The process of training your dog is not an easy one, and it’s not something that you can expect to get right overnight. Whether you’ve just adopted an older dog or you have a new puppy that you want to get house trained, there are lots of things that you’ll need to consider. And the best place to start is by purchasing the items that are going to be vital throughout the training process. Find out all about them below.
A Clicker
A clicker is a very useful item when you’re training your dog. The purpose of a clicker is to let the dog know when they’re doing something right, and that’s obviously vital during training sessions. You use the clicker when praising the dog and giving them a treat after they do something correctly. The noise of the clicker essentially acts as a reinforcing signal.
A Mat
It’s a good idea to have a mat that you can use for training purposes. It can be used as a base for the training. For example, you can use it when you’re training the dog to sit or stay. They know that the mat is a specific place and that if you’re telling them to stay, the mat acts as the area they shouldn’t leave. It makes it easier for them to understand the basics of what you’re asking them to do.
Some Guidance
If you’ve never trained a dog before, this might not be something that you want to take on alone. When you have someone helping you throughout the training process, it makes things easier and the process a little faster. However, as the owner of your dog, you’re still the one who has to do the training; it’s not something you can outsource to someone else.
The Right Treats
Having the right treats is another vital aspect of training your dog. As we’ve mentioned, you need to reward and reinforce the right kinds of behaviors when training your dog. That’s how those behaviors stick and get repeated. So find some treats from Superior Farms or whatever treats your dog already loves and use them as a training reward.
Plenty of Patience
One thing you’re going to need quite a lot of when training your dog is patience. The process takes time and your dog won’t grasp all of these ideas right away. That’s just the way it is. However, if you have the patience to keep things up and keep pushing in the right direction; there’s no reason why you can’t get to where you want things to be with them. Once you have in place each of the things discussed above, you can begin making real progress with your dog and their training. There will be challenges and hurdles to overcome along the way, but all in all, it’s certainly worth taking the time to train your dog properly. And each of the things discussed above will make that challenge a little easier.