Training your dog can seem like a daunting task.
This blog post will help you get started with some basic training strategies to teach your dog, such as when and what to train them on.
Before starting any training, it’s important that you establish rules for the canine in order to make sure they know how you want them behave.
Once they know the basics of obedience, there are plenty of other tricks and skills that can be taught through further training sessions!
Table of Contents
- Daily dog training schedule for dogs
- Teach your dog basic commands like sit, stay, and come.
- Keep them on a leash when they are not in the house
- Teach them to stop barking at strangers by saying “Quiet!”
- Walk on a loose leash so that you don’t drag your dog around while walking him or her
- Train dogs to walk without pulling – use treats as encouragement if necessary
- Reward good behavior with praise and affection
- Conclusion
Daily dog training schedule for dogs
Whether you are a professional dog trainer involved in day-to-day training or an average dog owner who just wants to teach his dog some basic behaviour, you will need a good dog training schedule.
The key to a successful and effective training program is the proper application of time and effort.
If you don’t hold yourself to a structured routine, your training program may appear to be disorganized and inefficient.
Without the proper dog training schedule , you could spend weeks not making any progress at all.
A properly designed schedule will produce effective results more quickly, because it gives a clear-cut road map to what you want your dog to be able to do, and when.
Let’s look at some basic training techniques
Housebreaking
Teaches dogs how to eliminate all on their own without disturbing the family with their actions or smells.
By ‘ housebreaking ‘, we mean teaching a dog not only where he can go in the yard, but also how to choose an appropriate place away from other people and animals.
A well-trained dog will usually relieve himself before being taken for a walk; after eating and drinking; after playing; first thing in the morning; right before going into his crate for the evening; and immediately after waking up each morning.
This routine can be broken down into the following schedule
#1. First day
Walk the dog to a suitable spot in your yard, and give him permission to eliminate.
If he does so right away praise him (with words, hand-slapping on his chest or back) reward him with a treat.
Bring him inside, take him out again in the next hour, and repeat this several times throughout that first day.
Each time you take the dog outside, try to catch it just as it starts to squat and encourage it somewhat forcefully (it’s best if you use an indoor voice rather than shouting) by saying ‘Go pee !’ or some other command.
Give it another chance every half-hour.
But most importantly remember to give lots of praise when it goes, otherwise the dog may not know it’s doing what you want.
#2. Second day
Take him out a few times in the morning and give some praise.
Anytime throughout the day if he starts to pee or poop, again say ‘Go pee!’ or ‘Do your business!’.
He’ll soon learn that those words mean he is supposed to eliminate.
Other things to try
If your dog seems reluctant about eliminating while outside, put him on leash and circle around near where you think he might be able to go.
This will encourage him to use that spot (after all, if he can’t find anywhere else, there must be something appealing about that one place).
Keep this up until your dog has eliminated at least once.
#3. Third day
Take your dog out in the morning.
Make sure it’s just before he’d normally relieve himself, and try to bring him right back into the house if he hasn’t done anything.
Usually by the third day a dog should have learned that going outside means it’ll get to relieve itself.
Now you can start giving longer excursions outside so long as the dog goes on his own accord.
Even if you’re not sure, let him sniff around for a bit first before taking him back inside.
If your dog is reluctant about relieving himself when taken for a walk near his usual spot, try putting some of his special ‘pee-mail’ treats buried in that area
(wherever they are, they’ll smell better to him than the grass or dirt).
#4. Fourth day
Grab a watch and note how long your dog can hold his bladder.
i.e., how long he can go between trips outside before peeing on something inside.
Pay attention since some dogs may be able to hold it for quite awhile while others will need immediate outings as soon as they get up in the morning
(or drag you out of bed at night).
Feed meals a little earlier, about 20 minutes before you plan on going out for one last major walk before turning in for the evening.
This way you can take him out after dinner and right before bedtime so he has plenty of time to eliminate and won’t have to go when he first wakes up in the morning.
