The best way to start on the right path to dog ownership is to choose your breed wisely. While you might fall in love with a cute little pure-bred, a little research might show you that the breed is highly active and needs a lot of exercise before it settles down. Remember, if you have a healthy dog it can live up to 15 years so think hard and choose the breed that best suits your family now and down the road. Here are some more things to think about:
Carve out 15 minutes every day for training. If you work with your dog longer, he will get too tired to pay attention, if you work less, nothing you go over will be retained. Also, as a pack animal, a dog responds to only one leader − so choose one family member to take the lead. Once the dog has a good grasp of basic commands, other members of the family can expect the dog to follow their lead as well. The name you choose is another pointer that will help in training. Make sure it's not too complicated and then gently turn the dog's face toward you refer to him by name.
Start by introducing your dog to his crate. Dogs are den animals by nature, so they love to have a place to call their own, especially when they are home alone. As such, there is nothing cruel about crating your dog. If your new dog is still a puppy (and not yet housebroken) make sure the crate is small. Dogs do not soil in their den, so the smaller the crate the less likely he'll have an accident. (Once he's grown, make sure it's big enough to make him comfortable.) Put him in for a few minutes several times a day and gradually increase the time so he'll get used to it. Your dog will build confidence that you will indeed let him out if you establish a pattern this way. At night time, keep the crate near the family, specifically where the person who is leading the training sleeps. While it's perfectly fine to let your fully trained dog sleep in bed with you, the crate is where he should be when you are first training him.
Next comes leash training. Remember what you learned about the amount of exercise certain dog breeds need? His ability to walk on a leash at your side will have a direct impact on how pleasurable your walk time will be for the next several years. He needs to know that you are in charge and he is not to drag you around the block in search of squirrels. Check your vet's office for names of local obedience sessions and take a few classes to get you started.
Even though the old "shake" is a crowd pleaser, before you teach him to give you his paw you should make sure that your dog completely understands the command to stay exactly where they are at any given moment. "Stop!" Or, "Stay!" It could be a matter of life or death in the case of oncoming traffic. Simply using the dog's name could confuse him and make him think you want him to come to you. So, work on this voice command before you tackle any others.
If you work with your dog for 15 minutes every day, you'll be surprised how quickly your dog will respond to your undivided attention. In the end, all dogs really want to do is please their masters. End each training session by asking him to complete one of his best tasks. That way you can finish on a positive note and reward him for his hard work.
Carve out 15 minutes every day for training. If you work with your dog longer, he will get too tired to pay attention, if you work less, nothing you go over will be retained. Also, as a pack animal, a dog responds to only one leader − so choose one family member to take the lead. Once the dog has a good grasp of basic commands, other members of the family can expect the dog to follow their lead as well. The name you choose is another pointer that will help in training. Make sure it's not too complicated and then gently turn the dog's face toward you refer to him by name.
Start by introducing your dog to his crate. Dogs are den animals by nature, so they love to have a place to call their own, especially when they are home alone. As such, there is nothing cruel about crating your dog. If your new dog is still a puppy (and not yet housebroken) make sure the crate is small. Dogs do not soil in their den, so the smaller the crate the less likely he'll have an accident. (Once he's grown, make sure it's big enough to make him comfortable.) Put him in for a few minutes several times a day and gradually increase the time so he'll get used to it. Your dog will build confidence that you will indeed let him out if you establish a pattern this way. At night time, keep the crate near the family, specifically where the person who is leading the training sleeps. While it's perfectly fine to let your fully trained dog sleep in bed with you, the crate is where he should be when you are first training him.
Next comes leash training. Remember what you learned about the amount of exercise certain dog breeds need? His ability to walk on a leash at your side will have a direct impact on how pleasurable your walk time will be for the next several years. He needs to know that you are in charge and he is not to drag you around the block in search of squirrels. Check your vet's office for names of local obedience sessions and take a few classes to get you started.
Even though the old "shake" is a crowd pleaser, before you teach him to give you his paw you should make sure that your dog completely understands the command to stay exactly where they are at any given moment. "Stop!" Or, "Stay!" It could be a matter of life or death in the case of oncoming traffic. Simply using the dog's name could confuse him and make him think you want him to come to you. So, work on this voice command before you tackle any others.
If you work with your dog for 15 minutes every day, you'll be surprised how quickly your dog will respond to your undivided attention. In the end, all dogs really want to do is please their masters. End each training session by asking him to complete one of his best tasks. That way you can finish on a positive note and reward him for his hard work.
About the Author:
Julie Clark Robinson has written articles on dozen of subjects. Among the education related subjects she has written on are online education and California colleges and universities.
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