by Colleen Rocha

Created on: February 18, 2009

Dog Training: The Basics

Every dog needs basic training. Whether you are adopting a puppy or an older dog when you bring this animal into its new environment you will need to teach it basic behaviors in order for the new dog to become a happy member of the family.

Training should begin before you even bring the dog home. Do some research to understand the differences in breeds and their temperaments. So many new owners make the mistake of bringing home that adorable puppy only to find that the activity or mannerisms of the breed to not fit with the owner's lifestyle. Once you have a basic understanding of this you are ready to begin.

There are as many training techniques as there are dogs. But one of the most successful means of training a pet is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the act of giving a treat or reward be it verbal ("what a good dog") or physical (a happy rub of the ears) after the pet has performed as you would like it to. Timing is probably the most important aspect of positive reinforcement. You must issue the reward immediately after the pet has completed the task; this means no more that 1.5 seconds. Dogs do not think like humans and if they are rewarded any later than 1.5 seconds they will not associate the behavior you want with the reward. This is probably the number one mistake most owners make when using positive reinforcement.

When a dog does not perform as you would like you should not reward the animal in any way. A strong verbal "No" or in the case of a dog getting to rough simply turn and walk away for a moment. By stopping positive reinforcement immediately you are teaching the dog to not perform the behavior since it will not be rewarded. Again, timing is critical and the same time limits apply.

The next important step in training is consistency. You must consistently reward the behavior you want. As you do this the pet begins to take in the knowledge and understand how you expect it to perform going forward. In order to be consistent you must be aware. That means that if you are not able to watch the dog 100% of the time you should be using a crate to keep the dog out of mischief. When you allow an animal to roam free without supervision; you will be allowing it to perform behaviors both good and bad without consequences. No consequence to a dog means it is OK to repeat this behavior.

If you are concerned about using a crate remember this; dogs are pack animals and in the wild would be left by their pack in a dark den all day while the adults hunt. Crate training will not affect your dog as long as they are getting normal attention and time out to eliminate waste.

Once you master these basic steps you are ready to begin training for specific behaviors. Some of the most important behaviors owners should concentrate on to begin with are socializing the pet so that they are used to their environments, leashing or harness training, and of course house training.

Training is an important aspect of every dog's life. As an owner it is in your best interest to take the time and train your pet. By doing this you will both enjoy a happy and rewarding relationship.

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