Are you after some extra tips for training?
Do you want to be able to communicate better with your dog?
Or maybe you are just thinking about starting training and want some advice!
I'm here for you!
Here are some top tips to help you get into your dog's mind!
Think dog!
Dogs don’t learn in the same way humans do. In order to fully understand the behaviours they show, study dog body language! Every dog is different, but they all show similar behaviours when stressed, anxious, scared, happy, playful, and relaxed. Make sure you learn, and teach your children to learn how to interpret this body language.
As well as this, know your own dog! Do you know what that ear twitch means? Or that little grumble when they lay down? What about that slow blinking? If you get to know your dog at base level, you'll be able to pick up on signs that something isn't right much easier, like if they feel poorly.
Talk dog!
Once you understand their body language, it’s time to start communicating effectively with your dog. It's really common that I see owners ask their dog to do something time and time again, when actually, their dog was going to do it the first time, but just needed time to think. Repeating cues can confuse dogs. They know what 'sit' means, but not 'sit sit sit sit'. And if they don't understand, how will they respond?
Reward the positives
So often in our daily lives with dogs, they are doing good behaviours that we miss, and therefore don’t reward. The good behaviours are usually much less obvious than the bad, but that’s no excuse for not rewarding it.
If you don’t reward a behaviour, how will your dog know to perform it again! Especially when they are getting attention from performing that bad behaviours….
Perfect your Timing
How does your dog know they’ve done the right thing? By being rewarded, of course! But if they get rewarded too late.. or even too early, they may get rewarded for the wrong behaviour. Potentially, that behaviour might be unwanted!
Be consistent
It’s really confusing to your dog if everyone in your home has different rules, or if you keep changing your mind about what your dog is and isn’t allowed to do. The most common confusions are if your dog is allowed on the sofa and upstairs, and the different cue words you have for your dog.
Make sure to have the same rules for everyone, and keep all cue words the same, and easy to remember.
Know your dog as an individual
You’ll know your dog better than anyone, but do you use that to your advantage? What are their favourite things? Use these as rewards!
What do they like the least? What do they hate? Avoid these in order to reduce stress, and train your dog to like or at least habituate to them. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Use these to your advantage in training!
Offer a variety of experiences!
Imagine living your whole day in just one room, only getting out for one hour (or less) a day… and even then what you see is controlled by someone else. That’s the life for most dogs! It must be boring, right?!
It’s not ideal, but for some of us we may not have another choice if we work long hours and have a family to care for, but it’s sometimes the small things that can make all the difference in your dog’s life.
Perhaps you could take your dog to the park for a run, or do some training on the beach. Maybe even making the garden more exciting by building a DIY assault course or agility course!
For more ideas, I’ve just launched my brand new Online Enrichment Course! It’s jam packed with ways to make your dog’s lives more exciting without spending a fortune or spending all of your time either!
Want to take a look? Muckypups-dogtraining.com/shop
Start Training Early and Reinforce Throughout the Dog’s Whole Life.
This is absolutely crucial for success! Puppies’ brains are like little sponges at a young age, and just like children, they learn quicker. Drilling in the good behaviour at that age will help you prevent problems, rather than try to cure them in the future, which can be time consuming and expensive!
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