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Living with a dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Not only do dogs provide companionship, but they also offer friendship and fulfillment. However, owning a dog also comes with responsibilities, such as training your dog how to behave appropriately. There is no one right way to train a dog – it depends on your skill level and the dog’s understanding. So take your time, and create new habits that you can both be proud of!
This list will discuss some of the most common dog training tips to help you get started. Training your dog correctly is essential for creating a positive relationship between you and your pet!
Biological needs and “ING behaviors”:
If your dog’s biological needs are not fulfilled, the unwanted “ING Behaviors” will Increase.
Biological needs are:
- Food (nutritionally fitting)
- Bathroom breaks
- A calm state of Mind Rewards (food, touch, praise, play, etc.)
- Mental and Physical exercise (walks, play, training)
- Guidance (Training; reward wanted behavior, punish unwanted behavior)
- Water
- Safe Sleep/Resting area
- Comfortable temperature
- Bonding Time
“ING Behaviors” (unwanted):
- Jumping
- Barking
- Whining
- Digging
- Pulling
- Etc.
Engagement:
Engagement is number one when communicating and interacting with your dog. Without engagement, you don’t have a relationship with your dog; you are stuck in a tug of war with your dog. Engagement can be measured in many ways; I measured it through eye contact or target commands (I use “Touch”). Though it can take lots of repetition for certain dogs, you won’t lose it once you have it, and you will be very glad you have it.
“Calm State of Mind”:
Concentrate on rewarding a “Calm state of Mind” while teaching obedience behaviors. Your dog’s behaviors (commands) will reflect the energy it was in when you trained.
I recommend incorporating this for dogs that get easily excited, have difficulty calming down, or have anxiety or reactivity issues. If you want a dog that stays calm during distractions, you must train it to stay in a “Calm state of mind” during the foundation of any behaviors. This will lead to having an “off switch” for when your dog gets too excited, and you need to calm them down without having to correct them.
The opposite can be used when you want your dog excited (“On Switch.”) When first teaching new behaviors or tricks, I stay enthusiastic about the process and progress. Once things are learned, I focus more on the level of energy I want through the commands/tricks/requests. For example, down/place should always have a calming effect on the dog, while “Touch”/”Heel”/”Come” (recall) should make the dog happy and excited to fulfill.
Consistency:
Be consistent. Everyone in the household must agree on what constitutes the dog’s appropriate behavior. If one person allows “bad” behavior, the dog will try to behave the same way with everyone else. In the first months, anyone handling your dog must follow the agreed guidelines, commands, and requests. It can take many (hundreds) repetitions to recondition a dog to a new behavior (especially when other people are involved in the dog’s life).
If the dog gets away with unwanted behaviors, those things have to get reconditioned with stricter corrections later. Be considerate that some people might not be able to do what you want from them. Set both people and the dogs up for success, and leave kibble, treats, toys, and leashes available.
Manage First, Then Train:
Concentrate on managing first and then training. Training takes many repetitions, consistency, and structure; managing is instant.
Let me give you a few examples: you have a dog that digs up a specific part of your yard, you can spend weeks trying to correct that behavior and try to teach it an alternative task, or you could keep it out of that area, fence it off, use a long line (rope) and keep it from self-reinforcing until you have spent enough time training.
Jumping on people is the same. You can teach to sit all day and even punish the dog for jumping, but the only way to keep both parties safe is to keep a leash on the dog. Hold the dog back or have the person step on the leash; this way, the dog is not self-reinforcing by getting the attention it wants by jumping.
Another example can be the use of crates. Some of the most difficult issues that could take weeks of training to change can instantly be stopped by crating.
Managing is not how we teach behaviors for the future, but it is the most efficient way to keep everyone safe and set up for success while we get a handle on the dog and commit to a training plan.
“Play” is my favorite way to reward, teach and evolve a dog.
We all want a dog that will trust, enjoy being with us, and willingly follow our commands/requests. The absolute best way to get to that is through play. You must first teach commands through food (this is the most precise way to introduce new commands); once you learn your dog’s playing style, you slowly substitute food rewards with games and play (toys, search, fetch, tug, search, etc.)
Games and play are fantastic ways to build obedience to distracting situations. When owners practice being entertaining, fun, and exciting while rewarding with toys and food, your dog will keep its attention on you and be happy to fulfill your requests even after getting corrected for unwanted behaviors.
Structured playing sessions, combined with obedience requests, can develop a relationship, engagement and eliminate reactive, aggressive, and anxious behavior.
How do I know if my dog is okay to keep learning or playing?
I have always taught the “Touch” and “Ready” (eye contact) commands as a minimum to keep working with a dog. With my training, a dog needs to do something as simple as touching its nose to my hand or holding eye contact to start/continue learning/playing.
