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Our Official Aussie Ebook | Dog Training Videos

How To Train Your Dog: Understanding The Basics

How to train my dog is something that most owners are interested in and with good reason. Nobody likes to have a wild or unruly dog; it can be a nuisance or worse, may even be dangerous.

Fortunately, most dogs are easily trained, from basic obedience commands to more complex behaviors such as running agility courses or participating in canine sports. Provided you follow the basic steps, you should be able to easily train your dog and deepen the human/canine bond.

Before you begin any kind of training it's important to realize that, like their human counterparts, no two dogs are exactly the same and as such they won't all learn the same way. Training can vary depending on an individual dog's breed, age, size and history.

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Dog and puppy obedience training doesn't have to be so hard. You might be shocked at how easy it can be once you understand how dogs see the world differently than humans do.

Know your dog and the specifics of his breed and you'll be better able to tailor a training program that will work for him. This is particularly important for highly intelligent breeds like the Australian Shepherd that may require extra stimulation.

Our official ebook Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care should be in every Aussie owner's digital library.

When considering how to train my dog, you may want to consult the experts. There are many books on the subject including our official Guide To Australian Shepherd Training & Care and if you need more specific direction you could go to a professional trainer who will be able to give you helpful tips. You can find more information about an online video-based dog/puppy training program we highly recommend here.

How To Train My Dog The Positive Way

One of the things that just about all of the professional sources agree on is the importance of using positive reinforcement. Like children, dogs learn better when there is a reward involved; either a treat or a word of praise will usually do the trick and clickers are one of the more popular methods for positive reinforcement.

Whether you are teaching basic commands like 'sit' and 'stay' or doing more advanced training, keeping your dog engaged is important. Learning comes easier when you're having a good time, so integrating games into training can make it easier on both you and your dog.

Also, reinforcement is key. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. The more regularly you work with your dog, the quicker he's likely to learn and the longer he's likely to retain everything that he learns.

Training should begin with the basics, including housetraining and leash training, plus how to properly socialize with other dogs and humans. If you're considering how to train my dog, you'll want to start at the beginning and work your way up to more complex behaviors.

How quickly your dog advances will depend on his ability to learn. Aussie's are instinctive and eager learners, so if you own one be prepared to move quickly through the steps of training.

"Proofing" When You Train Your Dog

Once you move to the final stages of training you'll want to be sure not to overlook proofing. Proofing means exposing your dog to various situations in order to ensure that the behaviors he has been taught are properly applied.

It won't do much good if your dog behaves in your home but reverts to unacceptable behaviors in public. For this reason, you need to take your dog on walks, to the park, or to other places where he'll encounter other people and dogs to make sure that he'll obey your commands in these situations.

If you're asking how to train my dog, remember that all training requires patience, positivity and reinforcement. With those basics in mind, you should be able to teach your dog many useful skills, fun tricks, or athletic maneuvers that will improve and maintain his health and deepen the bond you share.

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