Dog obedience is an important skill set that you’ll have to work on together with your pet as early as possible. Teaching your dog to become obedient is vital as this will greatly affect your relationship with him or her. An obedient dog will be a source of companionship rather than of frustration or even fear. Obedience training will teach your pet to respond to basic commands and should be able to correct any ill behavior. It can be a lengthy process but the rewards are worthwhile.
There are various schools of thought and methods to dog obedience training including dog whispering, clicker training, positive reinforcement, marker training, collar and leash training and reward training to name a few. Before you subscribe to any of these, just remember what obedience training should be able to build and strengthen the appropriate relationship between you and your pet; create a clear line of communication so that your dog will be able to clearly understand and respect your expectations; set rules and boundaries so that your dog can relate to other dogs, animals and people correctly; and establish the groundwork towards prevent problem behaviors such as excessive barking, chewing, jumping and so on.
Obedience training has to start early on. Although it’s not true that old dogs can’t learn new tricks (or behaviors), it is still best to start creating good behavior and habits while your pet is still a puppy. Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for both you and your pet. Here are some general tips when it comes to dog obedience:
1. Praise and reward your dog when he exhibits the right behavior or do what you ask. Strike the right balance between appropriate correction and rewards. Make sure that the feedback your provide is instant otherwise your dog won’t get that you’re rewarding or correcting his behavior.
2. Be patient and repeat as many times as possible. Just like humans, each dog is unique and can learn in varying amount of time. Repeat the command and the action as often as necessary until your dog understand and learns what he or she needs to do.
3. Consistency is key. If there are other members of your family, make sure that they know which behaviors to tolerate or to correct. If you don’t allow your dog to jump on the bed, don’t let your kids allow him or her on theirs. Otherwise your dog will get confused.
4. Ensure that your training time is short and fun. Lengthy sessions aren’t the most effective way of training your pet. They might lose focus after a while. Instead, make the most of short sessions by making them engaging and fun.
5. Motivate your dog. Find out what incentive works best for them. You don’t always need to use treats. You can use your dog’s favorite toy as well or a bit of play time like fetching a ball if that is what he or she enjoys.
Dog obedience training is indeed important. It will keep your dog safe and will give him or her confidence. An obedient dog can be given greater freedom as well. Dog obedience training is also a great way to spend quality time with your pet and enforce a positive dog-and-owner relationship. Dog obedience is definitely a positive step towards a happy, healthy partnership and companionship for you and your dog.
