The Good Boy Guide: Obedience Training for Dogs

dog training tips
Group of dogs with owners at obedience class

Did you know that as many as 85% of dogs exhibit at least one behavioral issue?

It’s not fair to blame dogs for their problems since we have the power to train them. If you want to improve your dog’s behavior, then you need to invest time in dog training each day. Even a few minutes each day can make a huge difference.

Obedience training for dogs isn’t as difficult as you may think it is. Read on so you can gather our top tips on training your dog.

Start With the Essentials First

When you start figuring out how to train a dog, it’s important to start with essential commands first. Commands like sit, come, watch me, and stay could end up saving your dog’s life by keeping them out of harm’s way.

Once your dog masters those commands, you can move on to more fun tricks like play dead and roll over. You can check out this blog on teaching a dog so you can get inspired.

Develop a Routine and Stick to It

One of the best dog training tips is to stay consistent with your methods. Use the same words, hand gestures, and even locations to make training less confusing for your pup.

A common mistake that pet owners make is being lenient with their rules. For example, if you sometimes allow your dog on your furniture, you can’t get mad at them when you want them off on a particular day.

Reward Good Behavior

Whether you’re working on basic commands or agility training, it’s always useful to be generous with rewards. Dogs are driven by food and affection, so you can use that to your advantage.

Once they start associating certain actions with rewards they love, they’ll learn new lessons much faster.

Be Patient With Undesirable Behavior

Every dog owner needs to remember that training isn’t linear in most cases. Dogs will have bad days just like us humans. Instead of getting mad at your pet, be patient and keep correcting their behavior.

Yelling or doing other mean things won’t help your dog learn. It’ll only hurt their feelings and make them confused.

Consider Attending Obedience Training Classes

Some people aren’t natural dog trainers since they don’t have dominant personalities. This is something that you can work on with the help of a professional dog trainer.

Attending classes will not only give you access to more resources, but you can also socialize your dog in a healthy way as well. If your own training sessions aren’t as productive as you’d hoped, try going to classes instead of giving up.

Anyone Can Master Obedience Training for Dogs

Obedience training for dogs does take some time and patience, but you’ll get results if you stick to the routine. Since dogs aim to please, they’ll do everything they can to learn.