First Steps in Dog Training

As a responsible dog owner you will want to have a well mannered dog. In order to achieve this you have to teach your dog how to behave. You need to understand a little about the dogs instinctive behaviours and also how your own behaviour affects your dog.

On the whole, dogs are eager to please. The behaviour that they display is usually the behaviour we have taught them or allowed them to develop, sometimes inadvertantly. Good behaviour takes time, repetition and therefore patience to develop. Good behaviour should be rewarded with praise and treats such as a small sliver of cheese or a healthy dog treat.

Never shout at or hit your dog out of anger when it misbehaves. The only result will be to make your dog afraid of you. You need to gain your dogs trust so you should remain calm and try to be understanding. It will get better.

Wagging fingers or pointing at a dog whilst chastising will be interpreted as an invitation to play and not the meaning you intend. Rather than chastising your dog, be proactive and re-direct your dog by giving a command such as "heel" or "sit" as appropriate. You can then reward the correct action reinforcing good behaviour.

It is important that you get off to a good start with your training from the beginning. This is true for your puppy dog or an older dog. Obtaining good guidance from the start will be well worthwhile. Here is a review site of helpful resources: http://actken.bezoogle.com/pp/dog-training/ Thanks for reading and look out for more tips and advice to come.