Dog Training for a Better Pet

It's important to realize that dog training isn't simply a time that you finally get to be in control. You're training your dog because it's going to make his/her life better. It's the same as teaching a child. You wouldn't let your child do whatever they want, and never expand there scope of the world would you?

Training you dog is the same thing. You're giving your dog new tools to work with so that he can enjoy life to the fullest extent.

As well, you're creating a bond with your pooch that will last a lifetime, so instead of looking at training your dog or training a puppy as a chore, look at it as a privilege.

Sit, Fetch, Heel What Do You Want to Teach Your Pooch?

You could make a huge list of skills and commands that you want to teach your dog but you should focus on the basic commands first; the ones that will make your life much easier. These include sit, stay, lay, heel, and place.

As well you'll want to potty train your dog so that he/she goes on command, saving you oodles of time standing around waiting for doggy poop.

The main thing you'll need throughout the entire dog training process is patience, and tons of praise for your pooch.

Always remember that you'll only move forward in the training if you're basing it on praise. Dogs - again like children - will do most anything for a little bit of praise.

Dogs are pack animals and will usually follow the leader of the pack, or else they're basically in big trouble. Therefore, you're now the leader, the dominant one of the pack.

However, being that you're not a dog (well...) and that you want a special bond with your new furry friend then being a mean leader of the pack is much less effective than being the gentle treat bearing leader, who loves to give a back rub now and again as well.

This goes much further with your puppy dog. Ideas like rubbing a dogs nose in the pee or poop when he has an accident to humiliate him only teaches not to pee in front of you, but doesn't teach him where he should pee. Punishment never works as a training strategy.

If there's one last point to stress it's that you must be consistent in your dog training. You cannot do it halfway and expect the dog to behave and comply with your commands. You need to commit to making your dog the best that you can make him, showing skills, praise, and love.

Of course there's more than one way to do just about everything but if you're looking for a fairly simple way to traing your dog to sit on command, then here's exactly that.

First of all, make sure that you're standing and not kneeling down next to your puppy, because what's going to happen is that your dog is going to be jumping on your and generally just wanting to play. No good, and one thing that's important is that your dog knows when it's play time and when it's night while training.

Okay so here's the trick that works like a charm. Hold your hand over your dogs head and call his name and say "Sit!" in a friendly and warm tone. No need to be forceful, because and dog training to be an enjoyable experience for your pooch.

As you pronounce the "sit" command, move your hand back behind the dogs head. What he'll want to do naturally is to follow and watch your hand movement, which in turn will cause his butt to drop down. As you see that happening immediately praise him. This praise should happen even if it's not a full sit. This will give your dog the idea that his butt dropping down is a good thing and therefore he'll want to get more of that praise, so he'll do it again. Add on to the praise as he makes his way all the way down.

This isn't something that will happen instantly, but with lots of love and practice, you should soon have a dog that sits on command. Just don't give up, or slack off on the training.