If your dog has been good about relieving itself, give him a treat (like a little snack) just before you come back inside
This will help him associate being taken out with getting something nice for himself rather than ending up back in his crate or back outside.
#5. Fifth day
Unless your dog is taking care of business right away each time he’s let out, it’s probably time to change how long you keep him outside each trip.
For dogs that relearn quickly and easily
(labrador retrievers and other quick-learning breeds), try making them wait for 10 minutes the next time they go outside.
For medium-learning breeds (shelties, border collies), 15 minutes.
For slow-learning breeds (retrievers, poodles), go for 30 minutes.
Note: If your dog is not relieving itself within a reasonable amount of time, take it back to its yard or kennel and give it another chance in the morning.
Remember that you should never punish a dog while taking him outside.
If he doesn’t relieve himself in the usual spot, pick him up (it’s OK to pet or praise) and carry him right back inside rather than making him sit there for 10 minutes or so.
#6. Sixth day
Don’t forget to keep carrying treats with you!
Even if your dog is going on command from now on, you can occasionally reward them for good behavior with a few bits of food.
If you’re using special treats to ‘mark’ the spot where your dog should do his business, make sure to use different-smelling treats on each trip so he knows which one is where.
#7. Seventh day and beyond
Keep repeating everything from above for at least two weeks to ensure that your dog will always be able to relieve himself quickly and easily whenever necessary.
Remember: Always carry some treats with you.
You can buy them in bulk (or just request them from friends who have dogs) or just keep carrots or other edible scraps in your pockets when walking your dog.
You’ll always be prepared, and it’s a great way to reward good behavior even if he hasn’t gone anywhere.
Standing by the door and barking is usually to get your attention rather than trying to tell you he has to go out.
If he’s relaxing on his bed, though, he may be telling you that it’s time for a walk!
Of course, if it looks like he needs to go out but isn’t making any attempt at all, then make sure you’re working with an escape-proof kennel or yard before trying this method again.
If your dog doesn’t have a schedule yet.
try going through the steps in the crate training guide instead
While not as convenient as simply taking him outside when he asks
(and many people don’t mind getting up a few times throughout the night)
dogs who are sleeping during the day and running around at night will usually figure out when they need to go outside.
This works especially well for active dogs that stay awake but sleep deeply (like many sighthounds) or hyperactive play-buddies who still have a ton of energy at 2am.
If you’re not comfortable letting your dog loose in a yard during the night, an indoor confinement area with some sort of soft bedding inside is perfect.
Teach your dog basic commands like sit, stay, and come.
If you give your dog cues for each behavior (like ‘stay’ and ‘come here’) before it’s done anything.
He’ll know what behaviors are acceptable and will be able to correct himself.
If you only give him a cue once he’s already done something wrong (like barking).
H won’t know what behavior was incorrect in the first place!
Always try to give your dog cues before he does anything bad
It makes training much easier on everyone involved .
#1. When you take your dog out, make sure that there’s at least one thing that encourages him to use the bathroom.
This can be as simple as walking past grass or trees.
Taking him for car rides
Letting him sniff other dogs and people
Luring him over with treats which may draw his attention away from any distractions present in his yard or kennel or simply saying ‘go potty!’ just like he would while being house-trained.
#2. If your dog is barking at the door or scrabbling at his kennel, try luring him out with a treat.
This can be anything from bits of food to squeaky toys (find the one that gets his attention best!) and will help get the message across that nothing can distract him when you’re trying to take him outside.
Be sure you keep treats on hand regularly; even if your pooch doesn’t need to go out at any time but is always willing to go for a walk.
He’ll know that every time you open a bag or reach into your pocket instead of just petting or praising, something good might happen!
#3. Dogs develop faster through positive reinforcement.
It’s therefore much better to treat your dog for going in the right place than punishing him when he doesn’t ignoring those ‘accidents’ or lightly scolding after the fact is a sure-fire way to make your dog associate his bathroom behavior with fear or anger and will only make things worse.
If you do see that your pooch has made an error while indoors (like urinated on his favorite blanket), take him outside immediately so that he can finish.
