Training Your Dog: The Importance of | Grand Rapids Pet Resort

The Importance of Training Your Dog

Training your dog is a very important part of being a pet owner. Regardless of how cute they are, failing to socialize and teach them the basic obedience commands from early on can result in unwanted issues later on. Being proactive in training your dog not only improves his quality of life, but also helps strengthen the bond between the two of you.

Tips For Training Your Dog

Oftentimes, pet owners feel overwhelmed with the thought of training their dog and this is completely understandable. While the steps aren’t necessarily difficult, it does require a lot of patience and consistency. Training is an ongoing process and once you get the hang of it, you will discover how simple it can be.

Check out the following tips to get started in your training success today.

Housebreaking and Crate Training

One of the first things you’ll want to teach your dog is where to use the bathroom. The key to successfully housebreaking your dog is consistency. You’ll need to get your dog on a feeding and bathroom schedule that aligns with your schedule.

It’s also important to account for the age of your dog. Generally, puppies need to use the bathroom more frequently because their bladders aren’t fully developed, but healthy dogs, 6 months and older, can easily wait 4-6 hours between bathroom breaks, once trained.

Until your dog is fully housebroken, it’s best to confine him to a safe designated area when you’re away. This may be a crate or a room in your home that has easy-to-clean floors, such as the kitchen. Be sure the space can be closed or gated off. Eventually, your dog will accept this area as his own personal space and come to enjoy it.

Leash Training

Teaching your dog to walk on a leash allows you to take him to a variety of public places and keep him safe in the process. If your puppy or dog isn’t familiar with a leash, introduce it slowly, letting him sniff it prior to attaching it to his collar. At first, walk your leashed dog in a small enclosed area, indoors or out so he can walk around freely with the leash attached. Initially, some dogs will bite or pull at the leash, treating it like a toy. If this occurs, distract him with a favorite toy or snack. Once he is acclimated to being on the leash with you holding the other end, practice walking together, so as to improve your confidence and his comfort level.

Socializing

Teaching your dog to accept other animals and people will help him thrive and make it easier for him to have new experiences. prevent behavioral problems such as, aggression and anxiety. Socializing is extremely important and should begin as soon as possible, in order to prevent issues such as aggression, fear and anxiety.

Basic Obedience Commands

Finally, teaching your dog the basic obedience commands including come, sit, stay, and leave it will help build structure in your dog’s life, as well as protect him. Teaching him to listen to you, regardless of what’s going on in the surrounding environment will prevent him from potential dangers, such as running into a busy street or wandering off.

As with all training, repetition, consistency, and patience are the main components for success. Whether you choose a training method that uses word commands or prefer clicker training, maintaining uniformity will set you and your dog up for success. Additionally, always focus on positive reinforcement, using treats and praise. Not only will this strengthen your dog’s trust in you, the two of you will build a special bond.