How To Train Your Dog In 5 Simple Steps
Are you stressed out about your dog? Are you always thinking about how you could provide proper attention to your dog so that you can spend some quality time with the tail-wagger? The answer is probably a resounding, yes.
This is the reason I have come up with the five Dog training techniques that will help your balance your work life and your personal life. A lot of people say that they have multiple things to get through the day, like cleaning the house, taking care of the kids, wash clothes, and take care of the elderly. Trust me, I feel you. Take a look at some of these steps and decide for yourself.
Step 1: Decide A Time
There are a lot of articles on the internet that will say that you need one hour to train your dog. In reality, all you need is three to five minutes. Yes, be it morning, evening, or night. You just a few minutes to train your dog. Let me provide an example to explain the concept.
Example: When you offer food to the dog, tell your dog to sit at a particular place, while you prepare the dog food. Practice common commands like sit, stay and come while preparing the meal. This indicates that you are turning the meal session into a training session.
Now, with the help of the dog’s kibble (dog food that is shaped into pellets and consists of ingredients like vegetables, grains, and meat), practice trick commands like eat, spin, and play dead.
Provide the kibble at each successful completion. Hence, when you say eat, and the dog obeys the command, provide the dog some food. Again, when you say spin and the dog follows it, give some more food. In this way, keep practicing your basic and trick commands to train your dog.
Step 2: Take Out For A Walk
While taking the dog out for a walk, you can turn this activity into a training opportunity. Always use a 6-foot leash for a training session, instead of a retractable leash. Let me explain this for better understanding.
Explanation: Tell the dog to sit before you, and then put on the leash. Once done, open the door for yourself and walk out. After this, allow the dog to come out. When you are about to cross the road, tell the dog to sit.
Practice the sit command multiple times so that your dog becomes accustomed to it. After some time, you will see that your dog is automatically sitting before a crosswalk, and you no longer have to provide instructions.
Note: If your dog tends to go in the opposite direction, rather than what you expect. Then, practice occasional pulling. This means that if your dog is a puller, let him know that you are annoyed. Once you remove the dog irregularly towards your direction, this will make the dog know, that being a puller, would not get him anywhere.
Step 3: Quit Watching TV For A Long Time
If you are someone who loves to watch tv series, for long periods, then it’s recommended that you quit doing it. If you can’t, try practicing training sessions while pausing an episode. Make full use of the commercial breaks, to train your dog. During this break, take the help of dog treats that are available in the market. During these breaks, place command should be practiced.
Note: A place command is a command that people use to direct the dog into a particular spot. Some Common place commands are lay down there, come and sit here.
Switch the place commands multiple times during a tv-series and observe how your dog performs. Once this is over, place a loose leash on your dog and walk the dog around the living room. Now make the dog learn how to walk beside you, with the help of the heel command.
Note: A heel command is a command that teaches the dog, not to walk before or after you, but beside you.
Step 4: Turn Play Time Into a Training Session
It doesn’t matter if your dog likes tug or fetch. Utilize this time effectively. If you are inside your house, ask the dog to sit down and then throw the ball. If you are outside, walk a few meters in the park and then throw the ball. By doing this, you are playing brain games with your dog. In time, this will make a strong bond with your dog.
Step 5: Training Your Dog Should Always Play At The Back Of Your Mind
Yes, at all times, training your dog should come as a priority. This will serve as a huge advantage later. Let’s say that you have come home from work. The dog jumps over you and gives you attention. This means you have trained your dog to do so. While watching a tv series, you tell your dog to sit beside you. So that means you have trained your dog to do so.
Natural attention to a dog can get him spoiled. Always make the dog do an exercise, in exchnage. For example, the dog might come you for care. Don’t rub the belly or pet him instantly. Instead, tell the dog to sit down first, if the dog obeys the command, then you pet him, if not, then don’t.
Make the dog realize that you are irritated by a specific activity. For instance, you don’t like how your dog behaves when your friend comes to your house. If you see that the dog doesn’t change his behavior, don’t give him any attention at all.
Take your dog for car rides. See how your dog behaves when you out running personal errands like picking your children from school or taking the wife to a doctor’s appointment. If you see that the dog is calm and not causing a nuisance. Then continue with rides, if not stop it.
Strive for consistency!
All these steps will only work if you are consistent with these. These five simple steps will help you balance your work and personal life seamlessly. I hope you have enjoyed reading. If you have, don’t forget to follow me in the medium.
