10 Dog Training Tips

10 Dog Training Tips That Will Save You Time And Grief

by Damien Andrews

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Dog training tip #6) Heavy leather leashes look good, and are fine for trained dogs, but they are heavy and often distracting to the dog. Use a lightweight nylon leash that is 6' long for all basic obedience training.

Dog training tip #7) Always use the exact same words as commands during dog training sessions. "Sit" means to sit, "down" means to lie down. Don't confuse the dog by telling it to "sit down." Don't use negatives, either. If you tell your dog "don't sit," while training it to heel, all it hears is "sit." "Sit boy," "c'mon and sit," and "please sit" should not be used.

Buddy spends hours every day watching over his Guinea fowl charges, protecting them from predators. The Guineas like Buddy, and move to him quickly at any sign of danger such as coyotes, fox, hawks and eagles.

Dog training tip #8) Immediately after each dog training session, spend at least 5 minutes playing your dog's favorite game. This helps your dog to get excited about training, and helps keep it a positive experience.

Dog training tip #9) If you decide to use a dog training method that uses treats to get the dog to obey, fine, but be SURE not to give the dog a treat every time it performs properly. If you do this, the dog will expect a treat for obedience every time you issue a command that is followed. If the treats stop – so will the obedience.

Dog training tip #10) Always use the same tone and volume of voice to give your dog commands. Make it a special, unique tone. It is your "command tone." This dog training tip is absolutely critical. If you do this one thing, you will train your dog to be trained, as opposed to just learning the trick you're teaching right then. The dog will quickly learn that when you use that special tone, you expect an action. This is truly invaluable for basic obedience dog training, and for advanced dog training. It is also quite useful for training your dog about special situations. For example, when I tell my dogs to "watch out," they know I am not displeased with them, but that they need to move away from me. This is great when I'm carrying something heavy or dangerous.

Pro dog training tip: Train your dog Monday through Friday, and allow it the weekends off. For the first two weeks of dog training, don't miss any days!

A dog which has been through basic obedience dog training: sit, stay, come and heel, is a joy to have around. Also, a dog which has gone through a dog training program comes to understand that certain behaviors are good, and others are not. Since the dog is eager to please, they seek out good behaviors on their own. It's a win-win situation for all concerned.

Best of luck with your dog training adventures!

It took 3 months of training for Bella to become proficient at guarding the Guinea fowl, and another month to teach her to help Buddy herd them. Bella is not a great herder, but she is an excellent guard. She will attack and kill any unknown animal.