Canine Training Techniques From Rockwall Veterinarians

When training your dog, developing consistency and a good attention span, as well as understanding your pet’s needs, are key to good training.

A consistently trained dog would normally show you respect. A dog must understand that there are things it should and shouldn’t do. Reinforce this by giving your dog a treat should he or she follow the rules, and punishing him or her for breaking the rules – it is important to make sure the rules are all followed. Dogs know if their owners are consistent or not and treat them accordingly. Dog training can be much easier if you are consistent and, subsequently respected by your pet.

The bulk of good dog training depends on how you can sustain your dog’s attention and make it maintain its focus. If a dog isn’t focused, he or she would routinely ignore, not understand, or refuse to understand your commands. Here are a few quick examples on how you can encourage your dog to pay attention to you. Shout out the word “watch” as your dog looks at you after you call him or her over by name. Once you’ve done this a few times, your dog would be able to recognize the command as one where he or she has to look at you. A dog’s attention span can be improved, but first, drill him or her on the “watch” technique – with success. As a follow-up to the “watch” command, give the command after you hold a doggy treat with your teeth in front of your dog. Maintain your position for a few seconds and watch as your dog tries to pay attention. Repeat this exercise as needed, preferably until your dog can pay attention to you for a minute. It’s not that hard to develop a good attention span in your pet dog.

Effective dog obedience training can truly be achieved if you know how your dog thinks. A dog’s focus is usually limited to a short period of time. The average dog can only pay attention for about ten to twenty minutes, before demanding a break in training due to lack of focus. That’s why it’s a good idea to schedule regular dog training to last no more than thirty minutes on any given day. And you can make training more fun for your dog – this can help improve its focus. Let’s face it, dogs do not normally enjoy training – you will need to make them enjoy it somehow. Your dog needs to appreciate training and why you are doing it for him or her. You can never have enough treats as a prize for successfully obeyed commands – and you should also sound like you mean it when you give praise. Like humans, motivated dogs make better students.

These are among the simplest techniques you can use, but there are more ways to improve your dog’s training than what can be contained in this short piece. Training doesn’t have to be drudgery for a dog — he or she can enjoy the training and the time you spend together, show respect for you as the owner, and make you look like a good and responsible owner in your neighborhood.