Getting frustrated that your dog jumps up on people when you are visiting friends? Can’t understand why your dog runs away from you at the park while everyone else’s happily comes back? The simple answer is have you tried dog obedience training? It is simple, effective and very fun to do if you have the right attitude and patience.
The basics of dog obedience training and teaching your dog to sit, stay and come. These basic training commands will be extremely beneficial to you later on in your dog’s life. When you take your dog out you don’t want him to be running muck in the street, you want to show him off for the perfect dog that he is! Dog obedience training can be achieved in a matter of weeks with the right attention, dedication and patience.
There are a lot of obedience classes available. So if you can’t teach your dog by yourself there is plenty support at the class, there are also other dogs there. Not only are you training your dog you are socialising him to which of course is the next step after sit, stay and come. Dogs are kind of like children to an extent, except with a lot of fur, they need to be taught right and wrong.
I always find that treats are a great method of dog obedience training; you award them with a special treat when they have done something you have asked them to. If they don’t respond they don’t get a treat. There is no point shouting at your dog as he will only become scared of you and you don’t want that, you want to form a happy relationship with him. Dog’s are a man’s best friend!
When teaching your dog obedience try and teach him away from distractions like his toys, take him to an empty field or park where there aren’t any people, only you and him. Tell him firmly but nicely that you want him to sit, then take your hand and place it on his back and gently guide his bottom down, when it is down say sit and tell him he’s a good boy then award him with a treat. Repeating this over and over again will make him realise that when you say sit you mean for him to sit and he gets rewarded, soon enough he will know to sit when you tell him to and the treats are no longer necessary.
Getting him to stay is another matter, you’ll probably need another person for that. Get him to sit (once he has learned how) and get a friend to hold him. Walk away from him telling him to stay, using your hand hold it up firmly (doing this will make him realise that when you hold your hand up in the future you want him to stay as well, not just when you tell him to) then give it a few seconds and let your friend release him, when he comes to you make him sit and tell him how clever he is! Don’t forget to reward him. While using this technique you are also teaching your dog how to come to you as well, so don’t forget to say "ome" to him, not just his name.
When dogs are born they are like soft clay, they need to be moulded and shaped. You can teach your dog from any age and the younger you start the easier it is. Like they say: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!!!