Basic Dog Obedience
Even if your dog is not going to participate in national or international competitions, it is necessary that he receives the basic dog obedience training. This helps you to handle your dog well in public and when other animals are present. It is advisable that you start early, that is training a pup is much easier than training an adult dog. Mostly your pup will not have any bad habits since he is young, and even if he has some, you can train him to get rid of those.
Basic dog obedience can be taught using books, but they don’t prove to be as useful as practical training classes. They can be used as a reference while training. Such obedience classes train your dog and also provide the required social exposure. These classes are not expensive and basic levels are available for lesser than $100. You can consult your veterinarian or other pet owners to find out an effective dog class close to you. Those who have completed such classes for their dog will be able to share their experiences.
The most important thing to be kept in mind regarding training is that you should be understandable and regular in the language that you use for giving commands and in your restrictions for expected behavior. Uniformity in the words that you use will not confuse your dog and keep him away from undesirable behavior. This is the first step towards basic dog obedience training.
If you think that your dog has a problem of excessive barking, do not punish him for barking or reward him to stop barking. Instead the good way out is to reward him with treats when he is silent and not barking. This will make him understand that being quiet is what is expected from him. This will be further reinforced when you treat him to his favorite food.
All said and done, a lot of patience is needed while training a service dog or therapy dog. This is because such dogs are required to be peaceful, clever and alert at all times due to the nature of their work. Basic dog obedience lessons for such dogs need lots of time and instructions during the training. The end result, however, is worth the effort.