Your dog is not just a pet. Often, the dog is an integral part of your family that you cannot imagine living without.
The main challenge, however, is in communication. You are never on the same page, most probably because the dog does not understand your language. This is where dog training comes in to make interactions between you and the fluffy animal more manageable.
7 Training Tips for Students-Dog Owners
Training helps you build a stronger relationship with the pet, gives the vet an easier time when treating your dog, and, most importantly, improves your home safety.
But how do you train your dog efficiently? Here are the top tips to guide you.
Create a Suitable Schedule
Dogs are organized animals. They appreciate knowing what to do at a particular period and what to expect.
Coming up with a schedule will alleviate your dog’s apprehension and will make it easier for it to trust you. The puppy will automatically know when the training time comes, so you will not have a hard time trying to convince it to head to the training yard.
If you incorporate treats in training, the pet will be looking forward to the sessions, making the overall training more manageable and exciting.
As a student, you most probably have a tight schedule between school, sports activities, and social life. You might be having difficulties trying to create some time for dog training.
Nonetheless, it only takes effective time management strategies to tick everything off your to-do list. Come up with convenient ways to free some time to rest and train your puppy.
There is no better way to do so than by hiring the essay helper and letting the experts handle your assignments. The best part about using writing services is that quality work is guaranteed. You also do not have to worry about missed deadlines.
Designate an Area for Training
The key tip for fast training is to dedicate a particular area to the session. Ensure that the area has minimal distractions and enough space for the dog to play and move freely.
Training the dog in a familiar place will ensure that it is calm and focused. Besides, your pet will be more likely to understand instructions.
Maintain Positivity in Your Voice
As much as you want to transform your puppy into the most obedient dog, don’t let your emotions overtake you. Your voice should be firm but positive.
It is highly recommended that you try the reward method. This is where you become authoritative and use a commanding voice while reminding the dog that you are still friends. Give your pet a treat whenever it does something right to show appreciation and motivate it to keep it up.
The goal is to make the dog feel safe around you. Keep in mind that dogs only understand a few words, so you ought to be intentional. You should aim at becoming a leader and not a bully. Don’t force the puppy to respect you. By using the correct language, you will automatically win its trust.
Ensure Consistency
You must be excited that your dog is finally acting as you want it to. This can tempt you to teach the puppy more things than it can comprehend at once.
Consistency is the secret when teaching the pet to grasp the commands and remember them even in a week.
Decide which cues you want your puppy to learn and stick to that. For instance, if you wish it to learn simple cues such as run, stop, sit, and stand, do not get tired of repeating them.
Do Not Go Overboard With Training Sessions
It would help if you kept the training sessions brief. Dogs get tired quickly and lose their concentration.
It would be such a waste if you spent a whole hour training the dog to realize that it only grasped what you said in the first 20 or so minutes.
Making the sessions short is not only suitable for the puppy but also can easily fit into your busy schedule. You, therefore, have no excuse for not training your dog.
Keep the Dog on a Leash
Training is all about being in control. You want to keep the dog calm, focused, and attentive, and it is up to you to guide it with its leash. With this, the puppy will always be ready to listen and do as you command.
Using a leash gives you up to 90 percent control over the dog compared to letting it free. However, just because the puppy is restricted does not mean that you should take advantage of the situation to punish it when it fails to obey. It would help if you instead used the opportunity to build more trust while maintaining the dog’s attention.
Remain Patient
Training is not an overnight thing. You cannot train your dog today and expect it to be perfect tomorrow.
Keep in mind that dogs are different. Just because your neighbor’s puppy was a quick learner does not make yours a failure if it takes some time. Be patient and mentally prepared for ups and downs.
Some days will be smooth. The dog will understand and respond to each command. But there are days when the puppy is not in the mood for it. Just like humans, puppies need the motivation to keep going. You can try doing so or leave it to rest if nothing seems to cheer it up.
Unsuccessful training sessions do not mean that you are a failure or that your dog is not good enough. Take each day as it comes and appreciate that your dog is still there with you. There is always a next time.
Final Thoughts
With the tips above, you will undoubtedly have a smooth dog training session. Consistency, patience, and using the right tone will go a long way to ensure your puppy gets you and responds positively.