t stay focused or learn effectively when there’s too much going on. For example, attempts to teach your dog a new skill during a trip to the park are likely to fail. Create a suitable environment before trying to work on their obedience training.
Once your dog has had plenty of time to practise a new skill, that’s when introducing distractions may pose less of an issue. Make sure they’re well versed in responding to a command before testing them in a new setting.
Use positivity and have fun!
For a dog to respond positively to your training, you have to make it fun. How we reward good behaviour is something we’ve explored already, but it’s very important.
Positive reinforcement shows that you’re pleased with how your dog is behaving. That’s why they’ll be keen to repeat that behaviour again next time. Give them a verbal response every time they react to a command successfully. Treat each command as a new level for your pup to reach and reward them when they get there.
You might also like to consider teaching your dog a couple of tricks alongside the usual obedience training. He’ll feed off your energy, which is why, if you react enthusiastically to your dog rolling over or giving you his paw, he’ll love to perform his tricks for you.