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Tips for a Well-Behaved Puppy or Dog1. Start your training as soon as you get your puppy. He will learn faster and easier when younger and will not develop bad habits to un-learn. The first lesson the pup should learn is the word "No." 2. Be gentle and consistent. Keep your training sessions upbeat, always using positive reinforcement to make the training enjoyable for both of you. 3. Don't give commands you will not enforce. This makes the dog think the command is optional. He will not remember all the times he had to obey; he will remember the one time you did not follow through with it. 4. Don't repeat commands. If you say a command three times, the dog will wait until you say it three times the next time. Also, if you say it twice the first time, three times the next time, etc., the animal does not know which time you say the command is the time it should be obeyed. 5. Don't let the dog do something at the beginning that you do not want her to do later on. A young puppy that is allowed to sit on the sofa does not understand when told to stay off the sofa when she is older and larger. It is better for the pup to be given the rules from the start, and it is much easier for you if you do not have to un-learn the dog, as she gets older. This includes jumping on people, begging at the table, stealing food, etc. It may seem cute as a puppy, but such habits are harder to break, as the dog gets older. 6. Use your dog's name in a positive way, never as a punishment. Always call your dog by name when using the "come" command and never punish him when he does come to you. Praise and pet him so he knows when he comes to you good things will happen. This will enforce his desire to come to you. 7. Don't train soon after your dog has been playing hard. He will be too tired to work on training. 8. No after-the-fact punishments. If you do not catch him in the act of misbehaving, he will not know what why you are punishing him. 9. Give your dog distractions at home during training to accustom him to following your commands. If he does not follow your commands at home, he will not follow them outside the home where there are more distractions. 10. Only give one command at a time, and be consistent in that command. "Sit down~~ is two commands-"sit" and "down." Your dog cannot do a "Sit down" because he cannot sit and go down at the same time. Do not confuse your dog with the wrong commands. Use the same command each time. Do not use "heel" one time, "follow me" the next time, and "come on" another time. If the command is "heel," be sure "heel" is what you use each time. Have every family member use the same command to keep from confusing your dog. The more he understands, the more he will be able to do what it is you want of him. 11. Keep your voice calm and authoritative, not loud and shouting. Just as you do not like to be shouted at, neither does your dog. He will respond much better if you keep your voice calm. 12. Never hit your dog. Violence teaches violence. Do not train your dog if you are ill, in a bad mood or angry because you will not have the patience you need. Do not lose your temper with your dog. Common sense teaches that fear and stress inhibit learning. You need to be in control of your emotions. You want to work toward earning your dog's respect and you cannot accomplish this if you are yelling, hitting, or abusing the dog. 13. If you are using treats to train your dog, do not feed him prior to the lesson. If he is hungry he will be more eager to work for the treats. Reserve ALL treats for training Sessions-if the dog gets treats all day long without earning them, he will not want to work for them later. He will know he can get them without working the other times. If your dog has a weight problem, you can use his daily ration of dry food for the treats. 14. Stop unwanted behaviors before they happen. Example: The dog sees a child's toy, sniffs it and is about to pick it up. That is the time to say, "No, leave it." Another example: The dog sees food on the kitchen counter, sniffs the air and starts toward it. That is the best time to stop him, while he is only thinking about it and before he's misbehaved. 15. Don't encourage undesired behavior. Example: Your dog becomes nervous during a thunderstorm. Do not pick her up and coo, "everything's all right, I'll protect you," etc. That reinforces her fear. Just go about your normal routine, which lets the dog know there is nothing bad going on and that she should just go about her normal routine. Last but not least! If you are having a problem with your training, hire a professional to help. We at 1st Choice Dog Training would be happy to be your choice, but whether it is with one of our training professionals or with another professional, get help!
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