Five Tips to Make Your Dog Training More Effective

Anyone who has ever trained a dog at home knows how overwhelming it can be. Even if you are following a book or a course, you might become frustrated when your progress seems slow or your dog seems to suffer from selective hearing. Follow these five tips and you will find your dog training is becoming more effective.

1. Do not reward bad behavior.

Many dog owners want to discourage their dogs of many behaviors, but make the mistake of rewarding the bad behavior. If your dog jumps on you for attention, do not tell your dog to get down. When you do this, you are giving the dog exactly what he wants--your undivided attention. Instead, turn your back on your dog and only give him attention when he is being good.

2. Be consistent

Dogs need a routine. Make sure you are not sending mixed messages to your dog. Is it ok for your dog to jump up on one person but not another? Do you use different words for the same command? Make sure everyone in your household is on the same page when it comes to training your pooch. Use one word or short phrase for every command you are trying to teach and use them consistently.

3. One trick at a time.

Sure, you are dreaming of the day when your dog will sit, roll over, and fetch your slippers. However, don't overload your dog with too many commands at one time. Start by introducing one command a week. After your dog has mastered this new command teach them a new trick. Of course, don't stop using your old commands when you are teaching the new ones. It's always good to reinforce what the dog knows.

4. Find out what motivates your dog.

Some dogs are easier to train than others. If you are lucky, your dog will want nothing more than to simply please you. If you have a normal dog, however, she is more likely to be motivated by food or toys. Try different incentives to find out what your dog prefers, and your training will go a lot faster.

5. Be positive.