Dogs are the most beautiful creation on earth; we people find a companion in them. Dogs hit in the first position when it comes to trust and loyalty. And that’s why humans prefer dogs as pets rather than any other animal. However, most people prefer to adopt a puppy instead of a large or adult dog. It is so because they think that puppies are more comfortable to train. But the reality is that dogs can learn at any age. Adult dogs are relatively easier to train than young puppies because they are more self-controlled, and also it is essential to train dogs as they grow into adults.
Dog training is necessary whether the dog is small, medium, or large. Training the dog improves not only their behavior but also their relationship with you. Training your canine will tell them what they can do and what not, what action is right or wrong. Dog training includes teaching them some common commands, such as to sit, up, down, and training them for their regular activities. In this article, we will discuss the steps to teach an adult canine. So, let us discuss how to train your adult dog-
Preparing the dog for training-
- Get some of your dog’s favorite treats-
Take a handful of treats for your canine, which you can give whenever it learns and responds to your training. Some dog breeds, such as Labradors and Beagles, are food orientated, so you need to keep aside some part of their daily kibble, which you can use as a reward. These treats are used as rewards that will encourage your canine.
- Select an environment with few distractions, such as your backyard-
While training, you need to make sure that your dog listens to you instead of just watching you. Also, you need to ensure that you don’t have any toys around you, at least for the time you are training. When you are not sure about your canine’s response during the early stages of training, keep your dog on a leash.
Once your dog has learned some basic commands like sit, stay, and heel now, you can continue the training with distractions. Teaching with distractions will help your canine to understand that you expect to react to the dog in all situations and not only in the backyard.
- To begin with, keep your training session short-
A typical dog training program needs two daily sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each. Also, emphasize commands by asking the dog to ‘sit’ before meals or ‘stay.’
As we humans have different personalities, so do the dogs have. This means some breeds are more trainable, attentive, and have more concentration powers. Species are German shepherd, Labradors, and Border collies are the dogs initially bred as hunting dogs.
- Be sensible about the speed of progress-
Although you can teach new tricks to old dogs, it can take quite along. Do not expect an adult dog to learn things quickly, as a young puppy knows during socialization. If the dog is taking a much longer time to get trained, do not get discouraged. Stay focused, and be calm with your dog.
Deciding on what type of training method you want to use-
- Using a reward-based training method-
Some dog training methods favor the dominance of the dog, and while it is good to be the leader of your canine while training. The training should be based on encouragement rather than harsh training. The principle of reward-based practice works on rewarding good behavior so that the dog will repeat it to get the treat. It would also help if you ignored the destructive behavior so that the dog will understand that bad behavior will not be rewarded, so he needs to stop it.
- Learn to use the clicker training method-
Clicker training focuses on teaching a dog to associate with the click-clack of the clicker with a reward or treat. The benefit of clicker is that you can precisely aim the desired behavior in a way that is too difficult to do otherwise.
- Never shout or hit your dog while training-
Always remember that shouting or scolding never has a place in dog training. If you scold or shout at your canine, it will throw a negative impact and will also affect your bonding with your four-legged buddy.
Teaching the basic commands-
- Start by training the ‘sit’ command-
Teaching your canine, the ‘sit’ command will place you in control of a whole variety of solutions. Let’s say if your dog hears the doorbell and runs to bark, you can stop this behavior by asking it to sit and then rewarding it. To teach the sit command, first show the dog that you have a treat in your hand. Get the pleasure at the dog’s nose level and then take it up from the nose. Now say ‘sit,’ your canine will follow the treat, letting its head go up, and it’s bottom to go down.
Once your dog does this, regularly start skipping the treat, which will make the dog make up their mind about whether he or she gets the reward or not; they need to follow the command. Like the ‘sit’ command, you can train your dog to follow the ‘stay’ command.
- Train your dog to go for the bathroom outside-
Even if you have an adult dog, if the dog is not adequately trained, you need to start from the basics. A dog usually needs to go out twice a day, needs plenty of exercises. Initially, it would be best if you took him out every hour, and when he squats or relieves himself, say the words ‘potty’ or ‘toilet,’ and when he is done, give him a big reward.
If you want to know how to potty train your puppy read further…
https://animalcreativefacts.com/how-to-house-train-a-puppy/
Conclusion:
While training an adult dog, you must remember one thing that you are preparing a dog who already has a lifetime of experience. However, training dogs is an on-going process, and also teaching a dog is not dependent on their ages. A dog can learn anything at any age. Before training an adult dog, it is always better to consider a vet and get the dog checked for any medical condition. This will let you get aware of any limitations with the dog.
About the Author
This is a guest post from our friends at AnimalCreativeFacts.com. Here’s what they write about their site: “We at animalcreativefacts will take the readers a bit closer towards the life of the animal. We are here to create a meaningful and deeper bond with the animals, for that it is essential to understand the habitat, behavior, and species of different animals. Every animal plays a vital role in our lives and embellish it. Each of us feels that we have a unique and special connection with animals, and we seek to learn more about them.”
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