Training a dog is not an innate skill.

Training the owner is just as important as training his or her dog. This is because a dog cannot be effectively trained until the owner learns how to go about doing it. Training a dog is not an innate skill; it is something one must learn. This article can provide some insight into the world of dog training.

If you want to potty-train your dog, do not use wee-wee pads. Wee-Wee pads can leak, which leaves both feces and urine on the floor. Potty pads can also mislead your dog into thinking that similarly shaped items throughout your home, like rugs, are appropriate places to go. Training your dog to only go outside the house is always the best method for potty training.



 Clickers are a great way to reinforce good behavior from your dog. If you give your dog an award when you used the clicker, it will be easier to train. Attempt to click and treat immediately and do this several times for a few days. Over time, your dog will learn that the clicking noise means he is doing something correctly.

 Your whole family should be involved with training the dog. It may be easier for one person to work with the dog until he has mastered basic commands. However, the dog should respond to the same commands when given by any member of the family.

 Expect mistakes and setbacks when housebreaking a puppy. It's important to immediately clean up the accident to make your training more effective. If your carpet begins to smell like urine and feces, your puppy will believe that it is the right place to potty and return to it again and again. Visit a good pet shop to find products created especially for odor control.

 Do not wear out your new puppy with an excessive training regiment. A puppy only has short bursts of energy and doesn't have a long attention; you've got to keep your training sessions positive and short. A training session that wears your puppy out is going to turn into an unpleasant memory, making him less likely to respond well to subsequent sessions, and more inclined to ignore what you are trying to teach him.

 Do not neglect to make a visit to the vet for a spay or neuter around the six month mark. This should coincide with the beginning of obedience classes. If your dog is spayed or neutered, they will be much more obedient. Your dog will be happier and he or she will live longer.

 For a happier and more content dog, be sure to provide it with things to do that will stimulate its thinking and keep its mind active. Giving your dog fun toys and treats such as Kong Toys or Busy Bones is a great way to keep them happy. You should also walk them on a regular basis so that they can get out any pent up energy. Bored dogs won't stay that way long; they will quickly entertain themselves by destroying your house.

 You should always walk your dog before leaving your house for long periods of time. If you make them tired, they will have much less separation anxiety.

 Punishment is an ineffective tool for training your dog. Your training efforts should be to prevent bad behavior. Teach your dog what constitutes inappropriate behavior, and what is an acceptable behavior. Build a positive relationship with your dog during the training process.

 Making your dog learn habits that are good from the start is very important. You will have much better success if you teach a dog properly early on, instead of attempting to break negative behaviors later in their life. If you do not want your pet to beg for food, you should never encourage it by feeding it table scraps.

 Anxious dogs tend to chew things, including your upholstery. If you keep him in a crate and give him toys that are safe for him to chew on, your dog and your house will stay safe.

 Make sure that your dog is well prepared for trips to the veterinarian. Gently run your hands across his whole body, and praise him for calm behavior. You will want to get him ready to tolerate the doctor touching his mouth and paws. You can make your dog more comfortable with strangers touching him by enlisting your friends assistance and have them look over your dog.

 When trying to train a puppy it is important to resist games such as tug-of-war. They encourage puppies to bite. Once your puppy is older and well trained, you can play rough games.

 A clicker can be a useful tool for positive reinforcement. When you begin using a clicker, positively associate the clicker noise with positive reinforcement. Try clicking and treating immediately, and doing this several times over a few days. Soon your dog will be able to recognize the click noise means that he did something good, helping to shape desirable behavior.

 Teach everyone in your family to use the same commands to train your dog. If you mix up commands, like one family member saying "up" when another says "jump," the dog will have a more difficult time figuring out what you want. If everyone is consistent about the same words, it will be easier to train your pet.

 If you dog begins displaying negative behavior out of the blue, you should make him an appointment to go and see the vet to rule out any illnesses that could cause the behavior. Some health conditions or pain can cause animals to lash out or act out of their element. This happens because they are unable to voice their pain to their owner and this may help the owner to identify that something is wrong.

 You should always check credentials before hiring anyone to help you understand your animal's behavior better. Animal behavior professionals tend to have different opinions on how to train a dog correctly. That is why it is important that the trainer you hire is in agreement with your own techniques, before they use their techniques on your dog.

 Above all else, consistency is the key to effective dog training. Write down the specific commands you want to use with your dog, and get everyone in your household to review the list and use the same words. Also, make sure everyone knows what behavior should be rewarded, and what is considered bad behavior. If different people are responding differently with the dog, it will make training difficult and confuse the dog.

 Whenever you want your dog's attention, use its name. You will not be able to control your dog if you do not get his attention first. Practice calling your dog's name and letting him respond at least tens times a day. Also, it is very inappropriate for you to call the dog over to you and then punish him, as this will teach him to fear you and discourage him from coming when called.

 When you get your puppy, be sure to create a bond to him by helping him learn his name. Repeat his name regularly, so he will learn to come to you when he hears it. These should be the primary words your dog needs to learn. Spending a lot of time interacting and playing with your puppy is the best way to establish a bond of love and trust. This will make him easier to train later.

 Now that your search for information has yielded some results, you can take the useful information you have learned with you. Obtaining a good base of knowledge is the best way to approach the training process, especially is you have no experience in this field.