You can’t teach a dog to love and be loyal. That is something they are born with. But with love, you can teach a dog a lot of other things. Dog training is the only things that can help you achieve harmonious living with your canine companions. Whether you're teaching a puppy basic obedience or helping an older dog overcome behavioral challenges, training provides structure, guidance, and a way to effectively communicate with your dog. At its core, dog training is not just about teaching commands; it's about building trust, reinforcing good behavior, and fostering mutual respect. This article will help you navigate the process of training your dog at home and have fun while doing it.
“When can I start training my dog?” is one of the most common questions I get asked as a dog trainer. My answer to this question till date remains, “The day you get your home.” Now, training does not always mean basic and complex cues like Sit, Down, Roll over, etc. Every interaction with your dog is a training opportunity. Training lies in the way you say Hi to your dog; it is hidden in the way you play with your dog; it is displayed in the list of behaviors that you allow your dog to get away with; it is hidden in the way you set boundaries with your dog.
The earlier you start, the cleaner the slate. As days go by, you are letting your dog pick up and learn undesirable behaviors which you will have to then spend time in training them out of. What you teach is what you get – from Day 1.
Dogs learn through a combination of processes that involve observing their environment and the consequence of their actions. No matter what technique you decide to use to train your dog, it is important to touch upon these factors when teaching them anything.
They are also quick to form associations in the process of learning. Eg - A dog might quickly learn that the sound of keys means their owner is leaving, or that the sight of their leash means it's time for a walk. They are more likely to repeat behaviors that get the rewarded in some way or the other. These rewards don’t have to necessarily come from humans.
Eg –the behavior of counter surfing is a self rewarding activity. They jump up, find food and reward themselves. Similarly, when they’re outdoors, they spot a squirrel, chase it and reward themselves in the form of an instinct fulfilment. When dealing with such types of behaviors, it is necessary to take a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach in order to be able to stop the behavior from taking place at all.
Absolutely! Anyone who loves dogs can train them. I specify “loving dogs” as a pre requisite because training a dog involves understanding them thoroughly, being patient enough to let them make mistakes, being consistent enough to repeat the same thing over a 100 times and being kind enough to fulfil their needs.
Dog training is a highly bonding exercise that will only bring you and your dog closer to each other on multiple levels. Make sure to be a teacher that you would want for yourself.
Spend time reading books and watching videos that explain the science behind dog training and help you get to the root cause of various behaviors. Invest in the right kind of courses. A little help from a professionals wouldn’t hurt either. Consider virtual training courses to help you train your dog on the go and get help real time.
Homeschool by LAY LO takes pride on being one of the few programs that are taught by certified professionals, makes it possible for you to train with them on the go, promises 24*7 availability through calls and texts and guarantees results that you can feel happy about.
Here's a quick video on how LAY LO's Virtual training works -
There cannot be just one right answer to this question. Every dog, every pet parent, every household is different. A working pet parent that stays out of the house for over 6 hours will focus on independence training for their dog from the get go. An outdoorsy family that travels frequently would choose to focus on socialization. Similarly, a family about to have a baby will focus on teaching the pup to be calm and comfortable around babies and toddlers.
The first thing to teach your dog depends on a variety of factors such as –
Remember to align your training goals with your dog’s personality. Meaning, if you have a Chihuahua that is inherently shy and fearful, forcing him to make friends with other dogs is not the first thing you must focus on. Instead, focus on desensitizing your dog to their environment and respecting their threshold to raise a happier and a well-balanced dog.
Some dog breeds are naturally inclined towards specific motivations. Eg – Herding dogs like Border Collies naturally enjoy problem solving activities whereas breeds like Golden Retrievers enjoy games that involve fetching. Some dogs are heavily treat motivated whereas some dogs may be more driven by life rewards and experiences. If you try to lure a play-motivated dog with treats, you’re going to have a tough time gaining his attention.
Dog motivators may also vary in different situations. When your dog is hungry, treats and food may work best. But when you’re training a dog fixated on a ball or another toy, treats may not work well in that situation. You may notice your dog works harder for a specific toy, game, or treat.
Don’t get discouraged if one reward or motivator doesn’t work. It can take time and some trial and error to discover what truly motivates your dog.
Observing your dog closely is an inherent part of understanding their body language, pre-empting their responses in different scenarios and proactively training them. Watch your dog’s reactions and body language closely in different situations like meal times, play times, walks, social interactions and so on. Apart from observing how your dog interacts with their environment in these scenarios, make a mental note of the behaviors exhibited before and after.
