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A new puppy brings delight into your family. His rambunctious antics and affectionate responses have everyone giggling with happiness. Surely, his loyalty and affection will be a part of your family for many years to come. But this depends on the training which you are just now beginning. Here are some tips to help you complete this training successfully.
While dog training is incredibly important in order to integrate your dog into your family, it is also important that you spend fun, relaxed time with your dog as well. If you do not, the dog will be very well behaved, but it will also lose some of its personality and spirit.
A dog with separation anxiety should have ties to other people. If you are the main target of your dog’s affection, you must limit your affection and encourage others in your home to handle and work with the dog. The dog must develop relationships to others in order to diffuse his unhealthy fixation with you.
As you progress in training your dog, only give rewards for obedience the first time you give a command such as “come” or “sit”. The dog will quickly learn that it is better to get the reward by obeying the first command than having you repeat it and not give the reward. Do praise the dog when it finally obeys, but save the treats for quick obedience.
Use cheese as a treat when you are training your canine companion. Cheese is nice change of pace for your dog from packaged treats. Dogs typically love cheese and will consider it a fine treat. Do not overdo it though, cheese can have a high sodium content. Your dog could be sensitive to this.
Do not respond to demands for attention from your dog. Training a dog to be docile and controlled, means that you control when attention is given. In the pack, Alphas will ignore these behaviors until the dog is calm and relaxed. Then and only then, should you build excitement through play with the animal.
It is easier to train a dog if you reward him. When training your dog, reinforce good behavior with praise. As he is learning a new command, reward him with positive reinforcements, such as games and walks. The golden rule to follow is that the good behavior produces the reward and not the reward produces the good behavior.
Your punishments should never be too strict. If your dog is overly excited, take a time out and let him cool his jets before continuing with your task. A time out goes a long way in helping a dog focus, especially if it’s taken in a quiet area away from whatever has distracted him.
With these tips, you are ready to proceed confidently with your puppy’s training. Consistency and attentiveness will win out over his unbridled impulsiveness. You want your pet to fit into your family life and become a faithful friend for many years. Following these training tips can pay off with just that result.
