Dog training can be fun and exciting to learn! New drills are often a fun way to bond and interact with your pet. Check out our introduction to drills for dog training skills.

1. SHOW YOUR DOG WHAT TO DO-Words don’t mean anything to a dog. Dogs associate certain sounds and cues with certain actions. Show the dog what you want him to do using dog food, dog treats, or a dog toy for motivation. Repeating the exercise is what introduces the drill to the dog, do not only teach it once!
2. DOGS LEARN BY ASSOCIATION-Let your dog association positivity with manners. Praise and reward when your dog does the right thing. He/she will want to respond if rewarded, which shows him/her they have done right.
3. DAILY ROUTINE-Training is pointless unless applied daily. Start using cues in your everyday living
4. TIMING-Reward for correct behavior as well as showing disapproval for incorrect behavior needs to be immediate to be effective. You have less than 3 seconds to show disapproval of incorrect behavior. If your timing is off, reward the positive behavior and ignore the undesirable behavior. Rewards can be dog food, dog treats, or dog toys, whichever is the most motivating for your dog
5. CONSISTENT-The cue must always mean the same thing. If “down” means lie down, then “down” cannot mean “get off the sofa.” Dogs understand ALWAYS and NEVER, not SOMETIMES. If you don’t want your dog to jump, your dog can never jump on people, even if someone is okay with it. When you give a cue, always follow through. If you do not have time to follow through, don’t give the cue.
6. BE PATIENT, KIND, AND PERSEVERING-Scolding and punishment when your dog is slow to understand only confuses him/her. Being positive and happy increases your dog’s desire to please. Do not let your dog get away with anything, be kind but firm. If you allow a mistake once, you will undo hours of training. Be consistent and your dog will become easily trained.

Keep Dog Training Positive

All of your dog training should be done with positive reinforcement. Dog obedience comes with a dog wanting to do what pleases them, not us as their owners. If you “make things their idea” dogs repeat behaviors that get rewarded. Being consistent with your positivity will make the desired behavior happen more often. Each time your dog is rewarded for a natural behavior, the desire to please is increased. As your dog associates simple commands with praise, they start to repeat the behaviors on their own. Simple cues and making words mean the same thing every time will teach your dog to be consistent in the desired behavior.

Dog Training Skills and Drills Virtual Book

Do you enjoy dog training? Coming soon is our virtual ebook that will include all sorts of dog training skills and drills. Save time and be efficient with a great reference book to learn from. Learn basic dog obedience and training with a variety of fun drills for dog training skills. Positive reinforcement training while letting your dog discover what you want it do by encouraging his/her natural will to please.

Tags: dog training, dog obedience, dog skills, canine good citizen, dog training book, dog training, dog training virtual book, dog training ebook, listen while driving