If you are a pet parent whose dog is going through dog training, then you must be getting accustomed to the fact they are going through a lot of changes. Hiring a professional dog trainer will always benefit you in the long run as they will know exactly what kind of training your dog needs after gauging its requirements along with factors like age, size and breed of your dog. Ideally, dog training should be begun when they are at the puppy stage so the commands and behavioral programs are imbibed from a very young age. However, in cases like late adoption, or delay in training process due to various reasons, adult dogs can be trained pretty well with the help of the right kind of professionals. Although most of the work when it comes to dog training will be done by the dog trainer, you also will have to play an important part in ensuring that your dog is completely well-trained. You can do this by practicing the commands at home, simultaneously while they are going through the training course and also making sure that they are getting accustomed to the fact that they will have to perform certain tasks, follow certain commands and behave properly.
As a pet parent, how can you encourage the best behavior with your dog? The best kind of encouragement is always in the form of positive reinforcements. Positive reinforcement is a method of encouragement where your dog is rewarded for every good behavior or every time they follow a command that is given to them. So what are some of the ways you can positively reinforce your dog? Here are some suggestions –
- Treats – This is one of the easier ways to get your dog to do a task and make them understand that it is a desired behavior. All you have to do is hold a treat in your hand, give them a command, and wait for them to finish the action. Every time they finish the action, you feed them one treat. However, it is important to make sure that you do not repeat your command after saying it once. This might confuse them into thinking that they can follow your command after several repetitions. Therefore, give a command once, wait for them to perform the action and then give them a treat once the action is complete.
- Praise – You can show your dog that you appreciated their behavior by praising them verbally with phrases like “good boy”, “good job” etc. You can express through your facial expressions too that you are happy with their behavior and they will come to understand that following your commands correctly will make you happy which is a good enough motivation for them to go through the training seamlessly.
- Petting – Another good form of positive reinforcement is petting them lovingly everytime they follow your command. Petting them and giving them physical affirmation is one of the best love languages when it comes to dogs.
- Toys – You can show them that everytime they do a command correctly, or behave properly, they can get a chance to play with their favorite toys. This can also come in the form of games or playtime with you. You can make them do a certain number of tasks and tell them that they can play their favorite games with you and have fun playtime if they follow the commands given to them properly.
- Food – Before their mealtime, you can make them do minimal tasks and follow simple commands. This way you can positively affirm their behavior right after and give them food immediately to show that you appreciate their obedience.
Your trainer will always be there to help you and guide you through what you should be doing throughout the weeks that they are going through training. Your constant support, patience and affirmation coupled with professional training will ensure that your dog will turn out to be extremely well-behaved.
