5 Dog Behavior Factors That Affect Dog Training at Home
Introduction
Dog training at home is one of the most crucial factors you should think about. Whether you have prior dog ownership experience, are a new dog owner, or are about to become a dog owner. Dog training is also crucial if you already have a dog with behavioral issues.
But knowing that your dog needs to be trained and actually doing it are two very different things. Where do you even begin?
The key to successful dog training is a thorough familiarity with and consideration of your dog’s defining characteristics and tendencies. You may considerably boost the efficiency of your training by keeping in mind the following five factors:
1. The dog ancestors
In essence, dogs are related to contemporary wolves. Despite the dampening or elimination of many traits due to domestication, some fundamental natural instincts still exist. Dogs are pack animals like wolves. Why does this matter?
Well, being a pack animal has given rise to a number of characteristics. The crucial factors in training are that dogs are sociable by nature and part of a social system.
Dogs are sociable creatures who grow on engagement with other dogs. A dog sees you more as a strange-looking dog than as a person.
Dogs therefore enjoy interacting with people and thrive on it. If you deprive a dog of this interaction, they will become unhappy and very anxious. Just like a wild wolf that has been rejected by the group.
You can use this to reward or penalize your dog during training. Both food rewards and interactions with your dog (such as patting, encouraging or enthusiastic speaking, etc.) can serve as rewards.
In a similar vein, ignoring your dog might result in harsh punishment for them (e.g., turning your back, stern talking, locking them in another room, etc.). It’s obviously preferable to striking them.
Dogs, like all animals (including people), benefit greatly from routine. They are comfortable if they are aware of what and when they will likely be performing specific tasks. They are not perplexed by constantly shifting conditions since they know what to expect.
A regimen should be followed during dog training. Choose the optimum time of to train your dog, and then adhere as strictly as you can to that time.
Your dog will quickly establish a routine of anticipating training at, say, 3 p.m. each day and will be ready for it when it does. It goes without saying that your dog will train more effectively if they are prepared and ready to be trained.
There is always the dominant male in a group. the dog leader, protector, and ultimate provider of food and survival for the pack.
As previously stated, a dog sees you as a peculiar-looking dog rather than a person. You must unquestionably be the dominant male in order to be a good dog owner.
How frequently do you see an alpha male being challenged by a potential alpha male in nature shows? Similar to how your dog will challenge you to be the dominant male. This is a behavior that comes naturally to dogs.
From the start, you must establish yourself as the dominant male. You can establish your dominance as the alpha male by giving out food, interacting with others, reprimanding inappropriate behavior, and using your body and voice. Your dog won’t listen to you or follow your teaching commands if they don’t see you as the pack leader.
2. Memory of the dog
Goldfish have short memories, as we all know. You might be shocked to learn that dogs also have limited RETENTION Memories. If you could tell your dog something, it’s likely that they’d forget it by the next day or a few hours later.
Dogs, on the other hand, do have a very strong WORKING memory. This means that your dog will likely remember what you told him for years to come, just in case if he can connect what you say to something.
For instance, your dog would likely quickly forget what you said if you told him, assuming you could tell him that the chocolate cookies were in the cupboard.
But, if you were to show him where the chocolate cookies were while repeatedly saying, “Chocolate biscuits,” the dog would undoubtedly go directly to the cabinet.
It may spend the rest of his life gazing in the cabinet every few hours for the chocolate, but that is not the objective.
As a result, you must relate the training subject to anything when working with your dog. As an illustration, imagine you are teaching your dog to sit. If you physically train your dog to sit before rewarding them, you might teach them to associate the word “sit.”
If you do this a few times, your dog will soon learn to equate the command “sit” with sitting down to receive a treat. Dissociating the reward from the behavior is challenging. Consider why almost all dogs will naturally sit when food is in your hand.
3. Dog lingo
Despite what we have been said, neither humans nor dogs can communicate in the other’s language. When it comes to training, this is crucial. You must select commands that are easy for both you and your dog to remember.
