Tips for Handling Your Dog Better

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     There are a number of different ways people believe are best for training your dog. What everyone agrees on is dog training and dog obedience are not easy. They take a lot of patience and dedication to get it right. In addition to those traits, you also must have some skill, and some ability to read your dog and know what he's going to do, as well as taking note of your body language and the things you are putting out to your dog.

Here are a few tips for any dog owner who is undertaking training:

First, you should only use one arm and hand to give your dog signals. While at the beginning of training, you may be a little over exaggerating in those movements to get your dog's attention you must work towards only giving flowing and smooth signals to your dog, that are consistent and not confusing to him. This is true for dogs of all sizes. Whether small or big, your dog will be able to see your signals, if he is paying attention.

Some people say this is not the case, but that is generally because they don't know how to make a dog pay attention. Part of the problem could be you. If you are giving your dog unintentional body language signals, you could be confusing your messages. Often many beginning trainers nod their head or lean into a command, not even realizing it. But the dog will realize it and may confuse the lesson you are trying to get across. If you are not sure if you do this, you can have someone watch you as you train to see.

Secondly, consistency is the key. You must give clear messages to your dog. That means you cannot scold him one time for doing something that later you think is ok. There must be set rules, and you always have to stick to them. Otherwise you are just confusing your dog, and distracting from your training. The way a dog learns is through repeating actions. Therefore you should make sure your training is constant and that you are training the same commands and lessons without changing the meanings. Things you teach a puppy now will be things that will follow them through their life.

Third, get to know your dog. The better you know your pet, the better you will know what things he responds well and even be able to predict how he will act when put into a new situation. You should also treat a dog according to his personality. If you have a calm and sweet dog, you shouldn't try to be rough with him. You will see better results training him in a calm manner. Some dogs that are more aggressive may, however, need a more tough training style.