Throughout the years of owning dogs, reading dog books, and watching many other dogs be trained correctly and incorrectly by dog owners I have picked up some simple, straightforward tips, anyone can use to train their dog.
1. First whenever disciplining a dog, never smack it around, or lay the boots to it. Seems a simple enough tip, yet many seem to neglect it, leaving the poor dog a skittish, scared, angry, confidence lacking shadow of it’s former self.
2. Secondly, when scolding the dog, use a deep voice with a little bit of mustard, but don’t blow your top, or everytime you yell for something the animal will roll onto it’s belly in a pavlovian reaction, (I am a witness).
3. Thirdly, make sure you have caught the dog in the act of whatever he/she was doing wrong, or at least be within a minute or two of witnessing the crime. If you catch the perp, er pup, in the act, repeatedly over a steady time period then the chances of the dog repeating the wrong will lessen dramatically. They will associate doing the bad behavior with displeasing their owner, which though that piece of kibble in the garbage is tempting, it is just too much shame to bear in a loyal hound’s mind to face the scolding. Of course no matter how good your dog is trained, if you leave food easily accessible to them, ou can only blame yourself for the loss.
4. Lastly, always praise your hound heartily when they have done a good deed. Positive feedback with dogs is the most important component I believe for quick improvement in dog training. When they have bad bad, let them know with a stern rebuke and a finger point and ignore them completely for 7-10 minutes.
Specifics
-Defecation and Urination Training Tips
1. Watch for signs that the dog is about to lay one down, (pacing back and forth quickly and sniffing the floor the whole time, etc.) and then bring the hound outside quickly in spot that you have designated (just do it at first so the dog gets used to going outside).
2. A nice trick I have found (helps to be male) for training dogs to urinate outside is to go yourself in some weeds, and then call the dog over and brush the surrounding weeds with your foot, attracting the dogs eyes than nose. Pick a keyword the dog will associate with doing their business (bathroom works) and it may work for you as the technique worked for me. I haven’t tried #2 as encouragement nor would I recommend it, but to each their own, and if your having some troubles getting through to your hound in that aspect, that may be the ticket! Just kidding : )
3. Always lift the offending odiferous odor and throw it into the familiar spot, thus encouraging the creature to go there.
-Aggressive Canine Behavior with a Fellow Canine
1. You must take your position as alpha male over the dog in any situation in which they present themselves in an aggressive manner despite your orders to cede. By aggressive manner I do not mean simply barking, but growling, hair raised up on end, snapping teeth or any obvious bad intention behavior demonstrated. First roll the dog onto their belly-they will resist so do it a calm, but assertive, strong, steady manner. Bring the other dog, over and let it sniff around your hound. Every time the mutt growls, scold it.
2. If the dog is playing and has a tendency to growl (pitbulls) when going after a tennis ball/flying objecy with another dog, scold at the moment of the growl, and if the behavior continue, leash offending dog to something secure so they can watch the other dog play. Do for 5 minutes, then release the dog, and repeat until the behavior discontinues.
-General Training Tips
-Most of the time dogs mimic their owners actions; so if a problem continues unsolved for a while look in the mirror.
-Don’t do your training half ass, or your dog’s awareness level will be half ass in what you’re trying to teach it.
-Don’t think a dog can understand a million different facial expressions or detect subtle disappointment in language like humans, the best way to train is be authoritative in voice and action, so they know exactly when they have done wrong.
-Again, always praise your hound heartily for a good deed, as a dog likes nothing more than to please the owner.
-If your dog is ever seeming more tired than usual or it is always lazy, it is bored and needs exercise and outdoor playtime. An inactive dog is a depressed dog, no matter the breed. If outdoor activity doesn’t solve the dog may have lyme’s disease..
