Your kids have been asking for a puppy for a while. Finally, you decide to give in to their request and surprise them with a cute little Labrador puppy. Not long after the kids introduce the new fur baby to the house they go potty in it.
Beside their pee pad. It may be time to do a little dog obedience training. What is obedience training though? How do you begin with it?
Don’t sweat it because we’ve got you covered. Here is all you need to know about dog training including how to do it and when you may be a little over your head.
1. Basic Reasons for Training
The obvious reason why anyone starts puppy training is to encourage good behaviors and stop bad ones like peeing in the house, from occurring. There are other specific reasons why you may want to train your dog though.
For example, freedom. You can take your dog to more places when you’re not worried about them pulling away from you to get to another dog or person. You also don’t have to worry about them flying out the door and getting lost.
2. When To Start Your Dog’s Training
Your puppy can start it’s training anywhere between 6-7 weeks of age. It’s best to start them out this young because they are easier to train when they are little.
Make sure your fur baby has received their first set of vaccinations at least a week before their first class if you’re having them take those instead of training them yourself.
3. Methods of Training
The most common form of training is positive reinforcement training. It’s when you present the dog with something they love such as a toy or a treat and then take it away when they present negative behavior. There is no yelling or spanking the dog involved.
Clicker training sort of incorporates the positive reinforcement training but with an added twist. You’ll use a clicker which gives off a noise (not an unpleasant one mind you) when the dog performs a positive action. You’ll give them a treat right after you make the noise.
4. When is it Time to Call in a Professional
There are times when it’s time to stop trying to train your dog yourself and call in a professional. A big indicator that this is the case is if you find yourself constantly getting angry with the dog.
The dog can sense your frustration so you won’t be able to train them this way. Another indicator is if the dog is showing worrisome behavior such as snapping or growling. If this is the case for you, read more to find a trainer in your area.
What is Dog Obedience Training and How Can You Benefit From it
If you’ve gotten yourself or your children a new puppy, you’ll need to train it to ensure that it is well behaved when guests are over or when you need to take them somewhere. There are times when you may have to call in a professional but as long as you follow the dog obedience tips here, it shouldn’t come to that point.
Did this article help you get your dog in the best behavior? Visit our blog for more tips like the ones you read here.
