A better Approach To Training Your Dog

I have been a "personal" dog trainer for about fifteen years now. I have seen all kinds of trouble with dogs. The worst issue is training a dog where he or she needs to go to the bathroom. Sure, I can train a Shetland sheepdog not to bark and I can train any number of dogs how to sit and shake. But when it comes to a stubborn dog that just does not understand how to let you know he has to go "outside," well, it can take a little extra work.

There are always beginning rules to follow when someone gets a dog. Never yell at the dog, never shove their noses in the messes they make and by all means NEVER hit your dog. Yelling, nose rubbing and hitting all just make your dog fear you and fear does not make them listen, it just tends to make them run away. Then again, you also must remember that your dog is a pet, not a child. Yes, you love them and life would be different without them, but they are not human. They should not be eating human food (which can be bad for them, depending on what the food is), they should not be wheeled around in baby carriages (as this is not only humiliating to them but it makes you look like a fool too, unless you are 5 years old or younger) and they do not need spa days.

The most important things a dog needs are a safe and warm home, up-to-date veterinary visits and the right kind of nutrition and exercise. Well, and of course the same unconditional love given back to them that they give to you.

On to the training. The best tips to following if you have a pooch that keeps pooping in the house. You thought you had him trained, he didn't even go to the front door, but in the kitchen lies a turd. What do you do? The best medicine is to take him, gently, into the room to his "accident" and tell him "NO," in a firm, but not angry, voice. Pick up the "accident" and take both him and it outside, placing it where you would like him to go. Show him. One great way to get a dog to "go" outside also is to teach them to go on command. "Go potty." Yes, this can be done.

Training a dog to do anything is just a series of showing, telling, them doing and you praising. You take the dog to the door, say "go outside," he wags his tale, you pat him on the head and take him outside. You say "go potty," he sniffs around and goes, you give him a treat. Rewards for dogs are just like rewards for children that get good grades. If they get something good for what they just did then they know they did something right and are more likely to do it again.

Always practice patience when training your dog anything. Do not get frustrated, the dog can sense it and will just have more issues. Praise good behavior and rather than punishing bad behavior chose to change the bad behavior, through patience and training, into a good behavior.