Congratulations on the new member of your family! It doesn't matter if that new member is a canine, is furry and has four feet. He (or she) is a part of the family unit in your household. And if you want to co-exist peacefully with your new pooch, there are probably a few ground rules you want to instill to ensure long-term harmony. There is just one little problem ... dogs obviously will not know the ground rules. Therefore, it is up to you as a responsible dog owner to teach him those ground rules in the form of obedience dog training.
If you are like most people these days, you probably hop on your computer to research for particular bits of information. Hopefully, you did a little research into the dog that is now a part of your family. While all breeds are different and have a number of quirks, there are a few things that seemingly stay the same - the basic commands that are taught during training and the need for a reward and reprimanding system to reinforce that training.
You probably know the basic commands you want to teach your dog already. These could include come, sit, and stay, heel, off and down. But when it comes to rewarding your dog and scolding him during the training, there are probably some conflicting arguments, depending on your sources of information. It is important to know the "right" and "wrong" way of rewarding your dog for good behavior as well as the reprimanding portion of the training when your dog is not doing something correctly.
Rewarding Your Dog during Obedience Training
The only way to get your dog to do what you want him to do in obedience training is through a reward system. Whenever, your dog does something right, he should get a treat immediately. Rewarding on a consistent basis will teach him that the positive behavior he is engaging in is the appropriate one. One of the things you should do is ensure that you create scenarios where your dog can obtain enough practice in the correct doggie behavior. Also important is the fact that you should always reward your dog for positive behaviors, even if you are past the obedience training-treat giving stage. Lots of belly rubs and play time is heaven for your pooch.
What you do not want to do is take their positive behaviors for granted. By encouraging him daily for his obedience, you are not setting him up for failure when he does misbehave. Because everyone knows that misbehavior garners attention more often than not.
Reprimanding Your Dog during Obedience Training
The key to reprimanding your dog is to not use negative words constantly. Because after a while, the dogs will tend to ignore it! How many times have you yelled at your dog "No?" How about stop, naughty boy or get off? By using the reward system for every positive behavior during obedience training, your dog will tend to take more notice for those times when reprimanding is necessary.
The key to reprimanding a dog is to straight away demonstrate to your dog the appropriate behavior and then reward him when he does it correctly. Part of the training process is catching your dog in the act of an inappropriate behavior whether it is chewing your shoes or jumping on furniture. This is when you use an authoritative voice and reprimand him with a "down" or "stop." What you do NOT want to do is become physical with your dog. No kicking or hitting your dog. Patience is important. Eventually, your patience will be rewarded with a lovable obedient dog who integrates well with your family.
