Stay Consistent
When you start training your dog, it's best to have just one person doing the training to avoid confusion. Once they have one trick or command down, it's fine to let other family members in on the fun, but make sure they use the same command you do! Different people like to use different commands, or may use a different tone or gesture, try to keep things as consistent as possible across the board to avoid confusing your dog. This can also mean every family member follows the same rules with the dog. If Mom says the dog can't beg at the table, that means that the dog can't beg at the table, even if Mom isn't there! Everyone has to be on the same page with what is expected of the pup!
Another way to maintain consistency is to train daily. Short, 15 minute sessions once a day can help keep their brain active, keep them interested and help tire them out. Daily training sessions also help to solidify your bond, build trust in each other and build your dog's confidence. Training is a great tool to help a shy or timid dog come out of its shell.
Staying consistent with daily training sessions doesn't mean they need to be predictable! Ember knows quite a few commands, so while we do train daily, we change the order of the commands every time. I also like to throw in a string of commands that start with the same letter, to make sure she actually understands the individual command and not just the sound. For example, I will tell her to sit, stay, speak and spin all in one session, changing the order of them each time we do the cycle keeps her on her toes. This is a more advanced stage of training and should only be done when your dog has mastered those commands on their own. If you try to do this too quick it may lead to frustration on your dog's part.
So while we are staying consistent with our training schedule, the commands and tricks I ask of her are different every time.
Can you commit to remaining consistent with your dog's training?
Written by:
