Dog Training & Behaviour Coventry
We all want a well behaved dog, it’s important for safety as much as anything, but how we train them is just as vital as what we train them to do. Dog training should be fun for both you and your dog and training in a positive way will strengthen your bond.
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Contact meDog Training Coventry - Basic training tips
- Training will exercise your dog’s brain
- Training should be based on a positive rewards system
- Never punish your dog during training
- Don’t force training, be patient and show them what you want them to do
- Keep commands simple
- Keep training sessions short or they will become bored
- Don’t begin training in a busy area, build up to training in places with more distractions
- Have fun with your dog
Basic dog training
Training can be started at any age, in fact, the sooner the better. You can start simple training with your puppy as soon as he has settled into his new home. Older dogs are also receptive to training, although some may be less keen or less quick to learn than younger dogs. Done properly, training will be fun, both for you and your dog, as well as exercising his brain and reinforcing the good relationship between you.
In order to be effective and to gain the best results, all training should be based on positive rewards. Positive reward training works because if you reward your dog with something he wants as soon as he does what you ask, he’ll want to repeat the task next time.
Rewards can be anything that your dog or puppy really wants and could include; food treats, (see my other blog on this first however) a favourite toy, playing a certain game or getting a fuss. If you are using food treats, you will need to reduce the size of your dog’s normal meals or use his whole meal divided up into smaller portions, to prevent your dog putting on weight.
Always combine the giving of a reward with verbal praise such as “Good dog”.
When teaching a new command, you will need to reward your dog every time that he does what you ask correctly.
Dog behaviour - the basic commands
Five basic commands that are useful for your dog to know are; sit, down, stay, come and walking nicely on the lead.
Sit
Do not push his bottom down to make him sit, as he is likely to push up against your hand as a result and this may hurt his back.
When training your dog to sit, use the command “sit”. Do not use “sit down” as this may confuse your dog when you try to teach the ‘down’ command.
Down
Ask your dog to sit and show him the treat in your hand. Slowly move your hand down towards the ground in front of him (just in front of his
feet), as you use the command “down”. He should follow your hand with his nose and lay down. Give him the treat and praise him. If you have trouble getting him to lie down in this way, put an object such as a coffee table or a chair between you and your dog and try again. He will have to lie down to get under the barrier to get the treat. Remove the barrier when he gets the hang of it.
Stay
Once he is doing this short ‘stay’ command correctly, gradually increase the distance between you and your dog and/or the time that he is asked to stay. If he gets up when he is not supposed to, go back a stage to a shorter distance or time, and then increase again slowly until he is doing as he is told every time.
Walking nicely on the lead
Practice in your home and garden first as there are fewer distractions for your dog than in the street. It is a natural, enjoyable behaviour for a dog to want to find out what is happening in his local area by sniffing the ground, lamp posts and fences for scents left by other dogs. On walks you should allow him to have a sniff around. When you are ready to let him do this, use a command such as “off you go”, so that he can learn when he is allowed to do this. You could use this loose lead ‘freedom’ as a reward for when he has been performing well on the lead.
Come
All dogs need a good run off-lead in a safe place at least once a day to help them stay happy and fit and to get rid of some of that excess energy that can lead to mischief-making. However, it’s an owner’s legal responsibility to ensure that their dog is under control at all times in a public place – so being able to get your dog to come back to you when you call him is very important.
Dog behaviour training Do's and Don'ts
- Do
Practice in your home and garden first, before trying commands in public areas. - Start training with your new dog or puppy as soon as possible.
- Keep sessions short (5-10 minutes max) and fun.
- Reward or treat him on a random basis, once the new command has been learnt – but
still remembering to verbally praise every time. - Try to use hand signals with your verbal commands, as some dogs may find it easier
to recognise these. - Keep commands clear and consistent.
- Take your time and be patient.
Stick to one new command per training session at first to avoid confusing your dog. - Consider going to a good local training class – but if your dog is anxious or fearful around other dogs, a one-to-one training session with a trainer may be better.
- Try to finish on a high note – your dog is more likely to want to train again next time!
Don’t
- Let your dog get bored – stop immediately if you see this happening.
- Tell him off if he gets it wrong.
Shout or physically punish him – it will make him scared of you and may cause him to become aggressive. - Train him if he is tired or hungry – it’ll make him frustrated and he won’t enjoy training.
- Chase him when you want him to come – he’ll think it is a great game and will run away
even more. - Do your early training in an area with lots of distractions, such as other dogs, people,
noises, smells. - Expect too much too soon.
- Expect him to understand a command until you have taught him what it means.
Further information can be found in these other posts:
