Dog Guidance Blog

A dog is a man’s (or woman’s) best friend! Dogs are wonderful pets to come home to at the end of a long day or take for a run around your favorite park. If you want to make your relationship with your dog better, having your dog trained is very important. Below you’ll find tips and hints to help you with the dog training process so you and your dog can have a mess free, relaxing and fun time together.

If your dog gets anxious every time he sees you getting ready to leave the house, break up your routine a little bit. By changing your leaving routine a bit each day, you will be breaking the anxiety cycle that can trigger your dog to engage in destructive behaviors while you are gone. Leaving for varying amounts of time will also help break up the cycle. Leave for a few minutes one time and a little longer at other times. Eventually, your dog will get used to the idea that you may leave occasionally, and nothing bad will happen to him!

When you are working on commands with your dog, work only on one command at a time, and only say the command one time. Do not say the command word more than once. Your goal is for your dog to obey the command immediately. You don’t want to have to say the same thing over and over.

Don’t get angry or upset if your dog doesn’t learn a new trick right away. New tricks take time to learn and require patience and persistence from you. Praise your dog for each correct response and try not to get frustrated. Your dog can sense your frustration and that may cause him to get discouraged.

When bringing a new puppy home, plan to keep him on the leash and in your sight for a few days. When you can’t be with him, have a safe place for him to go. This will help you to find your pet’s trouble spots and teach him the house rules.

You won’t have to use dog treats forever to train your dog. As time goes by and your dog starts to learn, their obedience will increase and they will obey your orders as a habit as opposed to an action that gets rewarded with treats. It is also nice to use one form of praise when your dog performs as you asked.

Having your dog trained can make all the difference in your relationship. By following the above tips, you’ll be able to have a better time with your dog with less hassle and mess. If your dog wasn’t your best friend before, he or she will be after some simple dog training!