These simple tasks can help you gauge your dog in different environments; if they can’t fulfill those things (because of exhaustion, distractions, and lack of training), they are not ready to keep moving forward.
Socializing and Outting tips:
For me, the meaning of socializing dogs is to make them comfortable and relaxed around other dogs, people, and environments. Gradually exposing them to various situations will help them feel more confident and trust your guidance as unpredictable things come up in life.
Socialization doesn’t mean your dog has to physically greet every dog and person. The minimum that I require from a dog when socializing them out in public is to keep a dog checking in on me, ideally in a “Calm or Neutral state of mind ” ideally without anticipation of things having to go their way.
Some socialization tips to reduce behaviors associated with fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses:
- First and foremost lots of random rewards for checking in on you in very low distraction areas.
- While walking on a loose leash in public places, allowing them to notice things and cue them to check back in and while giving them lots of rewards or moving away until they focus again.
- Gradually decrease the distance from other dogs or people before expecting them to comply quickly after you ask something from them.
- As soon as they become distracted or their energy intensifies, I encourage them to check back in with me before moving forward or moving away.
- This is done to help dogs recognize that their behavior influences what happens next.
Once you and your dog have experienced multiple stress-free training sessions in public, it is much easier to stay in communication with your dog when letting it physically greet others.
When allowing your dog to meet or greet another dog, as soon as he/she begins to become aroused or excited, take the opportunity to ask him/her for something that he is very comfortable with – like a sit-stay and reward it. This helps maintain control of the situation, so if needed you can redirect your dog’s attention back to you.
More on that below.
Greetings when Outdoors
On outings, the aim is to have dogs stay connected with their owners when meeting other dogs or people in order to stay safe and remain stress-free.
Don’t allow anyone just to come up and touch them. This helps the shy dogs know that they can trust us to lead; it helps the very social dogs to keep space until we have communicated our needs with a person.
Teaching the dog to wait for an owner’s permission before approaching is a great way to ensure that the dog will regularly check in with the handler, even while out and about.
If we ever do let people greet them, it is with a particular protocol:
- Stop other people or dogs from greeting your dog until they have understood what you require from them, keep in mind that every person and dog has different ideas of what a happy and productive greeting is.
- Before greeting, the person wanting to greet your dog must talk/engage with the owner for a few minutes (the longer the better); this ensures that the person has heard you fully in what your dog’s needs are and teaches your dog to be patient and to look at you for direction.
- Absolutely no tension on the leash; teach your dog that leash tension means to come back to to you or move away and check-in. The owner should prompt their dog to check in with them before allowing anyone to greet their dog.
- When ready, invite the other person to say “Hi!” and (you, the handler) reward (w/ food, praise, affection) the dog for staying calm in the area without pulling.
- When there are multiple individuals or more than two dogs present, it is important to address or praise each dog individually. Use their names to release them one at a time.
- Finally, we as owners need to watch the dog’s body language which can indicate a negative experience and be prepared to move away before the greeting becomes too overwhelming or uncomfortable.
Spending quality time with your furry friend is priceless! Instead of focusing on quantity, it’s important to consider the potential unpredictable outcomes of greeting too many others. Socializing and greetings require clear communication and awareness of your dog’s emotional state. Before putting them in overwhelming situations or situations that may lead to negative associations, it’s crucial to prioritize their well-being.
Remember, don’t let anyone greet your pooch before they understand what your goals are in the interaction. This keeps our dogs confident and well-behaved. Let’s turn every outing into a joyride. With patience and practice, your dog will learn to look to you for direction and remember, nothing happens if your dog is adding tension on the leash!
By taking these simple steps, greetings can be an enjoyable process. With patience, practice and consistency, you will be well on your way to having a happy social four-legged friend!
The Tone Of Directions:
Commands and requests need to be given in a clear, low-volume voice. Be the example that you want from your dog. If you are constantly raising your voice, getting frustrated or impatient, this is the tone that your dog will learn to respond to and expect. Dogs do not understand English (or any human language), but they are very good at reading our energy, body language, and tones. Be aware of your tone when first teaching that words have meaning.
Quality Vs. Quantity:
There will be days when you and your dog are not in sync, and the walk/training sessions don’t feel right. It’s not just about how far you walk or how quickly your dog learns commands. It’s about the deep connection you have with your furry friend.
Sometimes, things may not be ideal, but that’s okay. Wait for a better time, when you can both enjoy the journey together and make progress at your own pace.
When teaching new exercises or concepts, it can be overwhelming for both humans and dogs to try and learn too much at once. Dogs, just like humans, require time to process information and understand new commands. Taking it slow and allowing them to grasp what is being asked of them before progressing further is crucial.
By providing them with the necessary time and patience, you can establish a more solid foundation for their learning. This, in turn, will facilitate smoother interactions when you need to request those things in the heat of the moment. Remember, building a strong bond takes time and patience, but it’s absolutely worth it in the end.
