Dog Behavior Training

Having a dog as a pet is a long term commitment and should be regarded as such. On the other hand, having a dog as a family pet can bring so much pleasure to a family and those who have been fortunate to live around dogs will appreciate what a great friend they can become. It is said that in order to train a dog to be a loving family pet the owner needs to be an excellent judge of how a dog behaves and to recognize the many mannerisms that a dog will demonstrate in order to train the dog properly. This is the reason why people who have never owned a dog, or been used to having one living in the family should consult a professional dog trainer to guide them through the early stages of training. This could include local dog or puppy obedience classes that will help you understand your new family member.

If you have been around dogs long enough, you will rapidly be able to recognize what form of personality the dog will develop as it grows and how to develop the positive sides and depress the negative sides. You should never allow yourself to forget that the first rule and the most important in dog training is to never let your dog forget that you, his owner, is the leader of the pack.

As soon as you have gained your dog's unrivalled support and respect, every other stage of its training will fall into place. Behavior training focuses on training the behaviors you want to see. There is only 100% of behavior, so train in the ones you want. Start early with discouraging jumping up onto people (your dog showing enthusiasm) and reward your dog for keeping his feet on the ground (this command is "off"). Teach a dog to heel and you will spend less time chasing him down. Heeling takes his behavior and puts in on the good side. Sit is usually the first command taught, then stay and very importantly come. Down, or lie down, is the next most important command. This small list will help your dog to know what to do to please you in most situations.

If your dog is an alpha dog and thinks he is the rightful owner of all he surveys, you will need to take steps to reinforce yourself as pack leader. Pack leaders are always entitled to eat first and the rest of the pack, of whom your dog is the only member, but he doesn't know that, comes second. In other words, if you have an alpha dog, he should never be allowed to eat at the same time or in the same room, as you eat.

Family pets should always be fed separately and, as much as it is sometimes is very tempting to let your dog share with you a tempting tidbit; it is a bad habit that could lead to anarchy. As far as house training is concerned, you need to understand that dogs from a very early age are very reluctant to soil where they live. They like to do their toilets in the wild outdoors, and in the early days they will need a lot of supervision till they get it right and it may not always fit into your schedule. When your dog begins to show an interest in answering a call of nature and in doing it outdoors, you have to be ready to move, no matter what. In the middle of the night, in rain, snow, sleet and hail, you need to be there while your best friend anxiously sniffs around till it finds the right spot, double checks it, and then delivers this foul smelling package. You even have to be prepared to scoop it up, if you haven't managed to prevent it happening on your neighbour's lawn or on a public footpath. While at the same time heaping praise on its sterling efforts, not unlike the praise we give toddlers when they are learning to use their proper toilet.

These are the basics of dog behavior training that will help you form a bond with your family pet that will remain with you both for years to come.