This article will provide you with the essentials of effective dog training with helpful information on behavior modification, overcoming dog fears and phobias, desensitization and mental stimulation, dog owners and dog trainers will certainly find this a helpful guide.
Just like humans, dogs can learn to fear and hate something or somebody to a great extent. The stimulus that induces the fear or phobia may vary from one dog to another but the most common stimuli are those that produce sudden and loud noises. Some fears may also sound irrational and illogical such as phobia of brooms.
It is certainly advisable to adopt a puppy while young so you will be able to condition your dogs not to be afraid of certain items or objects. Greater challenges will confront you if you deal with dogs coming from rescue homes due to their previous traumatic experiences. At the same time, you have known them only for a short period so you may have difficulty understanding the issues they are going through.
A growing puppy is expected to encounter situations that may be more threatening and frightening to your pet. Your growing puppy will start learning encountering these situations calmly and bravely, with the loving assurance and presence of the mother and of the dog owner. A dog’s early experiences play a crucial role on how the dog deals with potentially threatening and frightening situations.
How the dog has been raised up to be and whether it has had any effective dog training will play a crucial role on how or what kind of adult dog your pet will turn up to be. The type of adult dog your pet will turn out to be will be a reflection of the type of environment the dog grew up to be around with. A puppy raised in a peaceful environment may elicit adverse reactions to noise and chaos. Most puppies and even adult dogs express their fear and suspicion by litter. Thus, dog owners and dog trainers are advised to expose the dog to the usual noises and places so that your pet will no longer be shocked when faced with these situations or stimuli. By exposing your pet to a variety of situations, you help in minimizing the possibility of phobias and fears. If you spot some signs of fear and anxiety in your dog, you need not lose hope. You can still do a remedy to counterattack the fears and anxieties your dog has learned.
There are also stimuli that can cause fear and anxiety in your pet dog that are beyond your control such as thunderstorms. Changes in the weather condition, humidity and atmospheric pressure cannot be changed or manipulated by an individual. Dogs are far more sensitive to weather changes and disturbances than humans. Dogs are also sensitive to light conditions such as darkening of the sky and flashes of lightning. Another weather-related stimulus that induces fear and anxiety to dogs is heavy rainfall followed by loud claps of thunder. Since it is impossible for an individual to stop these situations from happening, the best thing a dog owner versed in Effective Dog Training can do is to teach his or her pet to overcome the fear of these situations.
One of the strategies commonly used by dog owners and dog trainers is desensitization. Imitate a certain sound that frightens your dog at a low volume. Then, gradually increase the volume and intensity of the sound. Later, distract the dog’s attention from the frightening sound by providing a threat or playing a game with your pet. Repeat the strategy every time your pet experiences the phobia. If done successfully, this technique will help your pet be more relaxed and be desensitized. Your pet will learn to be calm, even when faced with previously threatening and frightening situations. You can use a number of soundtracks for this purpose. A variety of sounds are available such as cries of babies, fireworks, gunshots and thunder sounds. You can check out the music stores near you or you can also record these own sounds by yourself.
Another important phase of Effective Dog Training is the physical stimulation. Playing or doing exercise with your dog is not only important in terms of the physical benefits of walking or playing but also provides an opportunity for you to build a relationship with your pet. By doing exercise with your pet, you get the chance to interact with your pet and your pet will also become more comfortable with you. There may be limitations and restrictions as to how far and where you can walk around with your dog but you should not take this responsibility for granted. In addition, walking may seem like a physical activity but it also has numerous mental benefits. Walking helps make your pet become more alert and focused. You also have to take into consideration the breed and nature of your dog. Daily walks may not be enough for some breeds that are highly intellectual. Because of their high intellectual level, more stimuli are needed to keep them learning and active. For breeds like Border Collie, you need to provide stimuli even when they
