Home dog training is an alternative that many owners choose over professional dog training. There are several reasons which contribute to this decision: it doesn't cost anything, you can teach your dog exactly what you want him to be taught, and it is even a bonding experience between you and your pet. This is a rather challenging task, but you might get results if you are persistent. For puppies, home training is really important.
Home Dog Training Tips
If you decide to train the dog yourself, you should start this process as soon as you get the dog. A very important aspect you can rely on when training your dog is his natural instincts. He is a communicative being and he likes to keep clean. However, his instincts may also dictate that he will be the leader of the pack, so you have to work on this aspect. When you start training your dog, remember the following:
- Training requires perseverance and lots of patience
- Use single-word commands
- Use a domineering tone when you give commands
- Do not be aggressive when your dog fails to respond to commands
- Use rewards to reinforce positive behavior
- Repeat the rules regularly
It is really important that you keep to your training schedule. Do not let your dog ignore you during training sessions. Try to keep him focused all the time.
Avoid using whole sentences when giving your dog commands. It is much easier for him if you use a single word. Try to give simple commands and stick to one for a longer period of time, so your dog doesn't get confused.
The bossy tone helps your dog understand that this is a serious matter, not a game, and that you are the boss and he has to obey.
If you want to correct your dog's response and behavior, it is far better to use rewards and positively reinforce his behavior than using aggressive methods.
Things to Avoid in Dog Training
There are also things to avoid in training your dog such as:
- Sticking your dog's nose into feces or urine, as you do not correct the dog's behavior. He will believe that eliminating is a bad thing rather than acknowledging that he did it in the wrong place.
- Beating or yelling at your dog. Punishing the dog after the fact only confuses the dog since he cannot correlate the two events. Just yelling at your dog, without showing him what to do and giving him a better alternative has the same confusing result.
- Taking the dog out only to eliminate. If you only take your dog out for a brief period of time and only to eliminate, he will delay this as much as possible just to get some time to play indoors. It is always recommended that after eliminating you play a little with your dog outside or at least go for a short walk.