A guide to being a new dog owner

1. Training    

The reality is that training your dog isn’t always a simple task. There are a lot of steps involved, and it can be difficult to keep everything straight. If you take it one step at a time, there’s going to be less frustration involved and more success.

Here’s some advice to get you started in the right direction: Train Your Dog Using Short, Sweet, Interactive Games: House training is hard, and it’s a whole lot easier to handle if you teach your pup the rules in advance. One way to do this is through games. These are small, fun things that you and your puppy can learn together. House training is harder when your pup isn’t familiar with the environment.

Dogs respond best to positive reinforcement – good behavior is reinforced with treats and praise. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior suggests using a clicker as a positive reinforcement tool during the housebreaking process to ensure that the dog doesn’t try to do something unwanted.

Teaching your puppy to sit requires the dog to be on a leash. Begin by walking towards the crate and making the clicker noise. If your puppy or dog follows suit, give treats immediately. Keep walking towards the crate and make the clicker noise again. Once he or she sits, provide food and praise.

Basic commands are essential in dog training, including: sit, down, lay, come, and leave it. Your dog should learn these basic commands quickly. Begin your walk by teaching one basic command at a time. As your dog becomes more comfortable with the basic commands, continue walking.

Some dogs will naturally want to stay on the lead, but if this is not the case with your dog, you need to teach him or her to follow a leash. Dogs naturally lead by walking beside the lead and sniffing. To train your dog to walk along with you on a leash, simply put your hand in front of your dogs’ nose and pull forward slightly. Your dog might jump a bit, but he or she will eventually follow. As he or she gets used to pulling to lead, you can try moving farther forward with your hand and slowly increase the distance that you walk with your dog beside you.

Socialization is crucial to training a puppy. You can start training a dog to walk on a leash by putting him or her in your company. You might have to spend some time with your puppy and practice the basic commands to begin with, but once you are successful, you can start training your dog on their own. All of these steps are essential for a productive socialization program.

         2. How to teach your pet tricks    

Dogs love to be the center of attention and if you can use that to teach your dog tricks it will go a long way in making both of you happier. As with any training, it takes a certain amount of determination and consistency on your part to make it work. But teaching your dog tricks is actually quite easy. Here’s how to do it:

First, remember that when you’re teaching your dog a trick he should be engaged with the activity. Your dog will have a lot more fun if he’s running and playing instead of sitting still and taking notice. So use this rule of thumb when thinking up new tricks for your dog: If he doesn’t seem to like it, don’t do it. It won’t be worth your time or his.

Next, choose a trick that your dog really likes to perform. If you do your research and aren’t just doing it to please yourself, then it will make teaching your dog tricks a lot easier on you. Don’t just pick a random trick; choose one that he’s already familiar with so that he will be less likely to be distracted by something new. This is particularly important if your dog is a particularly stubborn breed.

Now you just need to find a fun place to run your dog and perform the tricks. Most dogs are more than happy to jump on your lap, but that doesn’t count for the ‘how to teach your dog tricks’ part. You’ll have to find a fun, exciting place for your dog to do his tricks that gives him plenty of room to show you what he’s got in store. One of the best places to start is with a ball, as your dog will have lots of room to play with it.The next step in teaching your dog is to ‘recondition’ him. This simply means giving your dog a treat when he does a good job. After a few times, your dog will be used to the idea that he’ll get a treat for performing a trick, so you’ll need to ‘recondition’ him each time he tries to do the same trick. Eventually, your dog will be able to do any trick you ask without being asked, which is pretty impressive.

 3. Affection and walks 

Affection and walks with your dog is one of the best ways to make sure you and your pet stay healthy. Walk your dog on a leash and allow your puppy to see how it feels to be on a leash, walking beside its master. This will give it a sense of familiarity and lessen the tendency to pull. You may have been led to believe that walking a dog on a leash is harmful to it and causes joint problems or arthritis. While this may be true, studies have shown that walking your dog on a leash actually benefits from it.

Exercise can help both you and your dog. Many owners do not realize how much time they are spending not exercising their pets. The owner can lose circulation and even their mobility can be affected if they are not exercising. Walking your dog on a leash is an excellent way to exercise, improve circulation, stretch out your muscles and burn calories.

It is suggested that owners take their pet for walks twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Most experts would recommend walking during the cooler times of the day since hot days and exercise causes heat stress on your pet. If you have to leave your dog home alone for long periods of time you’ll want to ensure your home if a comfortable temperature for your new pet, you may need to budget for a higher Gas South bill on top of other expenses that come with your dog.

Make sure you walk your dog at a safe and steady pace. Don’t let your dog gain too much momentum or speed. A slow steady pace that allows your dog to see everything around will help curb its excitability and make it enjoy the walk more. Walking with your pet can be a fun bonding experience. Dogs are social animals and enjoy the company of humans. Try to take your dog for short, brisk walks if possible. You could also take your pet for long, leisurely walks but it is important that you consider your dog’s breed and age so as not to be too exhausting for it.