To have a good dog, it must have good training, and when training it, several ways of communicating arise; Such as speech, hand movement, and whistling, as dogs can understand what their owner needs from them. There are several ways to train dogs, but you must find what suits you and what suits your dog.[1]
Types of dog training
The following are the most popular types of dog training: [2]
Behavioral training: It is one of the basic types of training that must be taught to dogs from a young age, and it involves training the dog to behave well with other animals and people.
Obedience training: It focuses on making dogs obedient to their owner, and includes commands such as sit, lie down, and others.
Flexibility Training: Intended for dogs participating in dog sports; Such as jumping and racing. The dog should not be touched during training. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on vocal and physical gestures.
Vocational or skills training: Dogs have the ability to learn many skills, including learning how to hunt, perform search and rescue work, and others.
The most important skills to be taught to dogs
Below are the most important skills that should be taught to dogs:[3][4]
Accept strangers cordially.
Arrive as soon as you call him.
Sit, go, come, walk and other commands.
Teach him to pay attention to you when you talk to him.[5]
Emergency recall training; It is used in emergency situations, such as when one is about to run in front of cars.[5]
Teaching him to walk alongside you when you use the reins, this means preventing him from pulling on the reins.[5]
Dog training methods
Here are some ways to train dogs: [6]
Positive reinforcement: Reinforcing the dog with rewards, so he repeats good behavior and actions in order to get more rewards, while paying attention not to reward him when he does something bad.
Clicker training: It depends on the positive reinforcement system, and before using this tool your dog needs to get used to it and adapt to it, such as associating it with performance, good behavior, and obtaining a reward.
Electronic training: This training relies on the use of an electric collar that generates a slight electric shock when your dog does not perform the required action.
Alpha training or dominance training: This training relies on the dog's instinctive mentality and creating a relationship between submission and dominance; This method involves understanding the dog's body language and responding accordingly, and showing authority and confidence. Your dog can sit near the door if he wants to go out, or if he wants to eat, he must sit quietly when preparing the food.
Relationship-based training: It depends on strengthening the bond between the dog and the owner, so the owner must read his dog’s body language and be aware of it, and know the type of rewards he prefers, and when he rejects an action, the owner must know the reason instead of punishment.
Methods of training small dogs
The behavior of small dogs needs to be trained using obedience training, here are the following:[7]
Training the dog to go and get used to his cage: When the puppy enters his cage, you can reinforce him every time he uses this behavior, and you can feed him inside his cage to encourage him.
Rules for going to the toilet: You can set special rules inside your home regarding the puppy’s use of a specific place to relieve himself. You must be firm if the puppy violates this rule.
Training him to be social: Training him to meet new people or other pets will help him stay calm while leaving the house, and not be frightened, in addition to increasing his self-confidence.
Training not to bite and not to gnaw on furniture: Puppies are going through the teething stage, so they may like to bite and gnaw on the wood in the furniture. You can prevent this by using some special toys for biting.
Things to avoid when training dogs
Here are some things that should be avoided when training dogs: [8]
Repeating the command: The dog may be distracted, or he did not pay attention to you while you commanded him, so you have to repeat the command several times and then get the desired response. If you do this, you may teach him that it is okay for him to respond after several times; To solve this problem, you can attract his attention to you and then train him on the required command.
Linking the command to something he hates: When training a dog to obey commands, you should not link it to an activity he hates or something he hates, especially at the beginning of training, such as training him with the “Come” command that he hates.
Repeating the same method during training: You can try different methods to train the dog when it does not respond to achieving the goal and expect different results.
Other important information about dog training
Benefits of dog training
Here are some benefits of training dogs:[9]
It provides security to the dog: its obedience to your commands may prevent it from engaging in conflicts with other dogs or other animals or exposing itself to danger if it goes out into the street.
Safety at home: He learns to distinguish between good behavior and wrong behavior, thus not creating chaos or vandalizing the house, in addition to refining his behavior in dealing with the rest of the family members.
Building a strong, long-term relationship with the dog: Training builds a relationship based on mutual respect between you and the dog, and trust and respect for you.
Social interaction: With training, the dog can interact well and safely with other people.
Tips when training dogs
Here are some tips when raising dogs: [10]
The dog does not understand your language; When he does wrong behavior, you must not say no to him, but rather teach him good behavior.
Be quick when you reinforce or praise him.
When you feel sad or upset, your dog senses it; So you have to be positive.
Change your tone of voice when calling him; Even if you don't call him, just be happy when he comes to you and reinforce him.[10]
The daily period required to train dogs
You can start training the dog for 20 minutes, so that the duration of the session does not exceed five minutes and is distributed throughout the day, especially for puppies. Due to their short attention span, it is not necessary to train them in session to obey commands, but rather your interaction and communication with them is a session as well.[11]
Tools used when training dogs
Here is a list of tools used:[12]
Food rewards: They should be small and easy to eat quickly.
The cage: It is a safe, comfortable space for the dog, and it should be the happiest place to be.
Clicker: A small, hand-sized tool used to train a dog.
Collar or shield: It is an important thing to control the dog. The flat collar is also a positive reinforcement for the dog, while the shield is used with heavy dogs that are difficult to control while walking with them.
Halter: Must be 6 feet long.
Reinforcement bag: It helps you keep the reinforcements close to you, as it is placed on the waist.
Tools that help with relaxation: such as a shield that helps relieve the dog’s stress if he is terrified by the sounds of lightning. There are some sedatives that can be given to the dog in case of stress, and the veterinarian may prescribe them.