A Well Behaved Dog is a Well Adjusted Dog

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     Do you have a beloved pooch that is a valued member of your family? If so, you will want to teach them to be a well behaved dog, so they can be in unison with the rest of the family and blend in. If you think that this is an overwhelming task, then take heart. You are certainly not alone in your thinking since many people think dog training is difficult. Any dog no matter what age can be trained. Of course, puppies will always be the easiest because their minds tend to grasp things easier, sort of the same concept as a child, whereas adult dogs will take a little more time and patience. But it's well worth the time and effort because of what you'll be getting in return, which is a well-adjusted and confident dog.

Training any dog or puppy should always be done with gentle positive reinforcement. A person should never yell or spank their dog, because the dog will only learn to fear you. This will only lessen their self-confidence, and will give way to behavioral problems. Remember that your dog wants to please you as much as you want him to catch on to the training. With any dog, training takes patience, lots of love, and steady repetition. It also means having a few meat doggie treats to treat when they do the correct trick or command.

It really doesn't matter what you are training your dog for, the methods are always the same. For instance, if you are teaching Fido how to "heel", and walk on a leash, these are just two of the many different trick and commands you can train your dog to do; you will want to continue repetition because this helps the puppy or dog learn. The same goes for housebreaking and potty training. Consistency along with the positive reinforcement and a pocket full of treats goes a long way in training. When training your dog, you never want to talk to him in a manner that will cause him to be scared and intimidated by you. The tone of your voice will set the tone for the entire training session. The basic commands to teach your dog are to "sit", "lie down", "come", and "heel". These four commands alone are plenty to make your dog a pleasant one to be around. But you can go further and teach him or her more advanced commands like "roll over" and "fetch".

This can also go into teaching them tricks that will make them the center of the show when company comes over. You are not only doing yourself a favor, but you're helping your dog as well by training him or her. Just like humans have to be taught proper behavior, the same goes with dogs. If you are unsure as to where to start, the best place would be with the vet. If need be enlist the services of a professional dog trainer or take your dog to a group dog class. You'll be so glad you did this and your dog will "thank you" in his own way.