The first and most important rule of dog training is fostering a relationship and bond between handler and canine. If you love your dog, it’s imperative to treat the dog with respect and lead by example. Loving your dog doesn’t mean letting it bark at strangers, jump on guests, or pull on the leash. Reinforcing the aforementioned promotes stress, and anxiety, and is quite literally the opposite of caring for your dog.
The second rule of dog training is defining clear expectations. Dogs think in pictures, and if you don’t take time to be fair and establish clear expectations, the dog will always be stressed, and anxious. The expectation when guests come to your home is that they treat you, and your family with respect. The same applies with dogs.
The third rule of dog training is communicating fluently with the dog. If you want your dog to have a great life, you must take the time to establish a language to communicate the expectations of being calm and settled in the house, not pulling on the leash, and greeting guests in a respectful manner.
The fourth rule of dog training is that there’s no such thing as a bad dog. Dogs engage in behaviors that have been reinforced. The dog jumps on guests because it lacks the ability to control its impulses, and someone has reinforced the dog jumping on them when they enter the house.
The fifth rule of dog training is have fun! Dogs are beautiful, amazing companions. If you’re not having fun while training your dog you’re doing something wrong. Prioritizing your relationship with the dog, defining clear expectations, and communicating fluently should always be fun. Knowledge is power. The more your dog knows, the more you can do together. If you want your dog to go to the beach, the neighborhood coffee shop, or your local brewery, invest the time into training your dog while having fun.
