Dog Behavior Training

When you have a problem with another human being, it's reasonably straightforward to solve it - you just have to talk to them. Okay, so maybe that's not always straightforward, but it's much easier than dealing with a dog! Much as we love our dogs and often treat them like children, the reality is that they are animals. Dogs can't talk to us, and they don't think the same way we do.

In many ways, dogs also like different things to humans as well. One of the most obvious areas is obedience. A lot of human beings resent being told what to do, and act up as a result. Dogs, however, generally love obedience training, and want nothing more than to please their human by doing as they're told. Dog behavior training is a great way to establish effective communication with your dog.

Dog behavior training is, to some extent, training your dog to resist its natural canine impulses. Dogs bark, go to the toilet, dig holes and bite. Those are all perfectly normal canine behaviors. Unfortunately they don't always fit in with our notion of a well behaved dog.

Obedience training also helps to reinforce the fact that you're in charge. Social hierarchy is important in the dog world, and you need to be at the top of the heap if you're going to improve your dog's behavior. One of the big side benefits of dog behavior training is that a well behaved dog is a pleasure to have around, which makes it much easier for you to establish a positive, loving relationship with your pet.

There's never a "right" time to start dog training - start whenever you realize you need to. Starting good habits early is often the best way to go, but even an older dog can learn the basics, given time. One important thing to remember is that a dog doesn't have a long attention span, so keep training sessions short. Lengthy training sessions will be boring, and your dog will rapidly lose interest. Try to mix the training in with other daily activities where appropriate.

It's always good to reward your dog when he does the right thing. Positive reinforcement is a very powerful training method. However, if your dog doesn't do the right thing, it's also important to make it clear it's wrong. Reprimand the dog, but keep it sharp and short. You must reprimand as the dog is doing the wrong thing, because saying something half an hour later won't work. If possible, try to show the dog the correct behavior for that situation.

Finally, physical punishment has no part in good dog behavior training. Instead of an obedient dog, you will end up with a frightened one, who may turn on you or others when you least expect it. So treat your dog with love and respect, and the rewards will be worthwhile.