Eg – If you are trying to work on your dog’s excessive jumping behavior, start observing your dog right from the time you start prepping your home for a guest arrival. Dogs are very intuitive and notice the smallest shifts in energies. Then observe your dog’s reaction to the doorbell ringing, people coming in, notice when their excitement peaks and observe how long it takes for them to calm down. Having these subtle pieces of information go a long way in making a training plan.
Traditional dog training methods revolved around establishing discipline, structure and obedience through dominance techniques. While these methods may be effective to a certain extent, they do not focus on building a connection with dogs at a deeper level. Luckily for the dogs and dog parents, dog training as a science has evolved enormously in the last few decades.
Positive reinforcement methods have gained prominence and many techniques now focus on understanding the root cause of behaviors rather than resorting to aversive approaches. Dog behavior is a complex subject. Build a connection with your dog through polite and effective communication and focus on fulfilling their needs through appropriate physical and mental stimulation activities. This may take a little more time than aversive techniques, but is guaranteed to give you a far happier and more fulfilled dog.
While we may have our heart and intent in the right place, often it may so happen that we may end up missing out on subtle cues and body language signs from our dogs that go a long way in understanding our dogs better. Furthermore, behaviors like leash reactivity, resource guarding, food aggression etc are complex behaviors that need to be handled with utmost care. One should not risk with trail and errors with behaviors like these as even a small mistake could ruin things further.
Professional trainers are skilled at reading a dog's body language and understanding their emotional state. They can quickly identify signs of stress, anxiety, or aggression and adjust their approach accordingly. Getting a trainer to come home may not always be the easiest option for a lot of reasons. This is where virtual training could save the day.
Homeschool by LAY LO is a one stop shop to get a personalized approach, 1:1 targeted problem solving at home or on the go and guaranteed results that you can feel good about. Our certified trainers don’t just train the dogs; they teach the pet parents how to communicate effectively with their pet.
Don’t blame a dog for disappointing you; blame yourself for expecting too much of them. Your dog is doing the best they can with the information you are providing. When training your dog, there are several factors you must remember before setting any kind of expectations from them – how long have they been practicing a certain behavior for? How is their inherent personality? What motivates them? What triggers them? How intense is the behavior?
Just because you see a puppy learn to walk on a leash without pulling in a span of 2 months doesn’t mean you can expect the same from a 6 year old dog. Just because you see friendly dogs around you on walks, doesn’t mean you can expect your reactive to come around to be as friendly as them.
With patience, consistency and the right training techniques, expect slow and gradual progress, increased trigger threshold and improved emotional responses.
A dog that has practiced a certain behavior for over 2-3 years cannot come around in a matter of 1-2 months. It requires way more time than that. Dog training is only as fun as you make it to be. Some days will be good. Whereas on some days, you’d just want to let the dog bark his lungs out and not do anything about it. This is what dog training in general looks like. But no matter what, it is imperative to show up for your dog and have faith in them and the process.
Dog training is one of the most crucial bonding opportunities with your dog. Thus, it is important for your dog to have a positive association with it. If a lot of your time is spent in correcting your dog and unsuccessful reps, you may be doing something wrong.
Start easy and reward small wins. Challenge, not overwhelm. Remember, the more your dog feels rewarded, the more they will enjoy, which will lead to more successful repetitions and a transformed dog over time.
Dogs may struggle with generalizing. Meaning, they may find it tricky to apply learned behaviors and commands in a variety of different situations. This is why your dog may come to you within seconds at home whereas when they’re outside, they may act like they have no idea what the word “come” means.
Any behavior that you teach your dog must be proofed with the 4Ds –
The trick to perfecting a command with the 3Ds is to switch rewards and toggle between difficulty levels of the cue depending on the situation you are in. Eg- If your dog can perform a Stay cue for 30 seconds inside the house, start with only 5 seconds in an outdoor environment and keep rewarding often. This will help you capture small wins and have more successful repetitions.
Whether you're a first-time pet owner or an experienced dog handler, understanding the fundamentals of training will set you and your dog up for success. Lastly, timing, in dog training, is everything. The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.
Author Bio: Siddhika is a certified dog trainer, behaviorist, and professional pet writer. Over the course of her dog training career, she has gained 3 certifications accredited by KCAI (Kennel Club Accredited Instructors) in the field of dog training and behavior, viz - Basic obedience course, Therapy Dog Training Course and Canine Aggression Course. She has the qualifications and experience in the theoretical as well as real-life applications of science-based dog training techniques.
With the expertise to write about a plethora of dog-related topics and a personal interest in dog cognition and behavior, Siddhika is an out-and-out canine nerd.
