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Dog Training and Behaviour
Once you have acquired a dog as a pet and he has settled down well in his new environment, you should start thinking about dog training. It would be wrong of you to think that your dog will automatically behave in the way that you want him to, and it is therefore up to you to train him to do what you want him to. Training a dog is not all that difficult but it does require patience on your part, especially because dogs have very short attention spans. So, in the following paragraphs, we will give you the basic steps of how to train a dog.
Before you start on dog obedience training, there are some points about training a dog that you must always keep in mind. First, ensure that he perceives you as the leader of his pack. Dogs are descendants of wolves who hunted in packs and blindly obeyed the directions of their pack leader. By all means, pamper him and show him a great deal of affection but ensure that your dog doesn't downgrade you to a directionless softy with whom he can get away with anything. Be firm with him and don't let him get away with sitting on the couch for example, when you don't want him to. Show him who's the boss by making him get off the couch. Only in this way can you impart dog training, because he will not obey the commands of someone he doesn't consider to be his leader. Second, dog training has to be imparted in the correct learning environment. Decide on where you are going to train him. It need not necessarily be only at one place and you can impart the training both in a room inside your house as well as out in your yard. But not more than two places. He will be able to focus much more if he realizes that he is in the room or the yard where he is being taught something. If you constantly change the training venue, he will lose focus and not realize that it's his training session that's going on.
While training a dog, it is also important to remember that you've got to make him understand when he has carried out a command of yours correctly and also when he has done something badly or not done it at all. How do you convey this to him? After all, he doesn't understand English. We come to a most important aspect of dog training now and that is the syndrome of rewards and punishments. Reward him when he has carried out a command or instruction properly by giving him his favorite dog treat. Don't give him too much at one go because you might have to give him this snack many times over. Make him understand he has done it right by giving him the snack, by fondling him and by speaking to him in a loving way. If he does it wrong, or doesn't do it at all, don't give him any reward and say a firm "No". With time, he will understand what gets him the favorite snack and the praise, and will do what you command him to in the way that you want.
Apart from the more intricate dog tricks and movements which may take more time and effort, you can very easily get him to "sit" when you want him to, "stay" when you don't want him to move and to "lie down" when you give that command. If you follow the general rules we have enumerated above, dog training should not be all that difficult.
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