1.
Begin Training Early The most
important time of your dog's development is between eight and twelve
weeks of age, as this is when they pick up good (and bad) habits.
2.
Be Friendly The tone of your
voice lets your dog know when he has behaved well. Positive
reinforcement is important, which means rewarding your pet for desired
behaviours.
3.
Body Language Keep your own
body language 'clean and tidy' so that your dog can understand your
signals. Always use the hand nearest to the dog to indicate what
you want him to do. Don't cross hands over from one side of your
body to the other, or it will confuse him. Always give a clear
picture of what you want him to do.
4.
Commands When teaching
something new, get your dog to follow a food lure (treat); then put a
hand signal with the lure; and, finally, once you dog is ok with the
hand signal, put a verbal command to it. Then you can try just a
verbal command to see if your dog understands what you want of him; if
he doesn't, then go back to the beginning with the lure.
5.
Let Him Rest Like you, your
pet can have off days and he will respond well to breaks.
6.
Vary It Encouraging your
dog to train with different people will make him more adaptable.
7.
Keep Him Interested The best way to
keep your dog interested in training is to reward him. When your
dog is learning something new reward him every time he does it; then
reward every two or three times; then, when your pet understands and
enjoys what he is doing, treat him at random. This way, he will
remain interested in training sessions, won't get fat - and you won't
go bancrupt keeping him in treats.
