10 Simple Training Tips For Your Dog

by Christy Balderson

1. PATIENCE. Your puppy/dog can sense when you are upset or frustrated and can sometimes act out if they sense same. So please always be patient. If needed, stop training for a few minutes and come back.

2. ALWAYS keep your dog on a schedule. If housebreaking, take your puppy/dog out at the same time everyday. When housebreaking a puppy, the general rule is 1 hr x the puppies age in months as to how frequently the puppy should be taken out.

3. Have your puppy/dog sit for everything (Example: Before going outside, before coming back in, before eating, before giving him/her a toy, etc.). Teaching your dog to sit is the first step towards all of your training.

4. To prevent jumping on guests, have your guests ignore your puppy/dog until your puppy/dog calms down and sits. You can also have your guests cross their arms and turn their back to the puppy/dog.

5. I recommend training with treats. I gave my dog treats everytime she followed a command correctly. I have found that she responds better to training commands if she gets a treat. Eventually, you can eliminate treats when your puppy/dog responds to training commands on a regular basis.

6. NEVER use a crate as punishment. If you are crate training, you want your puppy/dog to associate his/her crate as a safe zone. Therefore, do not use the crate as a punishment.

7. Do not allow your puppy/dog to climb up on furniture or your bed without being invited. Training your puppy/dog to only climb up on the couch or in your bed when invited will allow you to keep him/her off furniture when you have guests.

8. Never allow your puppy/dog to mount you. This is a dominance maneuver.

9. EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE. Most puppies/dogs require exercise. If they do not get exercise, you may have problems at home and with training.

10. Practice training commands for 5 to 10 minutes everyday.

I work at home and love it. Please view my blog at http://mchickytraining.blogspot.com

I have a labador retreiver and she is awesome. Training her has had its leaps and bounds and I want to share some simple tips that Ive learned since my husband and I adopted her. I also work at home and love it!!