Obedience

Obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog or puppy and yourself. Obedience training doesn't solve all behaviour problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want her to do. You can teach her anything from 'stay' (don't bolt out the door) to 'sit' (don't jump up on the visitors) to 'off' (don't chew the furniture).

Obedience training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained one.

The single most important aspect of training is rewarding your dog for good behaviour. The more times the dog is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. Therefore, it's essential that you set up situations repeatedly in order for your dog to get plenty of practice at doing the right thing.

Enrolling in a local dog obedience training class will allow you learn the basics and then most teaching and training can and should be done in your home. It is best to begin training in an area that is familiar to your dog and with the least amount of distractions as possible. When you feel both you and your dog are skilled at several obedience commands, then take these commands to different areas. Introducing distractions may seem like starting all over again, but it's worth the effort to have a well behaved dog in public (distracting) situations.

Dog training is easy and natural if:

You understand how your dog views the world
You are aware of how your dog learns
You ensure that the dog enjoys doing what you want him to do
You not only train the dog to do what you want, but make sure he understands the words of command
You reward the dog for the right reasons
You use the dog’s natural instincts as a basis for training


SUCCESSFUL DOG TRAINING NEEDS PERSISTENCE, CONSISTENCY AND FUN