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Dog training is a challenging task, especially if your dog is fussy or on an add medicine. Nevertheless, training is truly a fruitful experience for both; the owner and the pet. The following dos and don’ts for dog training will surely help you understand some common mistakes that you should avoid while training your loyal four legged friend.

Do’s for Training Your Dog

1. Train in a Secluded Area

It is better to train in an area where there are no distractions. This helps in making your dog more focused and relaxed during training sessions. If your pup is an introvert or does not like to play or open up with fellow dogs instantly, it is better to let him train in an area which is not too crowded or noisy. Even if your dog is not too shy and likes to play and hang around with other pups around, it is still better to train him in a separate area to avoid distractions.

2. Treat Your Dog with Fun Doggy Treats

People like to get praised and rewarded for their hard work. In fact, this helps to motivate and encourage them do even better the next time. Same is the case with dogs and other pets. Therefore, make sure to reward your dog during and after the training sessions. This also helps them to retain what they have learned and encourages them to learn new skills with more interest and dedication.

3. Communicate with Your Dog Clearly and with Compassion

Visual and hearing impairment is one of the most common concerns for owners of older pets. Through signs and cues, you can easily communicate with your dog and help him retain everything that he is learning.

Dont’s for Training Your Pet Dog

1. Avoid Having Long Training Sessions

If your pet dog is too young or old, try to avoid long training sessions. Try to keep a single training session for no longer than 30 minutes. For any other activity or workout session, it is better to prefer quality over quantity. Even if your training session is 15 minutes long, try to make the most out of it by experimenting with different training pace and levels. It doesn’t matter if your training session is long or short as long as you maintain consistency and punctuality. With time and experience, you can gradually extend the duration of your training session.

2. Don’t Train in a Single Place or Location

A lot of dogs, especially young ones respond differently in different environments. Some dogs prefer training indoors while some dogs like getting trained outdoors. In fact, many training experts recommend dog owners to keep changing the location of their training sessions. If a dog learns to respond to a certain command indoors, then it is most likely that they will not respond to the same command outdoors and vice versa. Therefore, in order to avoid this problem, it is better to train your dogs in different places and locations. This will help your dog to focus more on your voice and body language instead of a particular area or spot of practice.

3. Don’t Overexcite your Dog

It is not a good practice to show too much enthusiasm while training your dog. Many people prefer to train their dogs by making them feel more excited than normal. However, it is better to remain calm while training your dog. With this approach, you will have the guarantee and assurance that your pet will give the same amount of attention even when he sees something new or more exciting than the training session itself.

4. Don’t Pamper or Spoil your Pet during Training Sessions

Your pet should look up to you as a leader during the training session. In order to create this type of relationship with your pet dog, you need to punish him for any form of disobedience or bad behavior. Discipline is very important if you want to train your dog and make him able to learn new skills.

5. Don’t Avoid going to a Professional Trainer

Whether you are training your dog yourself or not, it is better to consult with a professional dog trainer. This will help you to understand the areas where you or your dog lacks and needs to work on the most.

6. Don’t Lose your Cool and Patience

It takes time to train any pet animal and dogs are no exception. You need to remain positive and be optimistic about the progress of your dog. Some dogs are fast learners whereas some are late bloomers. Don’t lose hope as with continuous training and practice, your pet will gradually learn to take cues and understand what you are telling him to do.

This blog post was contributed by Ashlie Lopez. To contribute a guest article on pets please email cynthia@newyorkdognanny.com

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