When you are starting to train your dog, it is important to practice positive reinforcement, utilizing treats, playtime, and verbal encouragement. Unlike some pets, dogs are particularly good at understanding tone of voice and are in tune to their owner’s emotions. For these reasons, it is smarter to focus on positive reinforcement rather than punishment when training your dog. As a general rule, it is good to vary the schedule you train them because you don’t want them to become used to a pattern. In addition, keeping the training periods between three to five minutes a couple times a day will be good
Treats:
As dogs are motivated by food, treats are one of the best ways to train them. When you begin training them, reward them with a treat every time they obey the command to reinforce the association and the good behavior. Remember to keep the treats pea-size or smaller in order to avoid ruining a feeding schedule. This continuous reinforcement can become intermittent as the training period continues, as your dog will begin to not need the treat once they have learned the behavior. In phasing out treats, you can use even real-life rewards, such as playing and petting.
Playtime:
Sometimes your dog will not be motivated by a treat, but a favorite toy will do the trick! Allowing them to play for a short period of time after exhibiting the favored behavior will reinforce their actions. Interactive toys are encouraged so that your dog does not become bored.
Verbal Encouragement:
Throughout the entirety of training, you should always be verbally encouraging your dog if they do something good. Using an upbeat tone of voice, petting them, and praise such as “good dog!” will do wonders with your pet.
Remember that training should be fun! When you are training your dog, only focus on one behavior per session. Both of you should be in a good mood and ready for the activities. If your dog is still exhibiting poor behavior, rather than punish him or her, simply ignore the behavior. By rewarding good actions and ignoring bad ones, your dog will eventually be trained to your satisfaction.
Courtesy of: Plato Pet Treats
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