Dog Training Basics

All positive commands should be spoken sharply and distinctly during training. Make sure you also use a positive tone. Your dog will recognize your moods and associate them to their behavior by your tone of voice.

The first word the puppy should learn is their name. They actually learn the sound of their name and associate that as a directive towards them for their attention. This will come naturally over time since the family will be calling the pup by its name the day it arrives in your home.

I suggest that before you start training verbal commands that you understand your puppy's personality. Ask yourself if they are timid, aggressive, quiet, sensitive, playful, etc? These traits will affect the type and speed of the training with your dog. Understanding the dog that is being trained is a vitally important talent of a good trainer.

As soon as you are able to touch and feel the puppy, call them by their name. Constantly give them affection and praise with the tone of your voice. Keep repeating their name over and over and over until the pup understands that when they hear their name, it is addressing them. When you prepare meals for them, call them by name and then distinctly say the word "come." This is probably the simplest and easiest commands to teach because it is associated with something the puppy wants or gets excited when they hear that command. This theory and type of training is used in all the generic commands. Remember to always keep praising them when they obey a command and make sure they feel rewarded.

House breaking a puppy is probably the most stressful for a new trainer. However, the good news is that most dogs are generally clean in nature and sense that the house is not the place to do their thing. Knowing that canines tend to have their bowel movements in the same place that they or some other dogs have previously defecated, you need to understand that the sent left behind from previous mistakes will signal to the pup that is where they are supposed to be defecating. So when you do catch them doing something in the house that you do not want, scold them in a simple command such as "shame." The puppy will hear your tone of voice and feel bad. Usher them outside as fast as you can. Praise them when they defecate outside. Do not use the command "no" since that is a command to have the puppy stop the current act. "Shame" is used after you have found the evidence of the unwanted act. This is a common mistake a lot of armature dog trainers have.

If you have a pup that will not heed to the command "come," do not chance them. This will only make your puppy runaway farther. Instead, when they look at you, call their name and immediately you run away from them. Soon they will be chasing you and will associate the command "come" as intended. They will come to you.

Remember this always, a puppy should only be scolded when they are caught in the act of doing something they should not be doing. Never scold a puppy when you have not caught them in the act. Use the command "shame" when looking at the evidence but do not look at the dog when vocalizing this. Over time, they will associate the command "shame" with your disapproval mood. They may never associate it to their act unless you catch them in it. Leave it at that. No other scolding will help, in fact it will do just the opposite. It will make the puppy loose trust in you rather than want to correct their error because they do not associate the act with your mood and commands.

If you find this article useful, please visit the site http://www.the-german-shepard-dog.com where you can find other useful information on the German Shepherd and all other canines.

Please visit http://www.the-german-shepard-dog.com for more information and other articles written by Robert Kempe.

---

Wisdom... Wolves!

Wolves are magnificent and majestic creatures that have shared this... Read More

West Highland White Terriers - Make Your Westie Famous

The West Highland White Terrier or Westie, has it's origin,... Read More

Feeding Your Pet Stingray - The Essentials of Maintaining a Varied Diet

Stingrays will eat a wide variety of foods. Maintaining a... Read More

How To Keep Your Cat Happy and Healthy - Playtime for Kitty

While dogs tend to get lots of exercise, cats are... Read More

Successful Dog Training

Dog TrainingSo, we've got a new best friend that needs... Read More

Healthcare for Your Goldfish

Goldfish HealthcareYou would think that it's unfair that such a... Read More

Shock Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits

Shock CollarsAre you at a loss as to whether or... Read More

Comparison of the Cost and Effectiveness of Holistic Horse Care versus Conventional Care

After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for... Read More

Ticks On Your Dog: What to Do?

Once though of as a mere harmless but annoying pest,... Read More

Dog Training - How To Win Your Dogs Confidence

Settling a puppy into a new home successful is often... Read More

Responsible Dog Ownership

Owning a dog is a serious responsibility, one that should... Read More

Training Your Dog?Is It Worth The Effort Or Is It Just A Waste Of Time?

Many people feel that taking the time to train their... Read More

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

Many pet owners often wonder if it's worth it to... Read More

Buy Dog Supplements Online

Dog SupplementsA good nutritional program of dog supplements is just... Read More

Do They Really Need a Dog Bed?

When Lucky was starting to show signs of aging, we... Read More

Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know...

Some Dogs like Boxers unfortunately, are prone to several potential... Read More

Chinchillas As Pets

You may wish to consider a chinchilla as a possible... Read More

Essential Oils and MRSA

Natural preventative pet care isn't a new thing but it... Read More

Health Concerns for Goldfish

Most of the diseases that threaten goldfish can be cured.... Read More

Immune System Booster for Your Pets

Many chronic diseases commonly seen in pets result from immune... Read More

Tips to Help Solve the Three Most Common Dog Barking Complaints

Many dog owners find themselves frustrated, deeply concerned and even... Read More

Personal Pet Check-Ups

For all pet owners, regular monitoring and "examinations" of your... Read More

Do You Enjoy Watching Your Dog Wear Handmade Dog Scarfs Just To Suit Their Personality?

Yes! We love our wonderful and dear Pooches! We care... Read More

The Wonderful Siamese Cat

This mysterious cat is originally from the country of Siam,... Read More

Commercial Pet Food for Your Dog?

What you feed your dog is really SO important for... Read More

Breeding Clownfish

Thanks to Disney's Motion Picture 'Finding Nemo,' almost everybody is... Read More

Identifying and Treating Health Problems in Your Dog

An essential to your dog's health is his/her regular annual... Read More

Breeding Tetra Fish Successfully

If you are keeping tetras, chances are you are breeding... Read More

?On Trust? & ?Paid For?: One of the Oldest Dog Tricks that Never Fail to Entertain

"On Trust" & "Paid For" for are one of the... Read More

Buster the Beloved Pussycat

"Dogs have owners; cats have staff," and I have worked... Read More

Cancer and Your Pet

Just say the word cancer and any of a host... Read More

Westies Dogs ? Please Consider Adopting an Older Westie Dog

Everybody loves a baby animal and Westie puppies are adorable,... Read More

*Understanding* - The First Of The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse

Yesterday we talked a little about the 6 Keys for... Read More