Training Tips
Tip 1
To insure that your dog begins to look toward you as the one in charge, never free feed. Instead you want to establish regular meal times. Have your dog sit and wait, then put the food bowl down and have your dog wait until you give the OK to start eating. Give your dog no more than 20 minutes to finish the meal, then remove the bowl. This gives your dog the information that you are in control of one of the most valuable resources in the house.
Tip 2
If your dog gets loose and runs from you, don’t chase your dog. Instead, run away from your dog making lots of excited noises. Your dog will think you are doing something very interesting and have to come to investigate. When your dog gets to you, get control and praise your dog even if you really feel like strangling it. Be sure you do not run in such a way as to put your dog in harm’s way. If you are in a difficult spot just squat down and look and sound like you have found the most wonderful thing in the world. Don’t look at your dog.
Tip 3
Never call your dog to you to do something your dog doesn’t like. You want your dog to believe that coming is a wonderful experience. If you need to do something to your dog that it doesn’t like, go get the dog.
Tip 4
If your dog always pulls when you go for walks, here are some important things to do. First, alway keep your arms bent with your elbows close to your body, once your arms are stretched out all of the way, you have lost control of you dog. Second, as soon as the leash is tight, stop and wait for your dog to return to you. When the leash is loose, praise your dog and resume walking. After a while your dog will figure out that the only way to move forward is to keep tension
off of the leash. You may not get very far on your first tries, but your dog will eventually figure it out and you both will have more pleasant walks.
Have a training tip or something that works well with your dog? Drop us a line and let us know about it!
