Looking after a new dog not only entails giving it food and shelter, but also being able to train it to adjust to its surroundings. It should be able to coexist peacefully with you and even the strangers it meets on the street when you take it out on walks. Dogs are not born with good behavior. It has to be instilled upon them. There are only a few basic rules when it comes to teaching dogs to be good pets in and outside the home. These are guiding principles that should show you how to help your dog learn.

There are about four kinds of thinking when teaching dogs. The first one is to leave it to do as it please when you’re out for a walk provided it cooperates. Guess what? It’s unreasonable to leave it to the dog to know better. It will walk you instead. You’ll find yourself following a dog that goes to any direction. That is fundamentally wrong because as the pet owner, you should assume authority and responsibility for your dog. You are supposed to be the one leading and not the one following. You can’t just let your dog do whatever it wants. It will try to push the limits every chance it gets.

Trainers would encourage good behavior by positive reinforcements such as the use of praise and treats. Praising a dog that deserves it is good and encouraging. Doing it too much would be distracting if you are still in training. It would make the dog forget you’re still in the serious business of training it.

Giving treats is a classic and works pretty well with animals that exert a lot of energy doing tricks such as seals and dolphins but you’re only teaching a dog to sit or behave a certain way around people or other dogs. It may not have a voracious enough appetite to find the treats rewarding especially when you’re training it after dinner.

The best way to teach your dogs is to first assume the alpha dog position. Dogs do have a sense of hierarchy in a group. When you are the group leader, you have the authority to tell the dog how to behave and watch itself. Remember, you have to be seen as the leader so it follows your verbal and non-verbal commands. No amount of begging would bring a dog back when it places itself in danger such as running into the traffic on the road.

Find out more about dog training problems to easily and effectively train your dog. James K. Bosley will give you many more potty training problems & essentials about training your dog correctly.

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