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Dog Training Obedience

Dog training obedience is a must if you want to have a dog that is well-accepted everywhere you go. An obedient dog is often welcomed even where most dogs are not allowed. Dog ownership should be a rewarding experience. Dog training obedience will insure that you and your dog will develop a positive working partnership instead of a tug-of-war type relationship.

There are a few dog training obedience behaviors important enough that you'll want to start working on them immediately, almost like preliminary dog training. For example, it's important to teach your dog not to bite. This basic concept of dog training obedience is usually easy to accomplish as long as you don't let things get out of hand. Biting can become a bad habit. Start as early as possible while your dog is still young and trainable. If he happens to take a small nip out of your hands while you're playing with him or giving him a treat, tap your dog on the nose or under the chin while at the same time softly saying "easy." Repeat this lesson until he gets it.

When you are thinking up commands for dog training obedience, remember to use different tones of voice. Your dog can learn to recognize words in the form of a question ("Do you want to go for a walk?," etc), especially if you use a rising tone at the end of the question. You may want to try saying "No" in a low, authoritative voice. Reprimands sometimes work better if you draw out your words, making them longer. Your dog's hearing is much better than yours, so there's no need to shout your commands at him. If you hit any roadblocks in your dog training obedience, don't start shouting. Just stop and go back to a command your dog knows, and end the training session on a positive note.

Dog training obedience will be easier if you can teach your dog to lie down on command. You can do this with a leash and training collar, or if you are opting for purely positive methods, you can use a food treat placed between his front paws. Give your dog the "down" command and give a quick downward tug on his leash, or put the treat on the ground. When he lies down, praise him for his good behavior. He should pick this up fairly quickly. Then, your dog training obedience lessons can advance to "down" without the leash and collar.

Dog training obedience should utilize several of your dog's senses, especially sight, hearing and smell. Choose a training area that is relatively free from distraction. You'll need your dog's attention for dog training obedience. A small area inside your house would be a great place to start.

You should plan your dog training obedience sessions for times when your dog is more likely to be interested in food. If he's just eaten, then he may not be particularly motivated by food treats. Try to figure out the food treats your dog likes best. Most healthy dogs prefer meat. Bigger treats don't always lead to better responses. Small pieces (one-inch cubes) should do nicely for dog training obedience.

You can start dog training obedience as early as eight weeks of age. In fact, puppies will start to pick up habits by ten weeks of age, and there's no point in waiting for them to learn something you'll have to break them of later. If you have an adult dog, he may have some habits that will interfere with your dog training obedience at the beginning. But he should be able to establish new habits quickly.