How to Train a Dog

Being a dog owner can be a wonderful and extremely fulfilling experience. However, if you have a dog that is not properly trained, the experience of being a dog owner can truly turn into a nightmare. Whether you have an unruly puppy or an obstinate older dog, there are concrete steps you can take to improve your dog’s behavior.

Instruction:

The first step in training your dog is understanding how your dog communicates with you. Below is a summary of what your dog’s body language and noises mean.

1. Body Language –

• If your dog is holding its tail stiffly vertical and wagging it quickly, it is showing a sign of aggression.
• If your dog is holding its tail stiffly vertical (but not wagging it), it is a sign that your dog feels in control.
• If your dog is wagging its tail quickly from side to side, it is a sign of positive excitement.
• If your dog tucks its tail between its legs, it is a sign of defeat or fear.
• If your dog lowers its tail (but does not tuck it between its legs), it is a sign of being relaxed.
• If your dog is holding its tail horizontally, it is a sign of conservative curiosity.
• If your dog is wagging its tail slowly, it is also a sign of conservative curiosity.
• If your dog is holding its ears back, it is a sign of defeat or fear (your dog may also lower its head when it pulls its ears back).
• If your dog is holding its ears forward or up, it is a sign of curiosity.

2. Noises –

• If your dog barks, depending on the situation, it can be a sign of excitement, fear or boredom.
• If your dog whines, it is trying to get your attention.
• If your dog howls, it is a sign of loneliness.
• If your dog growls, it is a sign of aggression.

Once you understand how your dog communicates, you can begin to modify its behavior. For many owners, the first behavior they want to change is barking.

• To change your dog’s barking, you need to keep in mind that depending on the situation, your dark barks for different reasons. So, if your dog barks at you because it’s excited or bored, don’t yell at it to stop (your dog will interpret this as you responding positively by barking back). Instead, ignore your dog until it stops and then reward it with a treat or attention once it’s quiet.

• If your dog has a problem with whining when it wants attention, you can solve this by following the same routine as Step Three. Ignore your dog until it stops whining, and then give it positive reinforcement for being quiet.

• To teach your dog basic directions such as sit and stay, the key is repetition and positive reinforcement. Depending on your dog, it may take some time, but by repeating the same action over and over and rewarding your dog when it does well, you will be able to teach it the basic directions that are necessary for an obedient dog.

• Like Step Five, the key to potty training your dog is being consistent and rewarding good behavior. When taken out frequently and properly rewarded, most dogs are surprisingly good at learning to go to the bathroom outside. There will inevitably be some indoor accidents, but the key is to reinforce to your dog that it’s good to go to the bathroom outside.

• Regardless of what you are working on training your dog, keep in mind that using negative reinforcement (such as spanking, yelling or hitting) is not only ineffective, but could jeopardize the relationship of trust and love between you and your dog. With the information above, a little patience and a consistent stream of positive reinforcement, you will find it’s much easier to train your dog than you initially expected.