An untrained dog can be a menace. For instance, if you own such a dog, it can turn rogue without warning and cause property damage or even harm you and/or other people. Because of this, you should train your dog. To achieve this goal, you can either hire a dog training service or do it yourself at home. If you prefer the latter option, here are four dog training at home tips to get started.
Choose a Suitable Name
Typically, giving your dog a name will make training a bit easier. More specifically, you will capture your dog’s attention faster whenever you call out the name. Common pet names include, among others, Max, Bella, Buddy, Molly, and Charlie. Take note that it may take some time before your dog recognizes its name. Therefore, you should be patient and consistent when training your dog to recognize and its name.
Teach the Basic Commands
With the right name, you can now start teaching your dog the basic commands. For more effective training, combine commands with gestures and facial expressions to make your dog understand better, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). By the end of the dog training at home should be able to respond appropriately to commands such as sit, stay, come, watch me, wait, no, and stop, among others.
Reward Good Behavior
Your dog will tell if it has behaved well or not depending on your response. For instance, if you smile at it, clap, and say words like, “Good job”, the dog will understand that whatever it has done is a good thing. As such, chances of redoing that action will be high. With this in mind, ensure you reward your dog every time it behaves well by giving treats and toys or just praising it.
Correct Bad Behavior Instantly
As you reward good behavior, don’t forget to correct bad behavior. Even so, let the correction be done instantly because dogs tend to forget fast. In other words, don’t wait until the next day before you correct the mistake done by your dog as it will not be helpful in training. That said, verbal and leash corrections are some of the good ways to correct bad behavior in your dog.
Conclusion
To train your dog at home, follow the tips discussed in this article. Take note that it may take some time for your dog to start obeying commands, and hence, don’t give up when your training doesn’t seem to be working.
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