Teaching Your Dog Commands
What dog obedience program is best for you and your dog?
When it comes to teaching your dog obedience, there are lots of programs out there. It could be hard to choose the best one for you and your dog. Finding the right program however, can be very rewarding.
Always make sure the program in which you choose does not teach through force. Positive reinforcement is key. Programs which give insight into the dog psychology are usually good choices. They work with the instincts of dogs in order to teach them obedience. Remember, dogs are pack animals. The goal is to get your dog to see you as pack leader.
Barking, biting or chewing can often times result from a lack of communication or miscommunication. If the lines of communication are not open, there is no way for your dog to know how what is expected of him or her. Be clear and consistent with what the boundaries are for your dog. There should be no question in your dogs mind what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.
Typically a behavior problem is following a trigger. A dog will not misbehave out of spite. There is a reason for the behavior. Recognizing these triggers can make correcting your dog much easier.
When teaching your dog commands, be sure to be prompt. You must reward your dog the same instant he or she is doing the correct thing. If you give your dog the command to sit, and he or she sits, the praise must be instant. Any delay and it looses effect. You can not praise your dog 5 minutes later for doing the right thing. This is why if you come home and see your dog urinated on the carpet while you were gone and you try punishing him, he has no clue what he is being punished for. The dog will assume its what ever is going on in that instant and that is why this never works for potty training your dog.
All these are great tips but to learn more and find a program that can walk you through teaching your dog, as mentioned above, Teaching Dog Commands has a web site that is a good place to start. There are many programs to choose from, but this site has narrowed it down to the top 5 dog training programs. These programs were hand picked and will have you teaching your dog obedience commands in no time!
