When training your own dog, there are five basic commands that must be mastered by your pet for him/her to be considered truly
trained: No, Heel, Sit, Stay and Down.
1. No - This is probably the most important single word that your dog must learn. Training your pet to respond to this word can save you
lots of trouble.
2. Heel - Your dog must learn to walk beside you on a loose leash. He/she should neither walk ahead or lag behind.
3. Sit - Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.
4. Stay - Your dog must learn to remain where you command, making stay an important command in training.
5. Down - Lying down on command is another important command your pet should learn.
Dog training will not only make your dog obedient, but will also strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Dogs are pack animals. They
always look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. The secret to successful dog training is to make yourself the pack leader.
Establishing yourself as the pack leader is one of the most important concepts for any dog trainer to understand. There is only one leader
in every pack and you must establish yourself as the dominant pack member. Failure to do this can lead to all kinds of behavior problems.
A well training dog will respond properly to all your commands and should not show anxiety, displeasure or confusion. Your training program
should focus on allowing the dog to learn just what you expect of it. Also remember to use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.
Dog training will not only make your pet a good member of your community, it will also fulfill some of your pet's needs, including exercise,
the feeling of accomplishment, and a good working relationship between you and your pet. Training gives your pet an important job to do and
an important goal to reach.
Giving your dog a job is suprisingly more important than you may realize. Dogs were originally bred by humans to do important work, such as
herding sheep or cattle, guarding property and protecting people. Without having an important job, your dog will often bored and may display
neurotic behavior.
Obedience training and ongoing training sessions give your do that important job he/she needs. This is especially important for high energy
breeds like German shepherds and border collies. Training sessions are a great way for these high energy dogs to use up that excess energy.
Including playtime in your pet's training sessions is a great way to prevent both you and your dog from becoming bored. Playing with your dog also
helps to strengthen the important bond between you, the pack leader, and your dog.
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