12 Awesome Dog Training Tips

Are you worried about your dogs behaviour? Is training your dog becoming a daunting task? Looking for some guidance? Then fear no more! Check out our 12 awesome dog training tips to set you on your way to becoming a better dog trainer!

Dog Training from an early age

One of the best pieces of advice we can offer is to start dog training from an early age. Pups and younger dogs tend to learn commands quickly and are easier to teach in comparison to their older counterparts. Their attention spans might be quite short, but once your pup is focussed on you they are generally eager to please.

Once dogs have reached sexual maturity at around 1 years old you will find training is not so easy. They will be much more set in their ways and might be less willing to want to learn new things.

Choose the right environment

Selecting an environment that is free from noise and other distractions can make all the difference to how successful you are. Dogs often find focussing on just one thing challenging and therefore a busy, hectic training environment can cause a lack of focus and an unwillingness to learn.

Positive reinforcement

One of the very best methods of training is to teach through positive reinforcement. It’s a pretty simple concept all in all and relies solely on praising your dog when they have displayed the desired response or behaviour you are seeking.

This could be by providing your dog with a tasty snack or throwing them their favourite toy.

hoose to ignore undesired or incorrect behaviours. Use a reward as a way to let your canine friend clearly understand when they have done something correctly.

Pick the perfect reward

When we think about rewarding our dog most of us naturally turn to the dog treats. This can be a great reward used in dog training sessions to confirm to our pooch that they have exceeded our expectations.

Some dogs however prefer other types of rewards such as their favourite toy to play with or some extra special fuss from us owners. It’s important that you identify what really floats your dog’s boat in order to get the very best out of your sessions.

Keep training classes short

It’s always best not to overdo dog training sessions. Keeping classes short and concise will ensure that your pooch stays fully focussed and can put 100% effort into learning. Dog training that goes on for too long can cause your canine friend to become bored and lose focus in both you and the training session at hand.

5-10 minutes at a time is ideal for both pups and adult dogs. You will get much more out of a short, sharp, fully engaged training session than a 30 minute unfocused and disinterested one.

Consistency with family and friends

Although training sessions should be kept short and on a regular schedule, it is important that you and those around you provide consistency with training. You must ensure that family, friends, and anyone else who comes into contact with your pooch keep up all the good work you and your pooch have achieved.

According to the Irish Kennel Club’s basic dog training rules “Training should be done by all members of the household, but make sure that the approach is consistent”.

Patience is key for dog training

There’s no doubt about it, dog training takes a ton of patience on your part. You will find some dogs are easy to train and super responsive however not all of our canine friends are looking to take on the world.

Puppy training classes in particular can often test one’s patience to the max. Puppies are so full of life and often have the attention span of a grain of rice! According to the American Kennel Club â€œIf you start to lose patience, take a break.

Learn about body language

Learning about your dogs body language can be very helpful when it comes to training. It is a great way of us understanding where exactly our dog is at mentally and physically. Is your dog enjoying training classes? Are they feeling fearful? Do they look stressed? Is your dog focused and alert?

Understanding how your dog is feeling can have a huge impact on how well dog training classes go for both you and your pooch. Check out this great article published by the Akita Association of Ireland to understand the types of body language you should watch out for whilst training your dog.

Actions to match words

One of the biggest issues with dog training is overcoming the language barrier. We often forget that our canine friends speak a completely different language than us humans. It’s very easy for us to shout ‘sit’ or ‘stay’, but unless your pooch has learned exactly what those vocalisations mean they won’t have the foggiest what you are asking them.

It is always best to couple hand commands along with voice commands during training classes. Your dog is likely to initially understand hand commands much more easily than voice commands eventually associating the two.

Make training classes fun

No-one likes a chore and training classes can become exactly that for some dogs. Try to keep classes light and fun. You want your dog to learn and progress, but you don’t want to run them into the ground and dampen their spirits.

Have your dog believe that they are playing during sessions. Keep the energy high, change up the environment from time to time, and have plenty of rewards at the ready.

Positive Endings

Sometimes training and behaviour classes don’t always go to plan and that’s completely ok! No-one is perfect. You could find you conduct a session with your pooch that seems like it’s heading in the wrong direction.

At these times, we need to look at the small amounts of positives present. Always leave sessions on a positive note. You may not have achieved the full amount of training time you intended, but it’s always best to round things off on a high

.Seeking professional help is ok

If you are struggling training your dog then there is no shame in asking for help. A qualified dog trainer will be able to provide you with all the help and support you need.

There are many a good dog training centre located throughout Ireland as well as dedicated schools for puppies to choose from. Puppy classes are becoming a popular choice these days.

12 Awesome Dog Training Tips