Dogs are usually high strung and are eager to do whatever the owner wants. Dogs are happiest when they have something to do, and even more so when they actually receive some sort of treat for having done it. These are things that you're going to want to use to your advantage as you try to teach them to do different tricks. The things that they do naturally can be very useful in teaching them to do new things. These habits that they have developed along with the treats that you give them make it a lot easier to train a dog.
Check out what your dog does for his own enjoyment. Does he spring into the air chasing butterflies? Does he like to turn in circles chasing his tail? If some kind of spontaneous behavior can be developed into a clever trick, that will streamline the training process. Be at the ready to use a consistent hand signal and verbal command when this behavior is exhibited and then follow up with an instantaneous reward.
For most dogs there are dietary requirements that you'll need to pay mind to, and bearing that in mind you shouldn't actually give your dog an excessive amount of treats. Treats are a great way to get started, but later on the hand signals and some praise will suffice. When you get everything down pat, you can decrease the amount of treats or stop giving them period.
Many dogs learn very rapidly after a few repeats and a verbal praise or food reward. This usually makes training the "down", "come", "sit" and other basic commands quite straightforward. When you want to train for something a little more difficult it can be as simple as exploiting these rudimentary commands and behaviors. As an example, the "down" command can be the starting place for teaching "play dead".
An additional way to get your dog's attention when developing some tricks is to utilize a favorite plaything. Using a tug toy or a ball your dog likes to play with, just out of his reach, rapidly move it up and down motivating him to jump at the same time giving him the "jump" verbal command. After repeating until he relates the command and hand sign with the trick of jumping, phase out the toy and use just your hand and the verbal command.
You should take advantage of the dog's ability to smell, as well as his ability to smell better when he is close, as well as at long range. These abilities are actually quite amazing, and it can be used for different types of games including hide and seek. Hiding a favorite chew toy under a box is a great way to practice as he or she will find that toy right away. You can begin by hiding the toy close by and you can gradually move it farther so that it will be more difficult but doable.
What about giving you five? That's a great trick for a dog, and it's actually pretty easy. Most dogs have a tendency to give you their paw immediately, and you can show them your hand or "paw", and then say 'high five' as they give you theirs. After a while this will become second nature to them, but at first you will need to reinforce this behavior using a treat.
The dog will usually have no hesitation to hand you their paw, and because of this you will sometimes be able to do the trick without saying anything. Sometimes you might actually have to lift their paw up for them, and even if this is the case then you'll still need to give the dog some praise so that they'll be willing to do it on their own next time.
There are a few other things that you can expand on once you've taught the dog a few tricks. One thing that you can do is expand the high five into a way to make them sit up. You can do this by compelling them to raise both paws, at which point they'll just sit up. Once you've gotten them to do this, make sure you give them a treat.
Training a dog can be fun, and it has a few other benefits as well. By training your dog and spending time with him or her you will create a strong bond. You and your dog will become very close and you both will be a lot happier! - 31866
Check out what your dog does for his own enjoyment. Does he spring into the air chasing butterflies? Does he like to turn in circles chasing his tail? If some kind of spontaneous behavior can be developed into a clever trick, that will streamline the training process. Be at the ready to use a consistent hand signal and verbal command when this behavior is exhibited and then follow up with an instantaneous reward.
For most dogs there are dietary requirements that you'll need to pay mind to, and bearing that in mind you shouldn't actually give your dog an excessive amount of treats. Treats are a great way to get started, but later on the hand signals and some praise will suffice. When you get everything down pat, you can decrease the amount of treats or stop giving them period.
Many dogs learn very rapidly after a few repeats and a verbal praise or food reward. This usually makes training the "down", "come", "sit" and other basic commands quite straightforward. When you want to train for something a little more difficult it can be as simple as exploiting these rudimentary commands and behaviors. As an example, the "down" command can be the starting place for teaching "play dead".
An additional way to get your dog's attention when developing some tricks is to utilize a favorite plaything. Using a tug toy or a ball your dog likes to play with, just out of his reach, rapidly move it up and down motivating him to jump at the same time giving him the "jump" verbal command. After repeating until he relates the command and hand sign with the trick of jumping, phase out the toy and use just your hand and the verbal command.
You should take advantage of the dog's ability to smell, as well as his ability to smell better when he is close, as well as at long range. These abilities are actually quite amazing, and it can be used for different types of games including hide and seek. Hiding a favorite chew toy under a box is a great way to practice as he or she will find that toy right away. You can begin by hiding the toy close by and you can gradually move it farther so that it will be more difficult but doable.
What about giving you five? That's a great trick for a dog, and it's actually pretty easy. Most dogs have a tendency to give you their paw immediately, and you can show them your hand or "paw", and then say 'high five' as they give you theirs. After a while this will become second nature to them, but at first you will need to reinforce this behavior using a treat.
The dog will usually have no hesitation to hand you their paw, and because of this you will sometimes be able to do the trick without saying anything. Sometimes you might actually have to lift their paw up for them, and even if this is the case then you'll still need to give the dog some praise so that they'll be willing to do it on their own next time.
There are a few other things that you can expand on once you've taught the dog a few tricks. One thing that you can do is expand the high five into a way to make them sit up. You can do this by compelling them to raise both paws, at which point they'll just sit up. Once you've gotten them to do this, make sure you give them a treat.
Training a dog can be fun, and it has a few other benefits as well. By training your dog and spending time with him or her you will create a strong bond. You and your dog will become very close and you both will be a lot happier! - 31866
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