Getting a happy and healthy dog as the newest member of the family is one of the greatest joys in life. However, it can come with some challenges. One challenge for example would be training. Whether your new furry member is old or young, training is an important part of having a dog. Here are our top five training tips for new dog owners!
Make training fun
Do you remember how it felt to go to school as a child? Getting up early, sitting through boring classes, doing math; probably wasn’t as fun as you would have liked. Well, training a dog shouldn’t be boring either. Better yet, it doesn’t even have to involve math!
Keep you and your pup engaged by making training fun. Use toys and treats in your training and take frequent play breaks in between. Just like children, your dog’s attention can wander. By making it enjoyable for them, they’re much more likely to learn.
Plan ahead
So, your new puppy is here and you’re anxious to make them a super dog, teaching them every trick in the book. Time to slow down. While you definitely can teach your puppy many tricks, you need to prioritize. Before you start training, decide what commands are most important. Does your dog need to ‘come’ because you live on a busy street? Should he know ‘wait’ for when you visit the dog park? Whatever the reason, make a list of the most vital commands your dog needs to know.
Use rewards
Positive reinforcement is the key to replicating the desired behavior. The key here is to choose a reward that is specific to your dog. While we know that many dogs are food-driven, not every food will be a reward. Try different techniques. Provide training treats, a little bit of chicken, maybe their favorite toy. When you find the thing that clicks, stick with it. However, if your dog starts to lose interest, take a break. Give Fido a breather and start the trial process again.
Simplify
Training doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the more you simplify, the quicker and easier your dog will pick up new commands. So, what do we mean by simplifying your training? Break down the command you are trying to instill into parts. As your dog completes each stage of training, give rewards and build to the next step. This simplification will make training infinitely easier. You can see our training tips for ‘sit’, here!
Get everyone involved
One of the main reasons that training tends to fail is that there is no consistency, specifically among family members. It’s important that everyone is involved in the training process. Decide what verbal and/or physical signals will be used for each command. Get on the same page about where your dog currently stands and where they need to go.
Bonus Tip: Use a multivitamin
Ok, so this isn’t exactly a training tip, but hear us out. Training can be an exhaustive process and it’s important to give your pet the vitamins they need to succeed. That’s why we recommend the PupGrade Daily Multivitamin. This unique blend of vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids ensures that your pup maintains healthy skin, a shiny coat, and a strong body and mind. You can pick up a jar of PupGrade Daily Multivitamins here!
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