January is National Train Your Dog Month

Happy New Year!

Did you know that January is National Train Your Dog Month? Started by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers in 2017, National Train Your Dog Month is a great reminder to train any new additions to your family, this means puppies and adults. That old adage: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is nonsense.

Most of our rescues were adults when they came to us. They had established behaviors and next to no training, if any at all. Many of them had picked up bad habits in their early years and we are still working through many issues from abuse and neglect, however, when we look back at day one, these dogs have made leaps and bounds.

One of our dogs could not be walked on a leash without continuously lunging and pulling. A five-minute training session was all that was needed to show this dog what we expected. We reinforced this training for many months after, until she stop. From time to time, she needs a reminder. Taking the time to train her was all that I was needed. 

A few minutes of training a day is all that’s needed to teach a new puppy the basics using positive reinforcement. The same principles can be applied to any adopted dogs, or shelter dogs. All you need is a little patience and time to work with your fur-baby. With just a little daily training, you can transform your dog into an ideal fur-child.

Once you have mastered simple commands, try teaching your dog a few clever tricks. It’s easier than you think. Even dogs with behavioral issues can learn these tricks.

Here are a few tips and tricks that have worked for us.

● I know it can be hard, but ignore bad behaviors and reward good behavior.

? Dogs, like children, crave attention. Reward their good behavior.

? If they are jumping on you, turn away, and if necessary, take a few steps away from the dog until they calm down. Praise them, but don’t give them too much attention or else they will start jumping on you again.

? In the early days, we lived in close proximity to our neighbors, so ignoring barking dogs was not an option for us. We had to use a different tactic: distraction. Whenever we heard a barking war between our dogs and our neighbors’ dogs, we would start throwing a ball or frisbee around until we drew the dogs’ attention toward a positive interaction. After a few months, whenever the neighbor’s dogs started barking, our dogs would respond by grabbing a toy and flinging it around. 

● One of the best things you can do is socialize your dog. Teach your dog how to walk on a leash and it will save you a lot of time and frustration.

? Do not let your dog lead you. When they start to pull on the leash, abruptly change directions. Keep using this tactic until the dog stops pulling. It works because the dog does not know in which direction to pull so they follow your lead.

● Potty training your pup must be consistent in order to work. Their schedule should be fairly uniform. Always praise them after they go outside, regardless of whether or not they do their business.

? Take them out after they wake from any naps.

? Take them out before and, especially, after meals.

● Never make a training session stressful for you or your dog.

? Training should always be fun.

? Keep training sessions short, but do them often. They should never last more than a few minutes at a time.

? Give lots of praise!

● Your dog loves you unconditionally, give them unconditional love, and the world will be a better place.

By Elysia Blackhart

I am a full-time pet wrangler, pet blogger, multi-tasker, and entrepreneur. My pets let me think I’m in charge around here, but the rabbit is actually in control. I just live here. When I am not writing blog posts, or tending to my farm, I’m rescuing animals, and trying to figure out how to save the world through innovation.