Length of Training Sessions:
The training session length is not essential, especially when starting. The most crucial part is doing multiple short daily sessions. It is best to use daily food. You measure out the food for the whole day and put it somewhere accessible. Then give it through the day for work on commands. If it hasn’t all been worked by late in the evening, feed it all via jackpots or games.
Ending on a good note:
If things aren’t going well, it is always best to end the session early. Dogs are very much in the moment, and if we can leave on a positive note, they will be more likely to want to work with us again. Training should be fun for both dogs and humans.
Repetition is the key to quick results. They will love working for kibble and unexpected treats; when you invest different times of the day in rewarding little successful steps, you engage with your dog’s hunter/scavenger nature, making a game out of it.
Excess Energy, Don’t Free feed:
What to do with your dog’s excess energy? The answer is simple, have fun, interact, train and play games using their food. Food has calories (energy), and I always aim to burn off calories as we feed, train, and interact. Avoid free-feeding as an option. If you want a calm dog, it will help to give it a job and have it work for that food!
Have fun improvising different interactive games and teaching new tricks to your dog. This builds a stronger bond and self-confidence and leads to positive associations around things your dog previously found scary on walks (boxes, bags, bottles, etc.) If you want to give treats and kibble randomly, work on the command your dog is learning to do using the 3 Ds.
Direction or Correction:
Often, dogs prefer negative attention from their owners if they can’t get anything else. Whether it’s positive or negative attention, they will use different means (jumping, barking, etc.) to draw their owner’s attention.
If you’re unsure what to do, start by asking for what you have already practiced hundreds of times before getting into the situation; if the dog persists in undesirable conduct, don’t be afraid to let it know that you’re not dealing with it “NO” (see below for Correction/Punishment).
- Example: You have first practiced rewarding “Bed/Place/Crate” command 100’s repetitions”. When your dog barks at something while inside the home, you say” No,” the dog goes to its previously practiced place and sits quietly without any further direction. You don’t want to praise or reward after giving a correction, whether it got startled or did the right thing afterward.
Negative Consequences:
Sometimes, the distraction is more attractive to a dog than the high-value reward the handler offers. The dog needs to learn the consequences it faces for not following directions from its handler when it fully understands what it has been asked.
- For example: if your agreement is for your dog to sit at crosswalks, and your dog breaks the “sit” command while waiting to cross a street, it needs to learn that there are negative consequences for not listening, such as being pulled back by the leash or not getting praise or a treat.
Dogs learn about negative consequences by the way that we implement negative reinforcement/ pressure/ corrections/ punishment. When corrections have been role-played in a non-distracting area, negative consequences can come in the form of “Pressure” (voice, spacial pressure, collar/leash pressure.)
Stopping Unwanted Behaviors:
The word “No” is a common word most people use to let their dog know it is doing something wrong. “No” can effectively communicate to your dog if used correctly, but only when the dog fully understands what it is being asked to stop doing.
Stopping unwanted behaviors should NOT be done in anger or with violence. It should stop your dog and make it concerned about its actions without you having to invest much time or action. It teaches that you don’t have to be in its physical vicinity to have it do something different.
Suppose you find yourself saying “No” or applying corrections repeatedly; you need to step back and consider that there hasn’t been enough training (teaching) on what behaviors are acceptable under the circumstance it is in. When a dog has been adequately trained with many repetitions, it will do a previously “rewarded” behavior after hearing “no” to avoid it happening again.
“Pressure”:
Applying pressure is only necessary when a trained dog does not listen to the command. The dog should clearly understand what is being asked before applying any pressure.
There are different ways pressure can be applied:
- Voice: This is the most common way to apply pressure. You can use a calm but firm voice to get your dog’s attention and then give the command. If the dog does not listen, you can increase the volume of your voice.
- Spatial: This is when you use your body to the dog to get its attention. You can also use this method to block the dog from doing something. For instance, if your dog tries to jump on you, you can step closer to it and say “No” in a deep voice.
- Collar/Leash: This is when you use the collar or leash to apply pressure on the dog and release it when it starts to comply. For example, if the dog is pulling on the leash, You can use this method to guide the dog into the position you want it to be in.
- Remember, the goal is to get the dog’s attention and have it stop the unwanted behavior, not hurt the dog.
Luring Vs. Bribing:
Luring (teaching) with food guides a dog to perform a new behavior. Bribing occurs when a dog performs a behavior only when it sees a food reward. After a behavior is learned, food rewards need to be phased out and put on a varied reward system to avoid becoming bribes.
Luring is a great way to get a new behavior started. For example, if you want your dog to sit, you can hold a treat in front of its nose and move it up and back, so the dog’s bottom hits the ground. Once the dog is sitting, you can say “Yes!” or “Good dog!” and give it the treat.
