5 Training Tips For A Well Behaved Dog
Before I got Will I swore that when I got a dog he would be the most well behaved pup on the block. I would train Will from the very beginning and I would know what I was doing because I looked at some youtube videos that showed me what to do.
Let’s just say when I saw my pup running down the street to visit the neighbor who of course also happened to be the HOA president, trampling through her just blooming peony bushes before he bolted off to visit another neighbor friend where he proceeded to jump on them with his fresh dirty paws (from those freshly trampled peony bushes) that I was very much humbled…..and mortified.
The thing is, training is actually really hard. It takes a LOT of patience, time and consistency, which piled on top of the craziness of having a new puppy or a misbehaving older dog, can be incredibly overwhelming. I was completely in over my head, even though I thought I had gone in eyes wide open.
But as hard as it is, training is an absolute NECESSITY! It keeps your pup safe, builds their confidence, strengthens their bond with you and of course keeps your neighbors and their gardens happy!
In this post we will discuss the Training Tips and Tricks that helped me the most:
Find a Training Program that Works for You
Creating your Non Negotiable’s
The Core Cue’s Your Dog Should Know
Set backs happen/Consistency is Key
What is Your Dog’s Ultimate Reward?
So let’s get started!
find a Training Program that Works For You
I have gone through zoom training classes during the height of the pandemic, in person classes and 1:1 personal training with Will. I researched all different types of training methods and techniques, becoming completely overwhelmed on what to do. Eventually I found a program that worked the absolute best for Will and I called the Brain Training for Dogs, an online positive reinforcement program that uses their intelligence to get rid of unwanted behaviors. The program was an absolute life saver and that I talk about in more depth here.
Before I found the correct training program for us though, I felt like I was just treading water. Will was starting to test boundaries, becoming increasingly stubborn, not listening and was losing interest in our training sessions. I am glad that I did not give up and re-home my dog like I would think about night after night while I cried in bed. Instead I tried different methods before we finally landed on Brain Training for Dogs. I also knew I did not want to go the corrective tools route. Will had such a sweet, trusting personality and I did not want to potentially ruin that with improper use of tools such as E-Collars or Prong collars. I’m not against the use of those tools at all, they can definitely serve a purpose for the right dog, but you need to work with a certified and highly experienced trainer one on one to make sure they are introduced and used correctly. But for me I knew that positive reinforcement training was the route I wanted to go.
Get the Brain Training for Dogs today!
Overall the most important thing is to find a trainer or program that works for you and your pup, something or someone that you can connect with and feel comfortable with and it may take some trial and error. But do not go on your training journey alone, you need the help of trained professional, whether online, in person or through a guide book. If you don’t feel comfortable committing to a training program just yet I did also get some really good tips from Zak George’s book Training Revolution which also utilizes the positive reinforcement method.
Creating Your Non Negotiable’s
Now that we talked extensively about utilizing a training program, before you even start the program sit down with anyone else that will be involved with your dog and come up with a list of everything you do or do not want your dog to do. Highlight which one’s are your absolute non negotiable’s.
For instance do you want to make sure your dog is never in the kitchen when you are cooking because you don’t want them underfoot? Do you care if your dog begs? What about getting on the furniture? Do you want your dog to always sit and wait for permission before they walk through a door? How do you want them to behave around guests? Once you have your list, make sure EVERYONE in your family is on board, because a dog will never learn if one person enforces the non negotiable and another does not. The dog will just learn to do or not do that thing around the person who enforces it.
The Core Cue’s Your Dog Should Know
Whether or not you decide to use the Brain Training for Dogs program or employ the use of a private trainer you will still want to make sure your dog knows the basics for his or her safety and yours. All dogs should know the following:
Sit/Down
Stay or Wait
Drop it and Leave it
Off
Come or any form of Recall
With these training cues you can have a well behaved and safe pup who can go to public places with you and be around other people and other dogs. You can sign up below to get my free “3 Basic Dog Commands” worksheet that teaches you how to train three different commands. Recall is probably the most important cue on the list above because it can save their life. Practice this recall over and over and use a high value reward for when they do it.
Consistency is Key
I honestly could just use that one line as the whole paragraph as it says it all. You cannot teach your dog off and then never utilize it until they start jumping on your guests. Practice often. When they are first learning, practice it daily during short training sessions of about 5-25 minutes each depending on your dog’s age and interest. When you think they have it down you can move on to something else, but still pull that cue card out 1x a week to keep it fresh in their mind. Your dog will at some point regress and act like they haven’t learned a thing. Dont throw up your hands and give up. Instead, that is the time to go back to the basics and reinforce the training.
Consistency also means once they have learned the cue you need to follow through with the cue. Meaning if you trained the cue “off” for when they go counter surfing, A.) don’t all of a sudden use “down” the next time they do it, your dog will get majorly confused. Stick with one word. And B.) don’t decide not to even use the cue when you see them up on the counter because it’s cute and they give you sad dog eyes or you don’t want to be “mean”. Training your dog is not being mean. You are setting them up for success and giving them confidence.
What is Your Dog’s Ultimate Reward?
If your dog is food motivated then you will have the easiest time with positive reinforcement training. However if your dog could not care one bit about a piece of cheese then you need to find other rewards. Does your dog love toys? Going for walks? Maybe it is a digger? Those components are going to be your rewards. Instead of giving your dog a treat for completing the cue you can give them 5 minutes of tug of war, or go for a hike after training sessions, or create dig pit or sand box that your dog can only use as a training reward. Once you have figured out your dog’s biggest motivator then you need to create a reward hierarchy system. The highest value of treat such as beef liver or the most loved toy, needs to be used for the highest valued cue, like your recall. Then you need a mid tier reward for cues such as stay, heel and off, maybe cheese or the ability to chew an old sneaker. Lowest level of reward, can be kibble or any normal treat that they get regularly, or maybe a minute of tug on the rope toy and you can use these for any over and above training like tricks such as paw, or sit because it is one of the easier cues to learn and you will be doing it a lot.
Top 5 Training Treats:
Beef liver - High Value (beware! these are so highly valued, other dogs on the block jump on me when these are in my pocket).
Orijen Six Fish Freeze Dried Treats - High Value
Stella and Chewy Freeze Dried Weenies - Medium Value
Charlie Bear Cheese and Egg - Normal Value
Merrick Power Bites - Normal Value
Conclusion
Training is a life long work in progress that will be both frustrating, humbling and also incredibly rewarding.
I hope that these tips and tricks will be helpful in your journey. I highly recommend the help of either a trainer or a program such as the highly recommended Brain Training for Dogs which is such a great value that you honestly cannot go wrong. But if you are not ready to commit to a training program just yet download my free basic commands worksheet at the bottom of this blog. Best of luck!
Click here for all my amazon favorites!Read my full post here on the training program I loved!Sign Up Below to Get Your Free Basic Dog Commands Worksheet!
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