How to easily train your dog ?

EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE:

Dogs are pack animals that look up to a strong leader, and that should be you. It is important for your dog to understand this from the start, so have a set routine and stick to it.
Your dog will learn faster if you are positive and consistent in what you expect from it. The training methods below will help you turn your dog into an obedient pet.

CHEWING :

Puppies chew to ease the discomfort of teething. Supply your dog with chew toys to prevent this activity from turning destructive.

REWARDING GOOD BEHAVIOR :

The easiest way to train a dog is by appealing to its innate desire to please and by using positive reinforcement rather than punishment. Reward and praise your dog when it behaves the way you want it to. It will soon learn to associate good behavior with rewards.

TREATS :

Take a little time to find out what your dog craves. If it is motivated by food, reward its good behavior during a training session with a small, flavorful treat.

PRAISE :

Words of praise and hugs are often reward enough for an eager to please dog and will reinforce the concept of good behavior.

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USING HAND SIGNALS :

Reinforce the visual signal with your voice; later, you can simply utter an instruction, and your dog will understand what to do. Praise your dog immediately if it does the right thing, so it associates action and reward.

SIT :

This is one of the easiest commands for a dog to learn. Gently move your hand, palm up, toward your chest.

DOWN :

Lure your dog into the down position with a treat. As soon as its elbows are on the floor, introduce the hand signal.

COME :

At first, practice this hand signal over a short distance to ensure your dog’s attention does not wander.

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USING YOUR VOICE :

Dogs can be trained to associate the sound of certain words with the actions they are expected to perform. Use short, one-word commands (“Sit,” “Stay,” “Fetch,” and the like), and speak them clearly and with a cheerful, encouraging voice.

Always use the same commands, and make sure that everyone else in the family does the same, to avoid confusing the dog.

USING HAND SIGNALS:

It is easier for your dog to read your body language than it is to understand what you say, which makes hand signals a key element of its training. Make sure you have eye contact with your dog prior to giving any hand signals. Reinforce the visual signal with your voice; later, you can simply utter an instruction, and your dog will understand what to do.

Praise your dog immediately if it does the right thing, so it associates action and reward.

EYE CONTACT :

Establish eye contact with your dog prior to issuing a vocal instruction to ensure you have its full attention.
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NEWSPAPER TRAINING:

Take your puppy outside to relieve itself after meals and naps, and after exciting events such as meeting new people. Its behavior will also alert you to its need to relieve itself if you see it sniffing and circling the same spot, take it outside. Until a toilet routine is established and adhered to, encourage your puppy to relieve itself on sheets of old newspaper

1 When you see your puppy sniffing at the ground, pick it up and place it on newspaper. Stay with it until it relieves itself.

2 Praise your puppy for using the newspaper. Over time, regular toilet trips outside will be enough to avoid accidents indoors.

WHEN TOILET TRAINING FAILS :

It is not always possible to keep an eye on your puppy, and accidents are bound to happen, especially in the early days. If your dog relieves itself indoors, do not reprimand it. Being scolded will only make your dog sneak to a place where it cannot be seen next time it is about to relieve itself, making it harder for you to prevent accidents by taking it outside or putting down some newspaper

CLEANING UP :

Clean the affected area with an ammonia-free disinfectant. It is vital to eliminate the smell, or your dog will use the same spot over and over again
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OUTDOOR TOILET TRAINING:

Getting your dog used to an outdoor toilet routine is best done in conjunction with newspaper training. The key to both types of toilet training is vigilance. Observe your dog for any behavior that might suggest it wants to relieve itself, and act accordingly. In the meantime, aim to establish regular outside toileting times.

1 If your dog starts sniffing the ground and circling the same spot, it might be looking for a spot in which to relieve itself.
2 Act quickly to prevent an accident. Take your dog out into the yard or for a walk so it can relieve itself in an appropriate spot.
3 If you are letting your dog out into the yard, go with it and stay until it has relieved itself. Then praise it for doing it outside.

CRATE TRAINING :

Get your puppy used to spending its quiet time in a crate. Make sure the crate is equipped with everything your dog might need: soft bedding, a chew toy or a food releasing toy, a water bowl, and a newspaper for toileting. Place the crate in the room where you will be spending time for example, the kitchen while you are preparing food.

At first, leave your puppy in the crate for no longer than 30 minutes or so; over time, you will be able to increase the length of its stay. Never use crate time as a form of punishment.

SAFE HAVEN :

Get your puppy accustomed to spending quiet time in a crate, and as it grows up, it will come to see it as a safe place at busy or stressful times
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TEACHING A DOG ITS NAME:

It is important to teach your dog to recognize its own name and to come back to you when it is called. When your dog learns this, you can start letting it off the leash on walks where permitted. Train your dog to come when called in an environment that is familiar to it and where there are few distractions, such as an enclosed backyard. You might have to recruit a friend or another family member to help the first few times.

1 Ask a friend to restrain your dog gently but firmly by the collar, then allow it to sniff a tasty treat. Do not give the treat.

2 Take the treat and move about 10ft (3m) away from your dog. Squat down. Open your arms wide to indicate “Come” and call your dog’s name.

