Pooch Pointers
- Be Consistent! Everyone in the family must agree to use the same word for each behavior, all the time. And do not use the same word to mean different things: such as, saying ”down” when you want your dog to stop jumping, and lie down, and get off the furniture. This is terribly confusing to a dog.
- When training your dog, you will need to manage his surroundings. Just as you would childproof your home, you’ll need to puppyproof your place for a while. For example: Don’t leave him alone with a trash can full of fun! Think about it, if a dog thinks a good roll in goosepoop is fun, do you really think he would pass up a romp through some rubbish?
- Your pup will sometimes offer a less than perfect performance. Don’t let this discourage you or him. We humans mess up all the time, don’t we? You won’t make any progress if you or your dog are feeling frustrated. Just remember, if your pooch isn’t “getting it,” just back up to an easier version of whatever you were doing, reward the smaller success, then end that particular training exercise on a good note.
- Always keep training exercises short, fun, and sucessful! Sessions should last about 5-10 minutes, 2 or 3 times per day. Keep in mind that your dog has no way of knowing that one behavior, like coming when called, for example, is very important for him to learn, while learning to shake paw is just a trick. To a dog’s brain, all training is a game. So keep it fun!
Enroll your dog in our new Doggie Dayschool Program here at our Phoenixville location, where we'll focus on socialization, good doggie manners and basic obedience all rolled into a fun day of games and play!