Dog Training

A well-behaved dog is the product of teaching your dog to understand what is expected; you are responsible to teach the dog what behavior will or will not be tolerated. Training is necessary and beneficial for your dog, and is best to begin schooling at eight months.
 If you plan to train your dog yourself, it’s best to buy a good dog traning book first.

Obedience Training                                Obedience training teaches an owner how to communicate with his dog. There are two ways to educate your dog: either by training at home or by enrolling your pet and yourself in obedience classes. If you are going to do it at home, start by talking to your dog. Training your dog with verbal commands not only teaches it what you expect but teaches you what your dog’s limitations are. The ability to give your dog a direction will make it a pleasant companion and ensure that your walks together will be pleasurable excursions.

Command Words                                  
Select command words that are short and easy to understand like: come, sit, lie down, and stay. Say the work only once in a clear voice tone. Do not repeat a command twist; do not change the terms, because it is very confusing for a dog. Proper movement will make it much easier for your dog to understand where you are going so it can follow or stay when it is supposed to. Positive acknowledgment on a dog for being good is one of the most effective ways of teaching. Basic obedience training will enhance the relationship between you and your dog. If you start training early, behavior problems will not develop.

Housebreaking                                            When you are gone and there is no one around to let the dog out, it becomes nervous, so you must provide your dog with opportunities to relieve himself in the approved manner. Most dogs need to be walked at least three times each day, and do not leave it alone for more than eight hours. The use of the confinement technique is an absolute must for housebreaking, because most dogs will not mess where they must stay unless they are forced to. Do not close a dog in a room with the door shut; use a tension bar gate or a crate to block exit. Every time you return to your dog, greet it in a positive tone. Practice leaving your dog for a few minutes at a time; gradually work up to five, fifteen and thirty minutes, until the dog is sure you are returning to it.

Continue the training with your dog for one to three weeks, gradually giving it access to larger parts of the house. It is critical that the dog be confined whenever it cannot be supervised. If you find a mistake, clean it up first. Then go and get the dog, take it to the spot, and have it lie down. Doing this is not a punishment, but a subtle way of letting the dog know that it is going to be spending time there; when it knows this, it will be convinced that it is an unsatisfactory place to relieve itself.

Information Resources About Dog Training:

 American Kennel Club (AKC):
 51 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10010
 (212)696-8200 (headquarters and library)
 (919)233-9767 (registration)
 (800)AKC-TELL (hotline to report dog-related legislation)

 American Dog Trainers Network