A dog is a man’s best friend, maybe a cliche, but it is a pretty damn true one. If you have bought home a four-legged friend, you would certainly want to train it, so that you can control your pet and its activities. So irrespective of the dog breed there is always a method and to teach your pet the basic norms of puppy behavior. Although there are some great dog training courses available online you can still learn how to train your dog for basic obedience without their help. Here are some tips and tricks which will help you in training your dog at home.
1. Research on dog breeds and their personalities:
If you still haven’t bought home a pup, and are contemplating which one to get, you have some research to do. Find out about the personalities of different dog breeds. If you have a hectic schedule you may not want a very energetic dog who is always up for a game of fetch, then you should opt for a lazy pup who likes to lie on the couch and enjoy the day. Getting hold of a dog is a long term commitment of at least 10 to 15 years. So be sure to research well before choosing the right breed for your lifestyle.
2. It all starts with the name:
To train your dog you will have to address it with a name, so give it a practical name. The name must be unique and have a distinct sound, but nothing that can confuse your dog. Address your dog with that very particular name, so that it gets used to it, this will really help during the training phase. The best names are usually one or two syllables.
3. Schedule a fixed time for the training:
Now comes the important part. Getting right down into business. Our first recommendation is to make sure that you have an allotted time to train your dog. While puppies have a shorter span of attention, dogs can concentrate for longer. Setting an allotted time will provide your dog structure. This will help them to understand that this is not playing time.
4. Teach them the basic commands:
Basic commands such as sit, down, come, stay, fetch, etc are easy to learn for the dog.
Start from the very basic and go one step at a time. Don’t be discouraged, if your dog takes its own sweet time to painstakingly understand and learn all these tricks and skills. Be with patient with your puppy and you will get there.
5. Try to make eye contact:
Though dogs, as we all know, find it hard to communicate with us human beings, making eye contact does help. Try to meet the dog’s eye when you give the command This way they are more attentive and definitely more likely to obey.
6. Be patient:
You have to be patient with your four-legged friend. Remember you are asking a lot from them, and they are making the effort as well. Do not expect an overnight difference. Your puppy is trying hard to meet your expectations, so do not push them too far especially in the initial stages of the training.
7. Build trust and confidence:
Your dog may or may not take time to come out of its comfort zone. You have to motivate them and support them in order to win over their trust. The trust will give your canine friend the confidence and boost to move ahead and strive harder.
