A lot of owners are intimidated with dog training but the truth is that there’s nothing to be afraid of with this phase. Every dog must go through training if you want them to be disciplined and well-behaved. Just like food, water, and affection, obedience training is actually considered as a dog’s basic need. Hence, training them as early as 6 weeks old is necessary- in this stage, you will begin to teach them basic cues and how to obey commands. After 6 months, formal training can begin which is a huge project on your end. To prepare you for your project and to make the training successful, you need to train yourself first by becoming equipped with the proper knowledge. Sure, this may sound daunting but all you need is a keen ear and an open mind: we’re here to aid you for this important process. To get you started, we will be discussing everything you need to know about dog training for beginners. So, continue reading if you wanna learn more!
Dog training can be an enrichment activity for you and your furry buddy as it allows you to spend more time with each other. Such can strengthen the bond between the two of you, therefore, building a more trusting and loving relationship. There are so many benefits of obedience training and one of them is not having to worry about their manners, possible destructive behaviors, and pee (and poo) habits, if done successfully. This dog training for beginners guide will give you the proper knowledge about training your pooch without having to worry about the worst case scenarios during the training proper. Without further ado, let’s get started.
A Quick Guide on Dog Training for Beginners
Before you start training your dog, you need to equip yourself with enough knowledge to make the training process headache-free. Here are some quick tips that you should know before you go towards the next step:
1. Use Positive Reinforcement Training:
There are plenty of methods to train a dog but a lot of trainers and animal experts recognize Positive Reinforcement Training as the most effective way of training an animal, especially dogs. This type of reinforcement creates a positive environment for your dog. This method uses rewards such as treats, “life rewards” (i.e., petting, hugging, etc.), and praises to mark a desired behavior from your pet. The rewards motivate them to repeat the desired behavior which can help you shape them into well-mannered pets. The rewards, on the other hand, should be used correctly and not as a bribe if you want them to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, and not for the rewards only.
2. Start with basic obedience training:
By this, we mean that you need to start from the very basic lessons before going through the complicated ones. To start, teach them how to sit, stay, roll, and follow your vocal commands. This may need treats every now and then but you can reward them by praising them (“good job,” “very good,” etc.), giving them a high-five, or through the use of a clicker to indicate that you like the behavior they displayed.
4. Don’t forget to have fun:
Just like every student, dogs want to have fun while learning to make the training process worthwhile. As mentioned earlier, dogs have a very short attention span so they’re easily distracted when they find something interesting for them. Hence, it is important to treat training as if the both of you are just playing games! Try to innovate the training process and appropriate it based on their personality. Use toys, be playful, go to the park, etc. to make obedience training fun for the both of you.
5. Never punish your dog if they don’t follow your command:
One of the goals of obedience training is to create a trusting and positive environment for your dog. Punishing them if they don’t follow you isn’t the way to go if you want to attain this goal. The most important thing to remember about dog training for beginners is to never threaten and intimidate your dog. This will just make the training unsuccessful and it can even traumatize your pet.
Recommended Time Table for Dog Training
You can train your dog regardless of their age but if they’re still young, we recommend that you follow this time table in order for the training to be effective and for them to be well-mannered.
6 weeks old
- Basic obedience commands. Teach them to follow basic cues such as “sit,” “stay,” and come.
- Name recognition
7 weeks old to 10 weeks old
- Potty training
- Crate training
- Practice socialization skills
- Diminishing the habit of chewing random items
10 weeks to 12 weeks old
- Command training. Teach them to follow other vocal cues and commands.
- Leash training
- Improve socialization. Teach them to be friendly.
- Impulse control training
- Threshold training
3 months to 6 months old
- Stay and “Leave the object” training. Teach them what they shouldn’t randomly take from the house and other places.
- Dog training outside your territory. Make sure they have the necessary vaccines before proceeding to this step. This training is important to let them know that obedience and good manners should be displayed inside and outside your house.
6 months to 12 months old
- Teach them to follow their daily routine
- Continue reinforcing both basic and complex commands
The Takeaway
We hope that this short guide about dog training for beginners will help you get ready for the training process with proper knowledge and guidance. If you want to learn more about basic obedience training at home, as well as positive reinforcement, consider buying our ebook that comes with a dog clicker for free. An extensive dog training guide will be provided to you to make this process easier and more fun for you and your dog.