To raise a well-mannered, happy, and confident dog, it is important to provide basic obedience training to a dog. Whether it is a new puppy or an older dog, teaching them basic steps will ensure their safety and comfort in various situations.
This blog highlights some basic steps that will help set a foundation for success.
Step 1: Start with a positive attitude
Training demands an environment that’s encouraging, creates a positive atmosphere and conducts training sessions with positivity, patience and consistency. Use rewards such as treats, toys, or verbal praise to motivate your dog. Make sure you don’t discourage them with forced punishment or negative reinforcement that can lead to fear or anxiety issues.
Step 2: Teach basic commands
Start with commands that are used daily. Following such commands are signs of a well mannered dog. Words like
- Sit: preparing them to calm down
- Stay: teaches dog to remain in place and hold their temper and behaviour for a moment
- Come: teaches them to return back whenever they are called by owner
- Calm down: prepares the dog to lie down and teaches them to relax instantly without getting distracted.
Step 3: Reward: Reward helps in encouraging the dog and builds a willingness to learn. Rewarding them immediately after they perform what they were asked to do strengthens the connection between the action and the reward. Rewards can be in the form of treats that they like eating, appreciating with the words like ‘’good job” or “well done.”.
Step 4: Practice consistently: You have to maintain consistency while teaching a good habit. Make sure you don’t train your dog for a day or two and then neglect it on the third day. Don’t get discouraged if you see no change in behaviour, consistently following a routine will naturally instill obedient behavior in your dog over time.
Step 5: Notice unwanted behavior: Keep noticing any undesirable behaviour of your dog in every situation for example, if they bark or jump on your guest, train them by words like “get off” or “calm down”. Reward them when they follow the command. Avoid screaming or forcing punishments, as it can lead to a negative impact and either confuse or stress the dog.
Step 6: Socialize your dog: Your dog must learn socializing, especially puppies, exploring the environment, different people, other animals from the beginning onwards this helps reduce fear, aggression, anxiety in dogs making them confident and adaptable to any circumstances.
Step 7: Keep Patience: Training always needs time and patience, depending upon the dog’s breed, age and temperament. You cannot expect magic to happen instantly. Keeping patience is equally important throughout the learning journey, losing patience means you are creating a mess with what you started. Celebrate small achievements, make the learning fun only for him but participate equally in the obedience training session to end up on a good note.
The key to learning is being positive and consistent. You need to be creative throughout the journey, to make the dog training sessions fun and enjoyable. Be a part of your training, and together you can make your dog a well-mannered and happy companion. The blog helps you with the basic steps that can make your training session easier.