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Dog obedience training may be just what you are looking for whether you have a dog that is just plain out of control, or whether you are simply looking to mold your dog into a calmer, gentler animal. Good obedience training involves training your dog to listen and obey commands and there are several ways to accomplish this. Most experts agree that positive reinforcement, or rewarding your pet with some type of treat when he or she has obeyed your commands, is the most common and effective way to turn that problem pooch into a model of perfection. Dog experts recommend positive reinforcement during obedience training because your dogs are more willing to internalize and obey commands whey they know that there will be a positive result if they do so. When a puppy or dog first enters your home, he or she is definitely going to be given a lot of attention, and the rules that were initially set in place will be broken. Don’t worry, it happens to all of us! Still, if obedience training is to ever be effective, it is crucial that you soon follow up on these rules. There’s an old saying with children that if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile – and the same thing is true with dogs! Rules must be enforced early on or else your dog will become confused when you try to enforce these same rules later. Example, you can set boundaries for your pet, making it known that your dog does not have free license to roam wherever he or she pleases. Define a clear schedule – when time does your puppy eat? Who is responsible for feeding the dog? Who is going to walk the dog and at what time? – and make sure that the schedule is consistent. Also, if you find your dog chewing on your furniture, forcefully shout “Off!” and reinforce your command with a hand gesture. When your dog listens and he or she is no longer chewing on the furniture, then give him or her a treat, so that your dog will begin to the see the connection between good behavior and treats. This is the key to positive reinforcement. Without it, your dog will not adapt to a routine and without a routine, even the best-intentioned dogs will soon have you pulling your hair out of your head. There are many benefits to dog obedience training. Young children will want to roughhouse with your pet and, although this may be fun, you do not want your children to get hurt. A dog that is properly trained is likely to be a gentler dog, making for a happier family. Also, no one likes someone else’s pet getting into his or her yard and wreaking havoc on the garden or chewing on chairs. A dog that is well trained and has undergone obedience training will be less likely to frolic into unknown places, and will be content to keep within the boundaries that you have defined. And, in the end, dog obedience training may be just the way to transform your pet from devil to angel without pulling all your hair out in the process!
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