Whoever acquires one of the sociable four-legged friends should take care of the education of the new favorite already at the puppy age. The earlier a dog is familiarized with certain commands, the higher the chance that it can later be controlled in critical situations. In a playful way, the basic commands can be learned little by little. Many breeds have an extremely docile character anyway, and with a few rules, education can soon bear fruit.

Similar to humans, the willingness to learn is also highest in dogs at a younger age. Already as a puppy, the first attempts at education can be started. Especially with large specimens, it is important to teach the animal certain rules, otherwise, problems may arise later. These tips show what belongs to species-appropriate dog training.

About The Sense Of Dog Training

Some are of the opinion that a dog is limited in the development of his personality by education. Contrary to this is the fact that it is a pack animal and it corresponds to its nature to find its place within a group and to subordinate itself.

When a puppy from his litter comes into a new environment, socialization should be started directly. Training for housetraining also begins in the first days of life together. If the dog does not experience guidance from its master or mistress, it will try to find its own way. This can lead to various difficult situations.

For example, if the animal feels insecure, it may react with constant loud barking or even aggressive behavior. A simple walk then becomes a gauntlet. Learning basic commands, on the other hand, makes it much easier to maintain control. Depending on how teachable the student is and how much time can be invested, there are a variety of ways to further train the dog.

Dog training can also protect the beloved four-legged friend from dangerous situations. For example, the organism of many breeds can be very sensitive to eating snow. Here the dog should be trained from the beginning that snow is taboo. As a result, otherwise, painful gastritis can occur. Also, the eating of other things lying around should be directly prevented. Cigarette butts, pieces of paper, or plastic picked up from the ground can also cause health problems if they get into the stomach.

Establishing The Hierarchy

First of all, it must be made clear to the dog who is the boss in the house. Within the “pack” of the family, he always has the lowest rank. In this way, dominance problems are avoided from the beginning. In order to convey this position to him, various rules should be set up that must be followed. All persons who are in contact with the dog should also adhere to these rules. The animal should always get the same reactions or instructions to a certain behavior.

The hierarchy manifests itself in various everyday situations:

• Food: The higher ranking eats first. Therefore, the dog should not get his food together with the people at the table. Especially feeding with treats from the plate is taboo. A separate feeding place somewhat apart is a good solution.

• Priority: Humans always have priority in other situations as well. When passing a bottleneck or going through a door, master or mistress should always go first. Even when playing, care should be taken that the dog does not win. If things get a bit wild, he can be stopped with a consistent No! or Off!

Praise And Reprimand At The Right Time

A dog owner bears responsibility for his animal and should observe his darling closely. In this way, the dog’s behavior can be analyzed and appropriate measures can be taken to intervene in the event of a misstep. However, the animal must first make a mistake before he can learn the associated rules.

However, the quadruped always brings praise or punishment only with a situation in connection, which just takes place. If the reaction of the human being to the behavior comes too early or too late, this cannot lead to the desired result. If the appropriate moment was missed, it is better to wait for the next opportunity for positive or negative feedback.

At the beginning of the training, the appropriate commands can also be given at the moment when the dog sits or lies down by itself. In this way, the animal automatically learns to associate the commands with its own behavior.

Consistency Pays Off

In fact, the most important rule is to always be consistent. If there is no time to enforce a command or finish a learning session, it is better to wait for the next time. All people who serve as caregivers for the dog must follow the rules and respond directly to certain behaviors in each case.

If this is not done with the necessary consistency, the dog will not be able to correctly interpret the reactions of the people or derive a rule from them. The learning effect with the animal happens above all also over observation and imitation. This should be kept in mind when the dog is in the vicinity. A contradictory behavior of the people can irritate the quadruped otherwise.

Positive behaviors of the dog should also be praised regularly. Thereby not always treats must serve, praising words and strokes are just as well suitable for it. If nevertheless in between the one or other treat is distributed as a reward, it is important to keep the food need of the animal thereby in the eye and to give if necessary less normal food.

The Right Command

For successful dog training, the right commands are also very important. Not only spoken commands can be used. Hand signals are also recognized by the animals and are often even more effective. These gestures can also be used from the beginning so that they are understood and respected as early as possible.

Care should be taken that word commands and hand signals do not contradict each other. A dog observes the body posture and also the emphasis of the speech of its human very closely. Even small gestures and movements are interpreted by him and can be used to control his behavior.

With the individual commands, it is important that for a certain command always the same wording is used. Short words and terms that are pronounced clearly are best received by the animals. The tone of voice also plays a role. If the keyword is mentioned only in passing in a sentence, it may be drowned out. In addition, the tone and intonation of your own words make it clear to the animal whether you are praising or scolding.

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Invest Time

It takes time to train a dog. Training can last a dog’s entire life because the ability to learn never completely diminishes and even older animals can still be taught new tricks or commands. However, the age of the four-legged friend has a big impact on how training should be done.

The attention span of young puppies is still quite short. After just a few minutes, they can no longer concentrate and they would rather go back to playing or romping around. Several small training sessions throughout the day or as needed when a suitable situation arises are best for them.

Only later, with targeted training over a longer period of time, more complex commands or even coordination can be trained. The visit of a dog school is recommended from an age of about five to six months. Certified dog schools and trainers can now be found all over Germany. Those who invest enough time in the education of their favorite from the beginning will later benefit from an attentive and obedient partner in all situations.