How to Make Strict Training Fun for Your Dog and You

Dogs, easily, are one of the most lovable pets to have at home, whether you live on your own or in a household. They are easy to care for, quick to learn from their owners, and best of all, they respond in kind to love and attention. The only challenge you may face is when you are training your dog to avoid or gain certain behaviors.

1. Your choice of training technique

Have you tried unsuccessfully to train your dog?  Sometimes we blame it on the dog’s inability to follow commands. Researchers’ state that it might not necessarily be your dog at fault in this case. Therefore, before trying to exchange it for another one, consider your training technique. There is an array of dog training techniques that all claim to be the best. However, all these techniques fall into two general categories:

• Aversive-based techniques: This strategy works by subjecting your dog to unpleasant or loud noises, scolding, or physical correction to learn to do as per given commands.

• Reward-based techniques: where you reward your dog with belly rubs, praise, treats, etc., to reinforce good behavior.

It is up to you to select between either of these techniques to train your dog. However, if you are looking to make strict training fun for your dog and you, then begin with the reward-based strategy. That way, your dog will associate happy feelings with doing whatever you tell them to do instead of acting out of fear.

Using this method, when your dog does something that you do not want it to do, all you have to do is to withhold your reward and ignore it. If your dog does not seem to get the hint, then the NO command will suffice. With this technique, you can train your dog to respond to a wireless GPS dog collar.

2. Keep it Simple

Most well trained dogs started by learning to do simple tricks and commands before graduating to perform orders that are more complex. Therefore, start your training with simple orders, such as Stay or Sit. Moreover, even after your dog has learned to do simple commands and train them to obey tasks that are more complex, you may still need to break down these complicated commands to teach your dog systematically. This training will ensure that your sessions are less complex for your dog to learn and fun for both you and your dog.

Keep your training sessions limited to teaching just one command at a time. A training session that lasts longer than 15 minutes will achieve little and frustrate both you and your dog. 

3. Consistency

Keep the words for different commands or behaviors the same; otherwise, it will confuse your dog. For instance, if you are trying to train your dog to lie down, command it to lie down. However, if later on, you change it into “Rascal, lie down or no treat,” then your dog may not understand what it is you want it to do. Therefore, your family should know which words to say for a particular command. In addition, the rewards that you give should be consistent.

4. Patience

Finally, be patient with your dog. Dogs, as with all other animals, have different capabilities. Thus, different dogs will learn at different speeds. Therefore, there should be no cause for concern if your dog is slow in learning and following various orders.

Conclusion

People often state that a dog’s intelligence equals that of a two-year-old human child. Therefore, immediate consequences and the tone of our voice are what they understand best.