If you are a first time dog owner, it is natural you are a bit tense. Apart from getting adjusted to the dog, you also need to train the dog. Training is essential, so the dog becomes a part of your home and has a strong bond with you.
Being a first time owner may leave you confused about how to approach dog training. To help you, we have some useful tips. These tips are specially meant for first time dog owners who are training their first dog.
Try out these tips and start the process of house training your dog. Remember, you should not expect instant results and most importantly you need to have patience.
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Dog training tips for first-time owners
1. Have a designated training area
Your dog must understand that training is something important. This is why you need to designate a specific area for training. Your dog will understand that it is something special. Choose a place where there are no distractions so both you and the dog can focus on the training.
2. Stop them from jumping up
Pups love to jump up onto people. While this is cute when they are pups, it is not good when they are older and bigger. Teach them at an early age that you don’t like them jumping up. The best way to do this is to ignore the dog if it jumps up. Look at the dog only if all its four feet are on the ground. This will take time but it is essential to enforce this rule.
3. Let your voice be firm and positive
When you are training your dog, you need to let the dog know what you mean. For this, you need to use a firm voice that is loud and clear. At the same time, it must be positive in intention. Shouting and becoming aggressive is not the solution. Don’t scare or provoke your dog. A loud and angry tone may confuse the dog. Let your tone show you are the boss but don’t scare the dog.
4. Reward your dog when the training is successful
The biggest motivation for your dog would be to offer a reward on successful training. Apart from shaking hands and learning to follow commands, toilet training is important. You wouldn’t want your dog messing up the home. Give priority to toilet training and when your dog obeys, reward it. Get some delicious treats and use it to reward and reinforce training lessons.
5. Be consistent
Remember to be consistent in your approach. A particular behaviour that leads to a reward should lead to a reward again. Similarly, when your dog does something wrong, speak loudly and firmly or punish the dog. Follow this behaviour consistently, so your dog remembers and understands what is good and what is bad.
6. Practice taking the dog for walks
When you take your dog out for a walk, make sure it is on a leash. Get a leash that is secure and comfortable. At the same time, you must be able to control an excited dog. You can look for the best dog harnesses that would meet your requirements. Practice taking your dog for walks and ensure it follows your instructions and does not cause a nuisance in public.
7. Have a timer
When you are training your dog, use a timer. 5 to 15 minutes is more than enough. Too much training will make your dog lose interest. Start with 5 minutes of training daily and then slowly increase the time. You can even have 5 minutes of training and repeat it once or twice for better reinforcement.
