Did you know that the earliest known images of dogs as companions are found on 12,000 year old Spanish cave paintings? Today, the dog in its many forms has remained a faithful companion to mankind. When it comes to making sure your dog knows the rules, however, things can get a bit difficult. Here are four pet training tips for dogs that will help you keep pee off your floors.
1. Specific Commands
Basic dog training tips often recommend using commands with your dog, but fail to mention how specificity is important for making sure your dog understands the message. If your dog jumps up on visitors, for example, telling it No might not be enough. To us, the message is clear because we recognize jumping up as bad. To your dog, however, it might seem like you just want it to jump higher, or to jump behind them rather than in front. To make the command more effective, you could instead direct them to sit.
2. Rewards for Being Good
A lot of pet owners are tempted to give their dogs a treat and then ask for them to repeat a behavior. Instead, you need to establish positive associations 100% of the time by only rewarding once a behavior is completed. Dogs were first attracted to human settlement sites 14,000 years ago because of the reward relationship that we continue to perpetuate.
3. Dog House Training Tips
Not surprisingly, you would rather your puppy not pee on the floor of your home. House training can take up to six months, so patience is a must. You need to teach your dog that the home is their den, and not a place to pee or poop. When your puppy does their business in the right place, reward them with a treat. Allow frequent access to the potty area. Remember for dog house training tips that puppies need to pee more than old dogs do, going once every four hours.
It is also important to remember that creating a negative association with a natural activity is an unhelpful way to teach a dog. Although the site of a mess on your floors can create frustration and even anger, yelling at the dog or rubbing their face in the mess is not an effective training tool. Reward the dog for their positive behaviors. Create a feeding and bathroom schedule for the dog and offer praise when you see the behavior you are looking for. Using punishment only makes the dog fear you, which beyond making an unhappy pup, it can also lead to more behaviors you don’t want to see. Training a dog takes patience and understanding, things will go wrong. It is your job to support the dog and guide them towards proper behavior, not to overreact. There’s a reason why physical punishment is warned against in all dog training information online.
4. A Consistent Message
If you have a rule, you need to be consistent in its application, otherwise, your dog will be endlessly confused about what is okay. You do not want to give the impression that your mind can be changed. Make sure your entire family enforces rules the same way. Wondering why Bowzer still jumps on the bed? Perhaps your daughter has not been following that pet training rule as well as you think.
The experience of having a companion animal is one of the great pleasures in life. Being able to share your life with a loyal dog, or even a finicky cat, is just about one of the most rewarding experiences out there. Although it takes some time and effort to train your new friend to respect his home, and your rules, by acting with patience and compassion you can help build a bond between you and your furry friend that will last the entirety of their life.