Why Short and Sweet Can’t Be Beat!

Simple communication with your pet is a necessity. Here’s 5 ways to keep it short and sweet.

Training your pet is an ongoing process, whether you have a four-month-old Corgi or a four-year-old Collie. Practice makes perfect and as long as your training session is an enjoyable experience for both you and your pet, everyone walks away happy. One of the mistakes dog owners make is pursuing a training session for too long. This can become frustrating for everyone involved, especially for your dog. Training your pet in repetitive, short increments is the key to success. Below are some great tips for dogs of all ages, explaining why short and sweet training sessions can’t be beat.

 Use direct commands

• As much as you love talking to your pet, when communicating a command it’s best to keep it direct. Instead of “Bruiser, be a good boy and sit nice and quiet!” try a simple, effective “Bruiser, sit.” This leaves little room for misunderstanding.

 Food as a motivator

• Attention is always the greatest reward for your pet, but oftentimes a treat will help the dog focus and work harder. Keeping the training session to a reasonable time frame clearly communicates the purpose of the exercise and makes your pet more excited for their delicious morsels of motivation.

 Timing

• When your pet is executing a command, reward him immediately. For example, if you initiate a “sit” command, give your pooch a treat while sitting. If you initiate “sit” and then “come” commands, you reward your dog immediately after coming to you. Hesitation leaves room for confusion and distractions.

 Practice multiple times a day, for shorter time spans

• Dogs, especially puppies, have a limited attention span. Instead of pursuing stressful 30-minute sessions once a day, train 4 – 5 times a day for roughly five minutes.

 End on a positive note

• When your training session is drawing to a close, end with a command your pet is comfortable with. This bolsters your pet’s confidence and leaves you both with a fond memory of the exercise.

For more information on commands, training, or obedience, contact us at thebestdog@verizon.net