by Melody Hatke

Created on: May 29, 2009

Praise, and more Praise! The best and friendliest, training method is praise. The biggest mistake dog owners make is negative reinforcement, we scold and yell at the behavior we don't want, and basically ignore the good behavior. If we flip-flop this training, we get a happy, lovable dog. After all, your dog only wants to please you, he thinks his main purpose in life is to make his owner happy. Showing your frustration and anger toward your dog, confuses them and truly hurts them deeply.

How do we train our dog this way? When your dog is exhibiting behavior, you wish for, praise your dog, give him love and treats. Let him know that lying quietly is the behavior you enjoy and reinforce this behavior. When you tell your dog to stay, and he obeys this command, praise him. When you praise your dog, he will try to repeat this behavior to get the reaction of praise and happiness from his owner.

When training commands, such as sit, down, stay and come. Always stop when the command is done correctly by your dog. Do not let yourself get frustrated. Speak the command calmly, and assertively, and keep a positive attitude about the training. Do not yell and scream at your dog, this will only confuse him. When the command is obeyed, let your dog know that was the correct response, show excitement and joy, praise your dog! If your dog is having an off day, which sometimes they do, stop before either one of you gets upset or angry.

Dog training should be fun and exciting for your dog, he should want to learn, he should look forward to daily training sessions with you. If you keep the training upbeat and positive, your dog will throughly enjoy the training. Your dog will want to show you, just how smart and eager to learn, he can be with the right motivation.

Don't drag your training sessions out. Fifteen minutes a day, is quite enough time, to expect your dog to stay focused on your training. At first, train your dog at home, a place that is familiar to him. It is not fun for you or your dog to try to train in unfamiliar surroundings. You will get frustrated, at your dog sniffing all the trees and bushes, and he will get frustrated , at being torn away, from all the great new smells. Later as he progresses, and is familiar with the commands and training, you may take him to a park, or train with friends.

The best advice is treat man's best friend, like your best friend. Give your dog love and acceptance, and you will have a loyal, and protective friend, for many years to come.

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