Dog Training Tips

Is your dog trained yet? If not, you’ll want to rectify this right away. Training is very important, both for petiquette and for safety reasons! With Train Your Dog Month coming up, now is the perfect time to start. Read on as a local Brampton, ON vet offers some advice on training your canine buddy.

Class Curriculum

Start with basic doggy obedience commands. Sit is usually the easiest one for our canine pals to pick up. Once your pooch has that one down, you’ll also want to teach him to Stay, Come, Heel, and Lay Down. Work on one thing at a time, and don’t start working on a new command until your furry buddy has mastered the current one.

School Schedule

Dogs have pretty short attention spans, except when bacon is involved. Long classes will likely bore your cute pet. Try to work with Fido for about 15-20 minutes a day, at roughly the same time each day.

Report Cards

If you give your pup a report card or a gold sticker, he’ll probably either try to eat it or just do that adorable head tilt/confused look thing that dogs do. Offer your canine friend something more tangible as a reward for his progress. By tangible, we really mean edible. Small snacks, like pieces of kibble or cut up hot dogs, are best. If your furry pupil gets too full, he’ll fall asleep in school!

Campus

Choose a place that is quiet and free of distractions. If there’s a squirrel, a cat, or bacon in the classroom, you may have a hard time keeping Fido focused on his lessons!

Tail Wags

Many dogs actually enjoy learning new things. Training provides Fido with beneficial mental stimulation, which is great for him mentally. It can also help shy dogs build confidence. Plus, it will strengthen the bond between you, by eliminating friction caused by doggy disobedience. Once your pup knows the basics, teach him some cute tricks, like Shake or Roll Over. Or, move on to advanced training.

Tips

Patience and consistency are the key things to keep in mind here. When teaching Fido vocal commands, always use the same words. If you tell your pet to ‘Sit’ one day, and then the next day say ‘Fido, sit down right now,’ you’ll just end up confusing your furry student.

Please reach out to us, your Brampton, ON vet clinic, for all of your dog’s veterinary care needs. We are here to help! If you’re struggling with training or behavior issues, don’t hesitate to ask about our veterinary behavior counseling services.