Bribing should be avoided because it can create a dog that only listens when it sees a food reward. For example, if you are asking your dog to “Sit” and it is not responding, you should not show the treat, reach for it, or say any praise until your dog sits. This will teach the dog that it needs to listen when, even if it doesn’t know if a food reward is involved.
The aim is to get a dog excited to perform the action without knowing whether or not he will receive a reward (treats, verbal praise, verbal release, physical affection, dog toys, and so on).
Learning to Stay:
All the commands we use have an implied “Stay.” For example, when we say “Sit,” we are asking the dog to sit and stay in that position until released. Learning to stay in a location is best if practiced first with something easy. By teaching a dog that commands have to be held until our next cue or command, we reduce having to repeat ourselves, the number of commands needed or correcting distracting areas, reducing frustration for both dog and handler.
Remember that there are no corrections at first for them, not knowing to stay put with a new command; this takes time and lots of repetitions. To teach them to hold a new command for more extended periods, I say “Good” to suggest staying in place, and I will come to them to reward them.
Body Language:
Just as you teach your dog to understand your different body language cues, they are also learning to read and interpret yours. Be aware of what your body is saying while working with your dog. You can use your body language to set the right mood, guide the dog, or put your dog at ease.
Dogs’ most efficient way to communicate is using their body language. They will use their ears, mouth, tail, and whole body to express their emotions. It is essential to learn how to read your dog’s body language so you can better understand what they are trying to communicate.
Some familiar dog body language cues are:
- Ears back and relaxed: This usually indicates a happy and relaxed dog.
- Ears perked up and alert: This usually means the dog is paying attention and interested in what is happening.
- Mouth closed and relaxed: This is a dog that is feeling comfortable and at ease.
- Mouth open and panting: This usually means the dog is hot, needs water, or is excited about something.
- Tail wagging: This can mean different things depending on how fast the tail is wagging and if the dog’s body is relaxed or tense. A slow wag with a relaxed body usually means the dog is content, while a fast wag with a tense body can mean the dog is excited or nervous.
By learning your dog’s body language, you will understand better what they are trying to communicate and build a stronger bond with them. The next time you train your dog or spend time with them, pay attention to your body language. Are you sending the right message?
Contextual Learners:
Dogs learn by association. If they hear a sound, see a movement, or feel something while receiving rewards (treats, petting, verbal praise), they will start associating that with the reward. It’s essential to keep this in mind when training your dog to avoid confusion.
They will connect a new behavior to the environment in which a dog learned it; they take every part of the situation into account when they learn. If you want your dog to perform a behavior in a specific context, such as at the park, you will need to train them.
Be sure to teach it in different environments and on different surfaces (grass, rugs, wooden flooring, gravel, sand, etc.), or you will get into situations where the dog will follow commands only on specific surfaces.
Parks, Dog Parks, and Graduating Through Different Environments:
Parks are a great place to connect with your dog. It’s a place where they can run and play off-leash, explore new smells, and socialize with other dogs. But let’s be honest, as much as we may want it to be a leisurely and peaceful stroll. If you continue going to parks, especially dog parks, without establishing good communication, your dog may begin chasing other dogs, stealing toys, being harassed, or refusing to return on a leash.
The best approach to strengthening that human-dog connection we all desire is practice.
Make sure you’ve gradually introduced your dog to different environments (usually with a long line) in a location without many distractions or things that might be appealing to them before attempting them on the finest things in the world for them (off-leash).
Be Prepared:
There are a variety of possible situations that will easily excite your dog. It could be the arrival of a new person, another dog, or something as simple as getting your keys out to go on a walk. Dogs can quickly become overexcited in these situations, and it’s important to know what you will do when it occurs.
You can avoid putting yourself and your dog in a stressful situation by being prepared, carrying treats with you, having a long line or leash ready, making sure you are aware of your dog’s body language, and using calm and confident energy when giving commands.
Before you can expect your dog to perform well in public, there must be a strong foundation of basic obedience commands. This means that your dog should have a good understanding of sit, down, come, out/leave it, and heel. These commands will be the base from which you will be prepared for any situation.
Ending on a Good Note:
Don’t wait for your dog to get bored or tired before the session ends. It’s essential to end on a good note while your dog is still engaged and motivated. This will help build their confidence and keep them wanting to learn more.
If you’ve been working on a specific behavior or trick and haven’t had much success, move to a known command and reward. Doing this before ending the session will help you both from feeling frustrated. You can always come back to it later.
Remember, the goal is to have a happy and well-behaved dog. And the best way to do that is through patience, consistency, and making new experiences positive. Dogs are incredibly intuitive creatures and will quickly learn what makes you happy.
I hope these tips help you in your journey of dog training. If you have any questions or would like clarification on anything, please feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to help where I can!
