Obedience Training Basics

Training your puppy or dog takes time, patience and repetition. The following five points can help make the process easier and more rewarding for both you and your dog.

The number one rule for training your dog is to be consistent. Nothing confuses your dog or makes the training process more difficult than inconsistency. You must be consistent in your actions and in your words.

If you do not want your dog on the couch, then he should never be allowed on the couch. If you do not want your dog to jump on you when you are dressed for work, then do not let him jump on you when you are in jeans. Dogs cannot understand "sometimes".

If you are going to use a certain word or phrase as part of a command, make sure you are consistent. Make sure everyone in the family is using that same word or phrase for the same behavior. Confusion will quickly set in if you use "Sit" and your spouse uses "Down". Make sure everyone in your family uses the same words.

We often focus our attention on correcting behavior and forget to say anything when things are going well. Nothing reinforces good behavior like praise. Let your dog know he did well with a "good boy", a pat on the head or shoulder, or a small treat.

Remember that too much praise can disrupt a training session. You want to communicate that your dog did well but you do not want to break his concentration. A biscuit or a "good boy" is enough – if you give him a handful of biscuits or dozens of "good boys" your dog could easily forget what he just learned.

Frequent but short training sessions yield the most success. After 10 – 15 minutes most dogs start to become distracted. If your dog is not focused, both of you will end up frustrated. The goal is to build a trusting and loving relationship with your pet. If you are getting frustrated, your dog will sense it and the training session becomes non-productive for both of you.

Develop a schedule and stick to it. Training 10 minutes every day is better than 60 minutes once a week. Frequent and fun are the catch-words to think about when it comes to puppy/dog training.

There is no room for any type of punishment when training your pet. You need to praise correct behaviors and not over react to incorrect behaviors. We are not suggesting you ignore bad behavior. We are recommending a measured response from you.

The tone of your voice with a firm "No" will convey your displeasure with the behavior. Any further punishment will be detrimental to your relationship with your dog. Remember, you are building a relationship based upon trust, not fear. Let your dog know he did it wrong, and try it again. When he gets it right, reward him with praise. Remember to stay calm and in control. Your dog reacts to your emotions as well as your actions. If you get upset, your dog will as well and no training will be accomplished.

You want to end each and every session positively. Now is the time for some extended praise. Let your dog know how happy you are with him with both verbal praise and physical contact. Give him a little rub down and play toss with his favorite toy.

If the session has not gone well, choose a command that your dog has already mastered and executes without fail. Use that command as the end of the session. Again, the point is to end on an upbeat note. This helps keep you and your dog working together as a team.