Owning a dog offers many benefits for everyone, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility and requires a big investment of both time and money.
While most dog owners make a budget before welcoming their furry friend into their home, time can be an issue for many dog owners.
Many modern workers are what’s known as ‘time poor’, meaning they don’t have enough time to do everything they want to.
However, owning a dog means that you have to make time to fulfil their needs, and one major requirement for every dog is extensive and ongoing training. Dogs need training beyond puppyhood and need to keep enhancing their existing skills and learning new ones throughout their lives to ensure they stay mentally enriched.
Still, carving out hours on end to spend training your dog can be tough. Thankfully, there are some simple ways to incorporate dog training into your everyday life, as we outline in this article.
Get Tips Online
Finding in-person dog training, travelling to it and giving it your undivided attention can be incredibly time consuming, which is why online training has become incredibly popular over recent years. Southend Dog Training’s online programme can be used anywhere thanks to its mobile app, meaning you have access to a dog trainer in your pocket. You can use the tools for tips on the go and chat with a trainer when you’re stuck. With online training solutions like this, you can save time and ensure you get expert support when training your new best friend.
Make Your Dog Work For Everything
One of the easiest ways to get extra training into your day without even trying is by asking your dog to do something before you give them what they want. Have them sit before getting their food bowl, stay while you attach the leash for a walk, or lie down before throwing a toy. With this easy approach, you’ll be building positive habits through repetition.
Involve The Whole Family
If you have a family, you should get them involved with your dog’s training, even if the dog is ‘technically’ yours. After all, a dog is a member of the family, so training shouldn’t fall on just one person’s shoulders. Make sure anyone regularly interacting with your pup is using the same commands and hand signals. Older children can practice easy tricks like shake, spin, or roll over while bonding with the family dog, as long as they are supervised. By sharing the responsibility, you can make dog training fun and take some of the weight off your own shoulders.
Change Your Mindset
Ultimately, the key to incorporating dog training into your everyday life and habits is to embrace a training mindset rather than thinking of it as a chore. Dogs learn by repetition, so you need to stop thinking of dog training as one part of your day, and start using commands regularly and seeing anything as a training opportunity. Repeat your commands regularly, and if you ever face a hurdle while spending time with your dog, see it as a chance to enhance their training rather than something they should already be trained to do. No dog is ever trained forever, so you need to keep practising and trying new things.
A Quick Summary
By following these tips and finding ways to make dog training fun and enjoyable, you can transform your mindset and your dog’s, making training tasks feel like something you want to do rather than something you have to do. With a little creativity and the help of this article, you can integrate positive reinforcement into your daily routine for a well-behaved, confident canine companion.
photo credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-carrying-short-coated-white-and-brown-puppy-Sm9gzKx8a3U
