Top Tips For Dog Training!

Training should be fun – if it isn’t, you’ll find you both get frustrated really quickly! Training is more than just a way to communicate; it’s a way to build a lifetime bond and start an unbreakable friendship. This means making sure your training sessions are enjoyable for you and your dog is key to success.

Remember, puppies can get tired quickly, so keep training sessions short. Five to ten minutes per session is about right, especially when your puppy is very young.

The whole household needs to work as a team when training your puppy. Make sure everyone uses the same rules and cues during everyday life so that your pet doesn’t get confused – pinning a list of pre-decided cues to the fridge can help with this!

Try and ensure that everyone takes a turn at playing with your puppy, walking once them they are old enough and training them. The more people who get involved, the better.

When your puppy behaves in the right way, give them plenty of praise along with a treat. On the inevitable occasions when your pup doesn’t do quite what you hoped for, don’t punish or scold them. Your pet will soon learn which behaviour earns the rewards!

If you catch your puppy doing something they shouldn’t, redirection is much better than telling your puppy off. This means taking your puppy away from whatever behaviour they were doing that they shouldn’t be, and giving them something else to do that is within the rules. Once they start doing what they should, don’t forget that praise!

Even if you’ve had a disastrous session, try and always end training on a high with a positive message and a treat. If there’s a cue you know your dog can do, this is a great way to finish. That way your puppy gets the message that the session was fun, and will be happy to try again later!