Dog Training Tips - Home Dog Training In Phoenix, Arizona

Form Object

AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator #37520

Red Cross Certified in Canine CPR and First Aid

Click Here To Help Rescued Animals - It's Free!

Professional Member of the International Association of Canine Professionals - Member #3240

Connecting People With Solutions - Phoenix ASAP

We all receive dog training advice from friends, family members, neighbors and even the internet. Our
advice is to ignore the majority of it. It is all well intentioned, but receiving input from so many sources
on how to train your dog will put you in a position where you are not showing consistency and will
only serve to confuse you and your dog.

Only train your dog on one thing at a time. Bouncing around can confuse your dog and slow your
progress.

Keep your dog training sessions short. We recommend working with your dog two to three times per day
for no more than five minutes each time. Experiencing negative results during a dog training session
because your have lost your dog's attention is common and can prove to be counter-productive.

Make sure your expectations are realistic and show patience. Repetiton and consistency are key. See
our chart on Working Intelligence of Dogs to understand how many repetitions a specific breed should
require to learn a new command and how often you should expect them to perform that action on
command.

Don't become dependant on any gimmicky devices
such as clickers for dog obedience training or squirt
bottles for dog correction training. A clicker is used
as a marker to teach the dog that they have been
successful and that a reward is on the way. You can
use a verbal marker instead so that you don't have
to find your device to perform your dog training.

Use play, when possible, while you are working
your dog training sessions.

Most dog training command words should only be
said once. You do not want to become that owner that
we all know who has to say sit over and over and they
still aren't sure that their dog is going to respond.

When using the command words, don't shout. When
you shout at your dog, you become just another barking
dog in their eyes. You should be able to give all
obedience commands to your dog in a normal voice.

Your dog reads your body language much better than
a human does. If your dog is going to enjoy learning,
you need to be calm and assertive during dog
training sessions and when you address them with
dog correction commands. Use your energy and
stature to help communicate with your dog.

Pay attention to your dog during dog training sessions.
If they are showing fear, stress or nervousness, stop
what you are doing and re-evaluate your methods. A
quality relationship between you and your dog is
dependant on mutual trust and respect, not fear.

Every walk that you take with your dog can be a training
exercise. Your dog should be taught to focus on you during
the walk. A walk should be at a good pace and should be
interesting for your dog. Keep your rules simple - your dog
should be at your side, paying attention to you and not
pulling on the leash.

"Just a quickie to let you know
that I took Shasta on a 50
minute walk today and she was
nearly perfect from the get go! I
can't believe it! Maybe it was
beginners luck but I am just
thrilled to enjoy a walk with her
and I really think she enjoyed it
too! Thank you so much!"