In addition to the joy of getting a new dog, you have also taken on a lot of responsibilities. Of course you must feed your new pet, take care of her health, groom her and give her lots of love and attention. Many animal lovers do not think any further than this. However, discipline is also a very important part of owning a dog.
Behavior Problems
Proper discipline can help prevent behavior problems later in your pet’s life. House breaking is the most common form of training. However, a caring owner will often go a lot further than this. Your pet's obedience will lead to a stronger bond between the two of you, as well as meaning less frustration and annoyance. Your pet starts learning and shaping behaviors early in life, so that is the best time to start with dog training basics. Recent scientific study has revealed that the best time to train a puppy is from seven to twelve weeks of age as they are most impressionable at that age and they have not yet learned bad habits. If you wait until later to train your new puppy, he will be more difficult to train and he will have picked up some annoying habits that will be difficult to eliminate.
Puppy Training
You can never start too early with puppy training. Many people hold the mistaken belief that puppies less than six months are too young to train, but this is simply not true. You can start shaping a puppy’s behavior the moment you acquire him if it is done in the proper manner. If you do some research, it is easy to find plenty of dog training books, websites about pet training and obedience training tutorials. You may even consider hiring a professional instructor. Ask your veterinarian or friends if they know of any reputable trainers in your area and shop around for the person who is right for you. Whether you hire a professional or train your puppy yourself, use the reward for good behavior, not the punishment for bad behavior type of training. You will always get better results for rewarding your puppy when he does something right than you will by punishing him for doing something wrong. Like little children, puppies have short attention spans. By the time you catch him and punish him for a misdeed, he will have no idea why you are punishing him and just think you are mean. However, if you quickly give him a treat after he does something right, he will remember that after a few repetitions and learn that a particular action or response results in something good.
Obedience Training
There are many aspects to dog obedience training and not everyone wants to get the same experience out of it. Some people will be content with house breaking, leash training and basic obedience to simple commands. Many dog owners do not realize that they can change or prevent problem behaviors such as barking, whining, digging, growling, chewing and aggression. Yet all these behaviors can be addressed with proper teaching. Decide what tutelage is most important for you and your pet and make sure you are willing to invest the time and energy into a program that will yield the desired results.
Professional Trainers
If you decide to use a professional trainer, be sure you keep the breed of your dog in mind when shopping around. Some breeds may be harder to train than others, so some trainers may prefer not to work with them. Alternatively, some trainers may specialize in certain breeds, so they will have more success with your pet than another trainer may have. Even if you are teaching your pet yourself, there are books and information geared toward certain breeds. Do not get discouraged if you are told your breed is hard to train, just look for proven methods to use. The hardest work always yields the greatest rewards.
Owning a pet is a big responsibility, but the right attitude can make it fun and rewarding. Do not think of your canine companion as an object for your amusement, but as a living creature that can become a treasured friend. Dogs are motivated by their owner's pleasure, so if you work together, the dog training process will be an important step in your relationship. You will learn to trust one another, which will allow you to enjoy the pleasure of each other's company. Teach your dog what you want and expect from her and she will give you that and more in return.
Until next time,
Teia
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