by Xavier Gallery
Dog obedience training can make you feel like a secret agent, trying to crack an impossible code that leads to your target. It is easy to get frustrated, especially when your dog seems to ignore everything you say. There is in fact a secret code to dog training, but it doesn't involve any forms of espionage. Rather, your success depends on the environment in which you instruct your four-legged friend. By focusing on your dogs basic needs, you can eliminate distractions and encourage listening.
Here are the four basic needs of your pet. When they are fulfilled, he will be much more likely to be responsive to your instructions.
Food, Water, and Shelter
This would appear to be the most obvious needs for any animal, but even the most attentive owner can accidentally overlook these three essentials. Training sessions can be stressful on your dog, especially if things aren't going well. That is why you should always bring food and water to your lessons. Also pay attention to the climate around you. Make sure there are plenty of shade and soft surfaces around so that your dog can rest comfortably if needed.
Social Interaction
If you do some of your training in public areas such as a park, then there will likely be other distractions abound. This can be an issue for dogs who rarely get the opportunity to interact with other people and pets. For this reason, it is important to provide your dog with plenty of regular interaction outside of your home. The more your pet is exposed to the world outside, the better behaved they will be in these situations. This will translate into better obedience when the time comes for training.
Exercise
Dogs were born to run, a fact that is no surprise to anyone who has tried to keep a clean house while living with one. Because exercise is such an important part of your pet's development, you will find that keeping them constrained all the time can affect their personality. A happy dog feels has plenty of opportunities during the day to stretch his legs and burn off some hyper energy. This can be done in the yard or on your walks. By providing enough exercise, you will find that the dog is more content with submissive commends like "sit" and "stay".
Safety and Security
Just like people, dogs need to feel comfortable in their surroundings. This means they should be confident in their owners and the environment in which they are instructed. Owners who reprimand their pets with abusive contact or violent outbursts only push their dogs in the wrong direction. Remember that animals have the same survival instincts as humans. No matter how much effort you put into training your dog, if he does not feel safe during the instruction then you are not going to yield any results.
Your dog has several basic needs that need to be fulfilled before you concentrate on teaching him anything new. Owners who overlook these needs will find obedience training to be unnecessarily difficult. By making sure you have all of your pets natural needs covered, you will have much more success in instructing them.
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