Advanced obedience is to a dog what returning down the toilet seat is to a man – it takes patient training but it is possible. Dog obedience training is among the most rewarding experiences between a dog and his pet owner. You are not just doing yourself a great benefit; you are giving your animal a more complete and happy life. Obedient dogs are well-adjusted, confident and more intelligent. You can be secure in his behavior even if you leave him alone with strangers.
The most important thing to remember in trying to teach your dog is to establish your role as the superior in your relationship. When he understands that you are the top dog, so to speak, it is easier to [train|teach} him the commands he is expected to obey. Confusing the dog in this aspect can be risky; he will be aggressive and strive to control you himself. Don’t overcompensate and be excessively harsh to show you’re the boss; be firm, stand your ground and fix this unfavorable trait as soon as you see it rearing its ugly head.
Make your authority known by using a strong and sure tone in your speaking. When you say “Sit!” gently guide him in the desired position firmly. Each command will take several tries, especially in the initial stages. Progression from basic to more advanced obedience training is relatively simpler once your dog understands the patterns you’ve set in your training sessions.
Operant Conditioning is rewarding your animal with treats or praise for correctly accomplishing the command. It is themost effective way to train your pet; it’s what he understands. Praise your dog each time he does what you say correctly. Sometimes, this is easy to overlook but make the extra effort not to. Dogs will get confused easily and distinguishing good behavior every time will make certain that he will remember what is right.
Inversely, chastise the animal whenever he commits a mistake. Do it while he is making it and not after so the dog will understand the error of his ways. Scolding him will also highlight the difference between what is good from what is [wrong|bad}. For instance, if he starts finding the unidentified dirt on the street interesting enough to eat, scold him as soon as he does it. Then put appropriate food before him to eat. When he starts eating his own food, be lavish in your praise.
To be able to progress in dog obedience training, keep it short and as often as possible. Be repetitive in what you teach. Don’t restrict training your canine during “school time” or certain hours of the day. Otherwise, he won’t feel like studying during the most part of the day.
Dogs in movies awe you with the level of difficulty of the stunts required of them. But they all started with sit. Begin with the basics and progress to the more complicated commands from there. With persistence and consistency your pet will advance to more challenging commands like growl, leave it, fetch and attack. Employ the same principles in how you trained him earlier and you will taste success in the higher levels.
Now that you’ve got working knowledge of a professional trainer’s guide to advanced obedience training for dogs, it’s about time to roll up your sleeves, get the happy dog and commence the training!