Training your New Dog

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a substantial and unequivocal increase in pet adoptions. With so much of our lives now being online, everyone working and doing school at home, and travel greatly restricted, it truly has been the perfect time to adopt a new furry friend. Now that you have a new pet you might be wondering how to begin training them or maybe you have tried to start training them but have had little success. Either way we have compiled some helpful tips to hopefully make the process a little bit easier for you!

1. Choose your pet's name wisely

1. This might sound a little odd at first read, but the name you give your pet really does matter. You are training them to react to their name so you only want them to hear their name when you are talking to them. If you pick a common pet name they might become confused on walks, at the dog park, dog park, etc. You also want to stay away from names that you use commonly, such as food names. 

2. Reward good behavior

1. This may come as a no brainer, but if your pet does what you ask or gets very close you want to give them a treat or something to let them know they did a good thing. You want your pet to learn that when they do what you ask good things will come for them. 

3. Consistency 

1. Consistency is the biggest key to learning almost anything, from human tasks like riding a bike to training a dog to sit or come. You want to find a happy balance between practicing often enough that they don’t forget what they learned from the previous session without overworking them. Just like children and adults, there is a limit on how much you can practice before exhaustion and irritability take over and cause negative progress. 

4. Decide on house rules

1. You need to decide on house rules in the very beginning so that your dog doesn’t get confused. If one person is telling them they can be on the couch while someone else is scolding them for being on the couch how are they expected to learn what the rules are? 

5. Say no to biting 

1. Pedigree.com says, “Instead of scolding your new pet, a great way to discourage your mouthy canine is to pretend you’re in a lot of pain when they bite or nip you — a sharp, loud yell should work. Most dogs are so surprised that they stop immediately. If verbal cues don’t work, try trading a chew toy for your hand or pant leg. This swap trick can also work when a puppy discovers the joys of chewing on your favorite shoes. They tend to prefer a toy or bone anyway. If all else fails, interrupt the biting behavior and respond by ignoring them.”

6. Finish on a positive note

1. At the end of a training session it is important to reward your dog with a treat or some other prize. You don’t want your pet to resent training or they will never learn, the more fun and rewarding you make training for them the more inclined they will be to learn and work with you. 

Works Cited

Pedigree. “10 Training Tips for Your New Dog.” PEDIGREE®, Pedigree, 19 Oct. 2016, www.pedigree.com/getting-a-new-dog/getting-an-adult-dog/10-best-training-tips.