Dog Training – The Graduates Edition 

So you graduated Puppy Preschool. With honors. Your precious companion can sit and stay with the best of them. What’s next?

Training doesn’t end when class is over. Like children, puppies need a constant and consistent message to retain learned behaviors and information. This doesn’t mean you need to spend the equivalent of college tuition fees on training classes for your dog. This simply means that the instructor’s job is ended and your job has only just begun!

All Day, Every Day – Training is Ongoing and Part of Daily Life

Training doesn’t have to be a 30 minute class like setting. It can take place over the course of a full day in small segments of time.

Would you only teach your child for 30 minutes a day? No. You would say “Ma-Ma” over and over again until it is repeated back to you. Well, the same thing applies to your dog.

Your dog needs a consistent and steady message in order to grasp the concept of whatever information you are trying to convey.

Let’s say you would like your dog to stay off the couch. The best way to teach him to stick to the floor or his dog bed is by telling your dog “No.” and redirecting him to his dog bed. Once there, have him sit and praise him. And this should be done every single time he attempts to lie down on the couch.  Not once in a while or when you have time. Every. Single. Time.

And while remaining consistent seems like its common sense, it’s one of the more difficult things that human being’s do.

We all know the things we must do but doing them every single time when we have kids screaming; dinner cooking and laundry going can be rather daunting. But while these hectic days tempt us into putting our blinders on, it’s very important to take the two minutes out to redirect the dog to the proper place for his lounging.

Dogs are smarter than most give them credit for. And if he thinks he can take his afternoon nap on the couch when you aren’t looking, chances are he will repeat his  behavior day after day and the habit will only be that much harder to break.

While this is just one example of how being consistent can benefit your dog training there are other things you can do to continue to with your obedience schooling after class ends

Here are some examples

• Running Errands? Take your puppy with you and have him on a down stay while you tend to your personal business.
• Before allowing others to pet him, get him to sit first.
• Take your dog with you when picking the kids up from school and make sure your pooch is sitting quietly while you wait.
• Going to the Park? Take the dog with you and work on recall or sit and stay with distractions.

When you are consistent with your dog, chances are his behavior will be modified in days rather than weeks or months. Remember that while it is hard, the end result is a happy dog and a happy owner!

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Tags: advice, Basic Dog Training, Tips, Tools