The Best Dog Training Starts With The Owner

If you take the time to train your dog the essentials, you are building a foundation for a lifelong enjoyable relationship with your pet. You can even teach an old dog a few new tricks with the right strategy. Here are a few neat dog training pointers.

The best tip anyone can offer with regards to dog training is be the alpha. Dogs are looking for their human masters to be the pack leader. At all expense display confidence, firmness, and do not, under any circumstances show them weakness. They naturally want to follow a strong leader, so make sure that you present yourself as such.

Teaching a dog to know its name is the first dog training task a new dog owner should undertake. The name is used in calling the dog and just in getting its attention. Therefore it is more appropriate to choose a short and easily enunciated name than a longer and more confusing one.

Socialization skills are an important part of a well-rounded training program for any canine companion. Learning to get along with adults, children and other pets makes for a happy dog that is welcome in his surroundings. Socializing your dog is easy and can be incorporated into your daily activities. An evening dog walk, trip to the park or visit to the pet store can provide a great opportunity to expose your dog to short interactions with neighbors and their pets, while getting much needed exercise and bonding time with you.

To keep your dog from barking while you aren't home, you need to make him think you can appear at any moment. This will take some time on your part. Pretend to leave the house, but stay outside until the barking starts. Then open the door and deliver a stern "No!" This will make your dog think you are all-seeing and all-hearing. A few sessions of this technique, and you'll train your dog to keep it quiet.

Make sure you're not reinforcing an undesirable behavior. You don't want to give your dog treats or special attention during training if they're not performing the task properly. If you do, then they'll think you're pleased and continue to do things the way they're doing them, and they won't improve.

Many puppies like to use their mouths to play because that is how they played with their litter mates. This should be discouraged as soon as possible after your puppy comes home. It may be cute when a seven pound puppy pulls on your arm or shirt sleeve, but I assure you, it isn't as cute when a fifty pound dog does it.

Always treat a dog after completing tasks. They have to know that doing the right thing brings a happy ending. This is the proper way to make sure the dog knows the difference between good behavior and bad.

When your dog understands the benefits and rewards of learning the tricks you teach it, the desire to learn is often as rewarding as the reward itself. Your dog will be happier, and so will you.