Top 8 tips on how jump start training your dog

Summer is over for both the little kids and the mischievous furry friends ... Back to school time is HERE!

 

Combined with the fact that we are again in Mercury retrograde (showing its influence even on our pets) and after a long sweet summer break, it's time to get our little furry friends into training mode. Our friends at DOGGO FRIENDS have taken on this task as experts in the field. 

 

They're ready to hand out the first A* for good behaviour to those who follow their top tips:

 

One of the most common mistakes many owners make is giving their puppy too much freedom from too early. In order to establish clear boundaries, rules and habits (not just hygiene), it is important to introduce your dog's new home gradually. This happens with aids such as enclosures or a secure room with a baby gate. And, when you're outside for a walk - always on a leash!

 

In the meantime, through specific exercises you gradually accustom your dog to all aspects of home and the outside world. Over time, you relax control and trust him more and more in different situations of everyday life.

 

 

 

Here we will share something truly revolutionary in dog training!

 

If you've recently gotten a pet and are in the beginning stages of training them the best option is not to feed them in a bowl. The idea here is that all this eating has value to our dog. If you are just giving his daily dose all at once, you are not helping his overall development.

 

Instead, you can invest that value in skills you want your dog to learn quickly or in enriching activities that spark activity and satisfy his instincts.

 

Removing the bowl is a sure way to speed up the training process by x10. Yes, you can additionally use treats that your dog likes. Even, in some situations it would be imperative to use something more appealing to his taste to successfully get his attention. But it is also important not to underestimate the power of his daily food ration.

 

 

 

When you give a toy to a baby, within an hour or two he will either be sick of it or it will be broken. It's the same with dogs. That's why with them, there's a strategy where you identify some of their most favourite toys and instead of leaving them out all the time, you keep them tucked away. You only take them out for fun games and training and then you put them away again.

 

It's good for your dog to have a few toys on permanent access, but the ones that are most loved and put away can easily be used for a reward. After a while, instead of a handful of treats, you can walk around with a rope or ball handy and a few seconds of play with that toy is valuable enough for your dog to be obedient. Even some dogs are motivated much more by toys than treats, especially when they are in an outdoor environment.

 

For example, if your dog walks approaches playing dogs in the distance, you call him and he comes back to you. In such situations, it is much more appropriate to reward him with a short game (tug of war or chasing a ball) than with a treat, as the chance that the dog wants to do exactly that at that moment is higher. This way our reward is much more appreciated and the likelihood that your dog will keep coming to you willingly, even when being distracted, increases.

 

Of course, this doesn't apply to all dogs. Some prefer their treats in any given situation, but you can't know until you try. -

 

 

Modern training methods focus on what you want your dog to do, not what you don't. This is why learning the word "No" often doesn't come up at all. You can teach your dog "No" in a positive way, but it is not something that should be emphasized.

 

It is much more important that the dog knows what "Yes" or "Good boy" means and that you say these words at the right moments. This is not always as easy as it sounds, so in the early stages the use of a clicker is advisable. This makes it much easier to tell the dog at the right moment that it has done something that you are happy with and will get a reward. -

 
 

 

If there's no need to teach "No", then how do you tell the dog that he shouldn't do a particular thing? For starters, the first point strategy of controlling the dog and the environment helps quite a bit. The theory is that if he rarely gets a chance to do something he shouldn't, he won't develop that behaviour into a habit and become a more serious problem later.

 

If you do get into a situation where the dog is doing something unwanted (like ruffling a piece of furniture), the most effective strategy is to call him out in a cheerful tone to interrupt the behaviour. Then distract him for a minute or two with simple exercises in his bed with rewards. This will show him what you actually want and the chance of him immediately reverting back to the unwanted behaviour is much less.

 

Even if he does come back, he just needs a few more successful redirections or alternative activity to what he is doing at the moment. For example, in the case of furniture scratching, you might offer your dog an acceptable alternative such as a root to chew, olive wood, vine wood, antler, hard cheese and many others. These things are useful, not only because they save your furniture, but because they calm your dog down as chewing has a calming effect for them.

 

 

 

Contrary to expectations, you don't have to set your commands in a stern tone. This is why many modern trainers prefer to call them Signals. Before you start teaching your dog a particular signal, it is a good idea to have mastered the skill first and to do it with an easy lure or gesture. Only then do you add the signal and say it at the moment the behaviour is performed. You do this for a while before you move the signal in front of the behaviour and stop using the gesture.

 

When you get to this stage, it is important not to repeat yourself. If the dog does not respond immediately to the signal, you first give him 5 to 10 seconds. If he still doesn't respond to it, don't repeat yourself again, but help him by showing him the gesture he knows for sure. Yes, at first he may not sit immediately after hearing the cue, but if you stick to this rule, he will learn to do each cue at once without having to repeat.

 

 

 

If there's one thing that comes up most often as advice, regardless of training method, it's that persistence is key. You don't have to train your dog for hours. 10 minutes, 2-3 times a day is plenty. The important thing is to do it almost every day.

 

Consistency leads to habit building and habit, for both humans and dogs, are self-rewarding.

 

*Consistency does not mean getting into a routine. On the contrary, it is beneficial to break the routine and practice a variety of skills, at different times of the day.

 

 

 

Last but not least is patience. It sounds very simple, but it is one of the most difficult things. The truth is that training a dog is not a straight forward process and there will be days when things don't go well.

 

For example, during puberty, between 6 and 20 months of age, the most difficulties are encountered. In such a period, you may need to take shorter walks and avoid meeting other dogs to avoid provoking unwanted behaviours.

 

Even then, your dog may 'snap', this may make you nervous and want to spank him. At times like this you need to keep your composure, accept that your dog is not yet sufficiently prepared for such a situation and continue to work on your communication with him at home or in other more relaxed environments.

 

 

And, if you really don't have the patience and want to spend even more time with your furry friend, but at the same time need to cover the major training, Doggo Friends can show you on the spot, exactly how it's done!