When he does go properly outside, praise him like crazy!
Keep them on a leash when they are not in the house
Keep them on a leash while you are walking them in the back yard, or if they want to explore around your house they should also be on a leash.
This is good because if you are cleaning your house, they will not try to run outside.
Teach them to stop barking at strangers by saying “Quiet!”
Quiet command works with most dog breeds.
Teach your pup to stop barking by saying “Quiet!” The word “Quiet” is an interruption of a command that your dog is doing to correct an unwanted behavior.
It can be used as a verbal command, hand signal or it can be incorporated into the other commands.
The best way to address this behavior is the same way you would with a child.
If your dog barks at a guest, immediately correct him by saying “Quiet!” and then make an attention grabber like a treat if he stops barking.
If he continues to bark, follow through with time out in a kennel until he’s quiet.
Remember that it will take time to get your dog to stop all of his behaviors.
They don’t just learn these things overnight.
Be patient and stay consistent with your training.
you’ll have a much easier time if you do!
Walk on a loose leash so that you don’t drag your dog around while walking him or her
Loose leash walking is very important for the well-being of your dog.
If your dog knows how to walk on a loose leash, it means that he or she will not be nearly as likely to get into an accident when you take him or her outside.
You’ll also find that your dog is less likely to pull you around if he or she can walk on a loose leash.
This is simple to teach.
just get your dog used to being led and then go walking for short periods of time.
Focus on how it feels when the leash isn’t too tight or tied up in knots, and try to keep some slack in the line so that your dog can move freely beside you.
Tell your pup “heel” or “let’s go!” as you start to walk, and then give a little tug on the leash every time he or she catches up with you.
If they wander off ahead of you, pause until they come back to your side and say “good dog!” Then release and go on your way once more.
Train dogs to walk without pulling – use treats as encouragement if necessary
The most important thing to remember when training your dog not to pull is that you’re teaching him a trick, not punishing him for being bad.
You should never use jerking or yanking on the leash to make your dog stop pulling.
Doing so can cause damage to his neck, spine and shoulders.
Teach your dog to walk without pulling by using treats as encouragement when he walks in the right direction.
If you’re working on a hands-free leash, a training collar can also be very helpful.
If you do have another dog in the house as well that’s not learning how to walk on a loose leash, then that could be why he’s pulling on his own leash because he wants to play with the other dog.
Then all you need to do is teach your dog that when he pulls he won’t get to play with the other dog until he walks calmly and quietly beside you.
Reward good behavior with praise and affection
Praise and affection are some of the best treats you can give your dog.
They really enjoy getting compliments, which makes them feel good about themselves and helps them to stay happy and healthy.
On top of that, it also makes them feel like they’re doing a good job when you tell them what a good boy or girl they are after they’ve obeyed a command.
For example, if you’re teaching your dog to sit on command, then praise him or her when they have done so.
The main goal of training your dog should be to reward positive behavior with praise and affection.
It’s important that you don’t withhold these things just because your dog is showing off a new trick. If he’s being good, give him all the attention and affection that he wants!
Why do we need to say “sit” to our dog?
Because if we were to just yell at the dog without saying anything he would not understand what we want him to do. He will only associate the yelling with negativity.
Also, he may just be sitting but if we don’t tell him what we want him to do, how will he know?
Plus, you may not be able to tell what position the dog is sitting (front or back), but when you say “sit” then it is easy to understand what he is doing.
Conclusion
If you have a dog and want to teach them some basic commands, there are plenty of great resources available.
Here are just a few tips from the experts at Doggy Dan for teaching your pup simple tricks that can make life easier for both of you!
Teaching your dog how to stay, come when called, or any other behavior is easy if we start by rewarding him with treats.
You may need to provide encouragement initially as well while they learn the command but in time it should become second nature and he will do what you ask without being asked.
At home it’s important not only to keep dogs on leashes so that they don’t run out into traffic or get hurt playing outside but also because this keeps their paws.
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