Dog training can be a fun and rewarding experience for you and your pup. The first steps in puppy training are to get them acclimated to the leash and teach them basic obedience commands. Once they understand these, you can move on to more advanced tricks and obedience.
Start by walking with them on a leash (this should be light and gentle), then gradually increase the difficulty until they can walk happily on their own without pulling. Make sure to take them out for a short walk in an area with as few distractions as possible to begin, like your backyard or the street. You can then expand this to your neighborhood and even the park!
Next, introduce the release cue. This is a command that you can use to let your pup dog training for beginners know that they have successfully completed the behavior you want them to do. When you hear the release cue, give them a treat for sitting or standing. This is an important part of teaching your pup that they can always sit and stay when you want them to!
Then, add another release cue to teach them that they can step forward when you say the word “release.” Repeat this until they learn that they can pause and then step forward to get the treat.
Eventually, you can add a few other release cues to teach your pup that they can go to bed when you say the word. This is an especially good one for puppies, as they will often have to go to sleep before they can be put down.
Don’t yell or punish your dog for noncompliance when they are learning a new behavior, as this can cause them to become frustrated and not want to train anymore! This will make the training process more difficult for both you and your pup.
A happy dog is a well-trained dog! It’s easier to train a dog that is happy and whose trainer is positive, so make sure you are smiling and talking to your pet whenever they are doing something right.
Socialize your dog with people and other dogs early on in their lives to help them form positive associations with others. This helps them to be more comfortable around new people, including strangers.
Spend time bonding with your pup by petting them, playing with them, and taking them on walks. This will allow them to build a healthy relationship with you and learn that you are a source of love and affection.
The key to successful dog training is consistency. Don’t expect too much too soon; keep training sessions short and focused, with specific goals to be met each session.
Using good rewards is also a great way to ensure that your dog will learn what you want them to do, and will want to continue doing it again. Food is the most common way to reward dogs, but non-food reinforcers can also be used.