January is National Train Your Dog Month. Dogs make great pets because they want to be with us. And, training a dog can make it a better pet. But – it matters how you train a dog, not with a punishment-based approach, but by teaching the dog how to please you.
And dogs do want to please you. They are naturally social animals and you are the one that feeds them and takes care of them.
Start with that understanding, that your dog wants to please you. A friend of mine is very good at training dogs. She says when you are trying to teach your dog to, say, walk on a leash, and the dog starts to head off in the wrong direction, give the leash a tug in the right direction and as soon as it moves the way you want to go you say “good dog”! For every correction, when the animal responds the way you want, again you say “good dog!”
Teaching a dog to “sit” on command is pretty easy. Use the leash and collar to hold its head up and gently push its hindquarters into a sitting position while telling it to “sit”. When it sits, you praise your pet, love on it and tell it “good dog”! Then, do it again!
You want to teach a dog to come when it’s called. Whenever your dog responds by coming to you, you have what my friend calls a “puppy party” with lots of affection and “good dog”. Before long your canine buddy will be delighted to come when called because it knows it will get affection and praise.
My friend’s tip on potty training is first, to never use pee pads. They just teach the pet to pee in the house. If you catch it about to pee in the house, tuck its tail underneath, pick it up and carry it outside. Then when it relieves itself in the yard, have another “puppy party”.
Training a dog the right way will not break its spirit; instead, your furry friend will be happy and secure in its relationship with you, exactly what you want in a best friend, when you’re speaking of pets.
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