Positive reinforcement is often the best way of encouraging good pet behaviour.
Even the best-behaved pooch will get into trouble occasionally. We’ve put together a handy guide to help dog owners.
Why is puppy training important?
Training your dog is vital, regardless of the breed or temperament of your pooch. It gives your pets stimulation and ensures they are well rounded animals.
Puppy Training helps with ensuring pet safety, as it means you’re more able to control your dog with voice commands.
Why you should positive train and not punish...
- Punishing bad behaviour can lead to your dog being afraid of you. Fear has been shown to only yield short-term results and can even traumatise your pooch.
- Science supports that positive reward-based dog training is the most effective.
- When you’re using positive reinforcement, it makes training fun. It acts as a great way to build your bond with your furry friend.
- It can help build confidence in your canine and encourages independent thinking.
How to get the most out of your dog training
1. Try to identify the cause of your dog’s bad behaviour – it could just be boredom, lack of exercise or even previously reinforced bad behaviour. Understanding why your pet is misbehaving is key to combating it.
2. Find out what motivates your puppy! Some puppies are massively motivated by food, whilst others might prefer toys or attention. Using your pet’s favourite motivation will help you reinforce their good behaviour.
3. Initially, use 1-word commands that are easy to understand. Like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘come’ or ‘eat’. This is a great place to start!
4. Create a routine. This shows that you are in charge and also helps set expectations for the day for your pet.
5. Make sure that your pet is getting enough exercise. Recommendations for amount of exercise will vary depending on the breed but making sure they’re getting rid of their excess energy is key. Too much energy can lead to them being restless, anxious, and destructive.
6. As well as physical stimulation, mental stimulation is incredibly important. Challenging your dog will help cure problems caused by boredom. Some ideas could be teaching them tricks, hiding things around the house for them to find, socialising them with other animals and people and even things like food puzzles.
7. Feed them an approved diet and try to avoid feeding outside of mealtimes. What your dog eats will affect their overall behaviour. The wrong foods can cause lethargy or hyperactivity.
8. Get everybody involved in the puppy training. This helps your dog recognise the pack and also teaches them to always show desirable behaviours. Not just when you’re there!
9. Make sure you recognise desirable behaviour and praise them. It’s a good idea to praise their relaxation times. Rewarding them with things outside of what they can eat helps. Some positive reinforcement examples are praise words, cuddles, and pets.
10. If you notice an undesirable act, resist punishing them. Avoid rewarding your dog by giving them attention when they’re misbehaving. If you need to interact, give them a firm command and then pull back.
Overall, you need to be patient and consistent with your positive reinforcement puppy training.
It won’t happen overnight, but you will reap the rewards long-term with a well-rounded pet.
Check out some of our other training tips, including helping with puppy separation anxiety, how to settle your puppy into a new home and puppy toilet training guidance.
Find your forever puppy today!