If you use terms that are too widely used, your dog can become confused if you repeatedly using them in the middle of sentences.
‘Come’ is a command that is frequently used when teaching dogs. In this case, it could be preferable to merge “come here” into a single short word or use slang for the phrase.
The most crucial thing is to be consistent and steadfast when choosing a term for a command; otherwise, your dog can get confused.
I am aware that it might be challenging to just use pre-selected words while speaking to your dog, particularly if you return home to find your new TV removed from the cupboard.
Your dog can only understand the few words you have taught him since he cannot understand human language (and the tone you have used). Your dog won’t comprehend you if you start speaking in other terms or tones.
Consider a situation where someone asks you in a foreign language for directions to the city hall. Despite the fact that you cannot comprehend a word they are saying, they become increasingly agitated and speak more quickly and loudly.
Does it matter that you don’t comprehend them? You don’t understand what they are saying, so why are they growing angrier?
What is the issue?
How will I proceed?
Similar to this, if you haven’t taught your dog what “sit” means and you start yelling “sit,” “down on back legs,” “down,” etc., is it the dog’s responsibility if he is staring at you bewildered and growing frightened?
4. Puppy behavior
Puppies, like newborns, have no idea how the world works or what appropriate behavior is in it. They must be instructed and made aware of what is good, bad, right, and wrong.
An energetic puppy that is robust and content will be driven to discover as much as possible as soon as possible. Dogs lack good vision and dexterous hands that can feel the fine details of items. They have lips that can chew stuff in place of nostrils that can smell thing.
Despite the fact that this can be achieved through training and normal maturation, it is crucial that you have patience and comprehend your dog’s motivations.
5. Structure and pleasure
Even though I’ve mentioned these two in passing above, no article on dog training would be complete without covering them separately.
Whatever method you choose to use to train your dog, it must have a structure, much like daily routine. How do you tell when your dog can begin learning to sit, stay, etc., and when it is ready to run to the neighborhood shop and fetch the newspaper for you if you have never taught a dog before?
You must be aware of what it is you expect your dog will become able to perform in the end and the actions you must take to get there. This can be accomplished by professional dog trainers, dog training programmes, and dog training manuals.
However, I think it’s better to train your own dogs since, in the end, I think it creates a much greater link between you and your dog. Additionally, you command your dog with more authority than the trainer. However, I would advise getting a dog training manual at the very least, especially if you have never taught a dog before.
It simply isn’t worth it to spend the small amount of money on a dog training manual when contrasted to the time you would lose looking for free online training advice that will be inconsistent and lack structure.
In addition, the time saved during training and the benefit of a well-trained dog for the remainder of his life (about 15 years) far outweigh the price of even the most basic training manual.
You will never adequately teach your dog if you, and more crucially, your dog, do not love training. Training will be more difficult and take longer. If your dog is a puppy when you start training him, keep in mind that all he wants to do at that age is run around and discover the world.
Be flexible with the amount of time you set aside for training. Try to keep training sessions brief, but be ready to extend them if your dog seems to be enjoying himself. Similarly, if your dog simply won’t concentrate, consider pausing before returning.
Your dog will quickly learn that training requires them to focus for a little period of time, and they will be better equipped to do so if you follow a pattern and structure.
I hope the information above was useful to you as you sought to train your dog. You should be substantially better able to comprehend your dog’s behavior if you are aware of why and how it behaves the way that it does. Using this knowledge, you may train your dog and strengthen your relationship with him.
With a solid training regimen, discipline, and persistence, your dog will certainly be well-trained. Always, always, always make sure that training is fun to both you and your dog in particular.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for successful dog training at home, a deep understanding of these five factors of canine practices is important. By understanding the role these variables play in shaping your dog’s personality and adapting your training techniques accordingly, you may improve your dog’s chances of success and deepen your bond with him.
Keep in mind that training is a continuous process that calls for patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement. With the appropriate strategy and mindset, you may accomplish the outcomes you desire in dog training at home.