Knowing Basic Dog Training Techniques Makes For Easier Training

5 August 2008 No Comment

by Lee Dobbins

The easiest way to successfully train your dog is always to start with some basic dog training techniques. Still not fully understood, the relationship between man and his best friend goes back in time many years. Although many people will say that humans are smarter than dogs, after carefully watching you might wonder if your dog still might have the edge!

In order to avoid human frustration and canine misbehavior, when training dogs consider these factors. Remember that while, dogs understand and respond at roughly the mental level of a human two year old, their senses are very different from humans. For instance, their color vision has a different response pattern to reds and greens. Additionally, their minds process information different from humans. And obviously, of course, their noses are much more sensitive than that of human. Keeping these thoughts in mind will make the task of dog training much easier.

Dogs are naturally pack animals. They are descendants of the wolf which is a social animal and functions best with interactive play and a strict hierarchy. The idea of the ‘lone wolf’ seems out of character based on the social habits of the wolf.

Training can start as early as possible. For some breeds, four weeks is a good time to start. For the first several months, you should allocate at least thirty minutes per day, though a full hour is preferred, for training.

There are some basic dog training techniques or guidelines that all types of training utilizes.

First, you have to let him know who is boss. The critical thing to always keep in mind when it comes to your dog is that dogs have a hierarchy – there is the alpha dog, beta, and so on. To maintain obedience from your dog you must establish the role of alpha dog of the pack.

Techniques for dog training actually depends on the breed and the individual dogs itself. Just like human beings some dogs are more assertive than others. Attitude is the most important thing but you should also employ the aid of leashes, collars and commands. Always be sure that you are the one in control – not your dog.

You shouldn’t have to use physical force to project your dominance. There are times when this may be necessary, though, it must be properly used. On a normal basis, patience and firmness are all that is needed to properly train your dog.

When training a young dog, it can be effective to lay the dog on their back and place a firm hand in the middle of their chest. Hold this position until the dog lowers his paws, demonstrating submission. Often it is necessary to reinforce this behavior by putting your face close to theirs which simulates dominance.

Begin with a short leash so you can keep the dog from pulling you all over the place. Let the dog have lots of time to run off his energy outside of training, but don’t tolerate that kind of behavior or hyperactivity during training sessions.

The first step is to choose a series of short and sweet commands, like sit, stay, down, and come. Each should sound distinctly different to avoid confusion between them. Your voice should be firm but not punitive. Make sure that you communicate that you’re the boss, but not that you are mad at the dog. Stay away from using two-worded commands like ‘sit down’ because they tend to confuse the dog.

When you give a verbal command, make sure your facial expression and tone of voice are consistent and use the same hand signals. Ultimately you can separate these from one another, but initially simplicity and consistency are key.

Don’t expect much more from a two-year-old dog than you would a two-year-old human. Neither of them can be expected to understand subtle hints or inconsistent speech. Be persistent and do it the same way, every time. Don’t let the same command have more than one meaning. It really doesn’t matter if you use the command ‘down’ to mean ‘lie down’ or ‘stop jumping up on people,’ as long as you don’t try to use the same word for both.

Being patient, clear and consistent with your dog training techniques will result in an easily trained pet that understands what you want and complies. In short, your efforts will be rewarded with a dog that is a joy to be around!

About the Author:

Learn how to eliminate bad behaviors in your dog and turn him into a pet that is as good as gold with the dog training techniques at http://www.positivedogtrainingtechniques.com/.