Dog Training - Back To Basics

Andrew Strachan
Canines and humans have had a strange sort of bond for centuries. And even though they say that a dog is a man’s best friend, the communication between them is strange and difficult. They say that man is smarter of the two, but if you were to watch a training session, you would wonder. Dogs and two year old children have the same mental capacity, but that is where all the similarity between dogs and humans end. You need to understand some things about your pet before you start dog training basics. Dogs have different color vision. They react to reds and greens. They also have a strong sense of smell. They perceive things differently in their minds. So if you are trying to train your dog, it is best that you are aware of these things to avoid yourself some frustration.

Most of us harbor the misconception that dogs are pack animals. And even though they descend from wolves and are claimed to be ‘loners’, this is not true. Dogs are as social as humans. They need constant affection and a hierarchy to be properly trained. Always start training your dog or puppy when he is young. A month old puppy is not too young to be trained. Devote thirty to sixty minutes a day to train your dog. This is not too much depending on the breed of your dog. You need to set aside this time for dog training basics, as it is essential for your dog. Potty training is a separate issue and can be dealt with later and in a different manner, but all other forms of training can follow the same pattern.

You need to establish your role as the alpha leader to your dog as early as possible. Dogs only understand the concept of alpha, beta and omega. And you need to be a firm alpha male for your dog for it to respect you. You may find it difficult with some dogs and easy with others. This level of difficulty to establish your status in the hierarchy depends on the breed of the dog and its personality. Some dogs are naturally aggressive, while others are docile. You can use leashes, collars and voice commands to train your dog effectively. Remember that you are the boss of your dog and it is not the other way around. While it is perfectly all right to use dominance to train your dog, physical dominance is unnecessary and can more often than not be detrimental to your training efforts. Patience and a firm command will be more effective.

To get a dog to submit to his master’s dominance may require some tactics. If it is a puppy then place the canine on his back and place a hand on its chest till it lowers the paws. In the case of a bigger dog, put your face close to the dog’s face. If your dog tends to run around a lot, then you need to use a short leash to control this tendency. But this does not mean you do not allow the dog some playtime to run around and expend all that pent up energy. Using voice commands works incredibly well. Your voice commands need to be short and crisp. Words like ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘down’, ‘come’ and ‘no’ are easy to understand. You need not sound angry, just in control.

Article by Andrew Strachan. Find out more dog training tips and dog behavior training advice at http://www.types-of-dogs.com/training/

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