There are many questions that surround dog training. When? How long? How many things to work on? We are going to try and answer as many of those dog training questions that you have! Let’s jump in!
When you are training your pup the MOST IMPORTANT thing is you both are having fun. Are you frustrated with your pup (you just found the shoe they ate)? Is your dog stressed (you had a house full of small children)? Don’t train. You won’t be successful and will run the risk of undoing some of your hard work. Take a breath and conduct your dog training when you are in the right frame of mind.
Daily Dog Training
Work dog training into everyday life. You don’t need a solid block of time. Don’t skip training because you think you need a full 30 minutes. Long periods of training are actually unproductive. Think trying to teach a kindergartener for an hour… you lost them a long time ago and are getting antsy and frustrated.
Training & Treats
Many clients ask about treating during training. Remember that treats should be equal to the environment. If you are working inside, use their kibble. If you are working in your yard, use medium value treats. If you are on a walk or high distraction environment, high value treats.
Incorporating New Behaviors
If a behavior is new to your dog, work on just that behavior until they are ready to move to a location that is more challenging. If you are refreshing a behavior they already know, work with a few different behaviors.
End Paws-itvely
Most importantly you should always end on a good note with your dog training. If your dog is struggling with a new behavior, end with a behavior the pup already knows.
If your dog is struggling with a new behavior, break it down into smaller actions. You want your dog to down but he just isn’t getting there? Think of all the actions that go into a down; chest down, legs down, bum down and start with the smaller actions and increase your requirements when the prior step has been accomplished.
What other dog training questions do you have? Let us know! We will be glad to answer them in another blog installment.
Looking for a dog trainer in Charlotte, NC? Contact Furry Fundamentals!