3 Instruct your friend to release your dog as soon as you call its name. Keep your arms open to encourage your dog to come to you.

4 When your dog is near you, lure it closer still by giving it the treat you had promised. Gently hold it by the collar and praise it, repeating its name.
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TEACHING TO SIT:

Teaching your dog to sit when asked will allow you to have control over it at times of excitement for example, when you have visitors. As with all dog training exercises, practice when your dog is relaxed and in a place with few distractions. You can use your voice or your hand, or a combination of .

1 Stand in front of your dog with a treat in your hand. Allow it to smell your hand, then slowly move the treat over its head.

2 This action will force your dog to lift its nose and move backward into a sitting position. Say “Sit.” When your dog does, release the treat and praise it.

TEACHING TO SIT & STAY :

This instruction is particularly useful to control your dog in potentially dangerous situations for example, when the front door is left open to allow for deliveries or a large number of people to come in. It is a good idea to train your dog to sit and stay when it is feeling tired, since it will then be more likely to want to stay in one position.

1 Instruct your dog to sit, then get it to remain in the sitting position by bringing your hand down slowly toward its face.

2 Reward your dog by bringing a treat to its level. Repeat steps 1 and 2, leaving it longer between instruction and reward.

3 Your dog will eventually learn to wait for a minute or longer. At this stage, move away slightly. Reward your dog if it stays seated.

TEACHING TO WALK TO HEEL:

By teaching your pup to walk on a loose leash and, ultimately, to heel, you lay the foundations for pleasurable dog-walking in the years to come. One of the most important things to bear in mind during this training is not to pull on the leash. You should aim to encourage the dog to be near you because it wants to be, not because it has no other choice or is unable to move away from you

1 With the handle of the leash in your right hand and a treat in your left, encourage the pup to follow the treat behind you until it stands next to your left leg. Reward with the treat.

2 Place another treat near your dog’s nose, then draw it away to keep its attention on you and its gaze upward. Speak the pup’s name and say “Heel.”

3 Move forward one step. Give the treat and enthusiastic praise if the dog moves with you. This encourages further obedience.

4 Increase the number of steps you take between rewards. Begin each new training session with the same one-step reward to refresh the dog’s memory

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TEACHING TO LIE DOWN :

Teaching your puppy to lie down is a very effective way of taking control of situations in which the dog becomes overly excited. It also helps develop the dog’s self-control, since it will learn that this position must be maintained even if running around seems like more fun. Be patient when teaching lying down, and continue to practice until the dog responds immediately to you saying “Down” under all circumstances.

1 Start by asking your dog to sit. Use a treat near its nose to lead the pup down. Allow the dog to lick at the reward but not eat the whole thing.

2 Move the treat toward the ground to lure the puppy down. Say “Down” as you keep allowing access to the treat. If the dog tries to get up, go back to the sit position.

3 When both of the dog’s elbows are on the ground, give the rest of the treat and enthusiastic praise. Be patient it will become easier in future attempts.

TEACHING TO GIVE ITEMS:

There will be times when you want your dog to let go of something it has in its mouth. In most cases, it will be a ball or similar toy that you need to be able to throw again so the fun can continue. However, it is also a useful skill should the dog pick up an item that is toxic or could cause injury.

FROM MOUTH TO HAND :

Use fetch time to teach giving. Place your hand under the dog’s chin in readiness to catch the ball, then use the instruction “Give.” Aim to have the ball delivered into your hand; if the dog misses, try again until your puppy gets it right.

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DEALING WITH EXCESSIVE BARKING :

Dogs bark for several reasons: when they are bored, because they want attention, or to alert us to something. Barking due to separation anxiety or for attention needs to be dealt with. Your dog must learn that to have your attention it must behave. Ignore the dog when it barks, then do some simple training exercises, such as asking it to sit or lie down. Only give it a reward when it is quiet.

BARK CONTROL :

If a dog is particularly obedient, you may be able to control its barking with instructions such as “Speak” and “Quiet.

DEALING WITH AGGRESSION :

Most aggressive behavior is likely to be between male dogs. Neutering at a young age can help reduce such behavior, but watch for body language indicators while walking off-leash. This is where “Come” training is invaluable, but distract the dog with a favorite toy and treat, too.

TO OTHER DOGS :

Much of what seems like aggression between dogs is simply defensive behavior.

TO PEOPLE:

If your dog is aggressive toward people, you will need to ask a professional dog trainer for help.
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BEGGING & STEALING FOOD:

The most effective way of preventing your dog from begging and stealing food is not to let the opportunity present itself. Additionally, though, feed your dog only from its own bowl and always in the same place.
In the event of these behaviors occurring, give a firm “Leave” command. Of course, there will be times when food is in a position that makes it easy to steal. Be sure to praise and reward your dog when it does not take advantage of such situations.

BEGGING :

Begging can be prevented early in life by refusing to feed your dog from your plate or table. Feed the dog well away from your own eating area.

STEALING

Dogs are easily tempted, so try not to leave food unattended. If your dog steals from the garbage can, use one with a lid that closes tightly, and make sure that it never overflows.