Dog Gone Doggies

You may think that it is impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, but did you know that there are techniques used to teach any dog new tricks, young and old. However, you aren't going to be successful in dog training until you learn what it takes to get the success you desire. With tips like these, you can learn some great skills in dog training.

Allow your puppy to interact with other dogs. Puppies are often taken away from their siblings when they are quite young, before they have had the chance to learn how to naturally interact with other dogs. The majority of what a dog initially learns is through its family members. Once your puppy has all the appropriate shots, allow him to spend time with other dogs.

Be patient with your dog while training. If he is not getting a command right away, help him to understand what it is you are asking of him. Remember, dogs are not born with the ability to understand the English language; it is your responsibility to teach him which words mean which action. Be consistent but understanding in your training sessions.

In order to train a well-mannered dog, you must be sure you practice training it on a regular basis. You can't expect to be perfect at training your dog right off the bat. Nothing in life is worthwhile without continually practicing it. The same holds true for training your dog.

One tip to keep in mind when training your dog is that you are also essentially testing yourself. This is important to keep in mind because if you lose your patience or get frustrated, then either you need to rethink your strategy or find someone else to take over the training.

When training your dog, it is always of utmost importance that you do not punish them for what they have done. It is better to positively reinforce them when they do something correct, rather than punish them when they do something wrong. If you do this they will not become skittish whereas they would if you punished them.

It is important to teach your puppy that it is never okay to put his teeth on you. Puppies interact with their litter mates by using their mouths, both to play and to express when they are upset and he will more than likely try to do this to you. You can gently push his face away and say 'no' to teach him that this is not acceptable behavior.

Make sure to only say the command word one time while training your dog. It is important not to repeat yourself, because your pet will begin to expect you to say the instructions multiple times. You want your dog to respond to your commands as soon as you say them.

Teach your dog the "down" command. This command is useful to build upon, or on its own in emergency situations. A dog that knows his "down" command well can drop to the ground at a moment's notice in a testy situation, making it a great command to keep on hand for safety's sake.

When training your dog make sure you never stop training. This may sound silly but it is actually very sensible. Your dog may learn tricks quickly and not forget them, but dogs never stop learning so you need to take advantage of this by teaching often. Also, it never hurts to reinforce what has already been learned.

If you're tired of your dog pulling on the leash while walking with you, here's a simple training method. Take your leashed dog to an outside place that is familiar to both of you - such as the backyard - then begin to walk. If your pet stays beside you, right at your thigh, reward it with a treat. If the animal rushes forward, stop walking. If it wanders off for some reason, say "let's go" in an upbeat way and turn and walk another way. When it catches-up with you, give it a treat, and if it doesn't catch-up, pull gently on the leash until it gets the point. In this way, you reward good behavior and don't have to be unduly harsh for bad behavior.

This article offers a great deal of advice that can be used to get to know dog training a little better and understand just what it takes to teach your dog new tricks no matter how old it is. You can start giving commands and getting a response, while learning the best techniques to help your dog understand new commands easier