Monday, June 22, 2009

Instant Puppy Training Tricks

By Miyagii Moto

Dogs are the most preferred pets by majority of the population ever since the beginning of history. They have proven themselves to be efficient, loyal, highly intellectual and trainable in various tasks. They can be sweet and meek to their owners but ferocious to total strangers. This makes them a perfect companion for those who are single and unattached as well as to couples who are just planning to start their own families. People from all ages can also quickly adapt to the presence of an adorable canine.

A lot of the dog's behavior has something to do with his breed and training in his days as a young pup. Since you can't do anything anymore about a dog's breed because it is an inherent part of his personality, you just have to make sure that he was trained well in his younger days so that you won't be experiencing any attitude problems when he is already a full grown adult. So the next time you want to get a new puppy as a pet, here are some of the well-kept secrets of puppy training that you should know in order to have a well-behaved pet in the future.

The first thing that you have to do is to make your pet feel secure in your company. Spend some quality time by playing with him after you have gotten home from your office. This process will ensure that you have established a good rapport. It's a no-no to start implementing difficult tricks that would boggle his mind because it will not lead to any learning. After making your pet comfortable, slowly impose discipline by taking away his comfortable lifestyle.

There are a lot of ways to do this but the most common includes putting a leash around his neck, placing him inside a kennel or positioning him in a crate. It is expected that your dog would howl in protest. At times, it may be too annoying that you would want to stuff his mouth with a ball of socks. However, remember that all this seemingly vicious acts will gain benefits. Try to be immune to this kind of suffering. Remember, you only want what's best for your dog. The end justifies the means, as they often say.

Second, teach him a simple trick followed by a treat. The treat could come in the form of a small chewable bone or a piece meat. Just like the classic conditioning method by renowned psychologist Ivan Pavlov, they will learn to associate the new trick with food. This will stroke their interest and whet their appetite for more food.

Third, you can go the opposite way of the second step and let your dog learn through the negative conditioning process. Instead of giving a nice reward, teach him the power of the words no, stop and don't in a strong and authoritative tone. They will distinguish that it is something significant in relation to your voice.

Fourth, you have to be consistent. When you give a reward or punishment, make sure that it is commensurate to the good task or the bad behavior. Variety is something that needs to be avoided like the plague in this situation because your dog will get confused if you can't follow through with the initial rules you have set. The same rule applies to all the people in your household including your wife and kids.

Lastly, give plenty of alternatives. If there are chores that your dog can't easily do as told, like not peeing on the plant, then provide another option like giving him a pee box. This will shift his attention and result to a more favorable attitude. Don't be such a strict disciplinarian all the time that you will take the fun out of this training exercise. Have fun with your pet dog.

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