You watch TV and you see some very wonderful dogs in movies, shows, documentaries and more. They obey instructions, run errands, lead the blind, and rescue the drowning. We also have the shepherd sheep and others that are used for security. The list of the things you see intelligent dogs do on TV is extensive.

Seeing all these, you quickly go to get yourself a pup; but, alas, yours exhibits none of those wonderful things you see other canines do on TV. Actually, yours is becoming a nuisance. It messes up your apartment, destroys your furniture and it is strutting away when you are busy saying “Colonel, come here!”

The dogs you see on TV or elsewhere doing wonderful things were not just born that way; they were trained. A good dog is the result of very good training! When ticking the criteria needed to pick a pup during purchase, as listed here, do not forget that your new pet would still need some training. There are some basics your dog should have with regards to training and you need consistence, determination and diligence to see it through.

Home Training for Your Pup

It would be disaster if your canine addition does not know where to eliminate waste. The thought of him discharging anywhere in the house can be nauseating. So, teaching him proper potty habits should be the very first lesson he should learn.

Close to this is crate training. He should be taught to stay in his crate. It reduces the possibility of his turning into a nuisance inside the house. You should however, note that he should not be left crated for unduly extended periods; or else, its crate will become a nasty place of waste disposal.

He will need to learn to stay on leash; whether it is while on a walk or while being leashed to –maybe a pole– at home. A dog that cannot stay on leash may not just be a danger to others, but could equally be a danger to himself. So, teaching him to walk or run on a leash is a necessary training. Moreover, some cities have laws requiring your canine pet to be on a leash.

Good Dogs Acquire Familiarization with People and Places

Another basic training he must have to qualify as a good dog is socializing. He should be able to get along with new people, new pets and in new environments. A pet that is always agitated at the sight of new folks, would go attacking other pets or will constantly be barking when in an unfamiliar environment, will always have a high nuisance value. Working on his social skill will save you embarrassing moments. This will equally make him be free of phobias.

Clicker training for him is equally important. This may come handy as you try to teach him other advanced behavior. For him to be able to identify what behavior resulted in a reward, and therefore constitutes a desirable behavior, the click becomes handy. You can see more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_training.

You will surely want him to respond when you say things like come, sit, lie, jump, stop, and such. His knowing what these mean and getting to obey them will be helpful in your ability to control him and keep him in check.

When you have introduced him to these basics and some tricks, you will surely want to ensure that he has assimilated enough to be able to reproduce same behavior regardless of environment or distraction.

Then comes proofing….

Proofing is to get him to the point of being able to reproduce whatever training you have given him in any environment and under whatever distraction. This is necessary if he will not be a good dog only in your house and a nuisance every other place.

Good Dogs are Forever Learning

Remember, training your dog is largely an ongoing exercise. There may be new tricks to learn. There may be new instructions to learn. By reason of illness or trauma, he could forget the things he had learnt and would need to be re-taught.

So, you will need to make sure that he is always attuned to these commands: Recall – that is, coming on command; Sitting – that is, sitting on command; Walking/heeling – that is, walking on lead or off lead; Staying – that is, not straying on command; Sociability – that is, training to be without aggression whether to humans, fellow dogs or any other animal.

Beyond these, our canine friends have been trained for livestock herding, hunting, guard duties, detection of explosives, drug detection, searches and rescues, assisting the physically challenged, provide entertainment and more.

They can receive individualized training; this is used where there is an urgent need. It could also come into use in peculiar training challenges to deal with fear and aggression, hyperactivity and excessive barking, separation anxiety and insecurity, biting and other destructive behaviors, improper elimination and walking challenges. Individualized training is usually carried out in the place where the problem occurs naturally and not in class situations.

On the other hand, class training is valuable in buoying up socialization within a group. Classes are more affordable and can include problem behaviors and the teaching of new skills. Classes can cover puppy/beginner training, advanced skill training like therapy work and tricks’ performance.

A Skillful Dog Trainer Makes Much Difference

You do not necessarily need to do your good dog training yourself. There are folks whose jobs are to train dogs. It is important to be able to know what to expect from a good trainer. Unfortunately, the industry is unregulated. Your pet is precious to you, and you wouldn’t want to hand him over to a fellow who would use him to learn on the job.

You therefore need to find out your trainer’s method and be sure you are comfortable with it. Does he use positive reinforcement; that is, rewarding good behavior and replacing bad behavior with alternatives? Would your trainer be offering individualized training or class training? Is he coming to teach basics or is he coming to alter behavior like harassing visitors?

Does your trainer factor breed into the equation, being that different breeds have a tendency for different behaviors? Does he factor in the size, temperament and energy level of your dog? Finally, is your trainer willing to go the extra mile to make a hound a good dog?

The above are some considerations you would need to make to get that trainer who would transform your dog into that ideal good dog.