Dog Training Blogz

In order for you and your terrier dog to have a happy life together you are going to have to train your dog. There are many ways to do this.

A common misconception is that it is difficult, expensive and time consuming to train your dog. This is not the case. People with this attitude have the wrong perception of training your dog. You should try to enjoy training your dog. It is one of the biggest bonds you will have with the animal.

You must accept however, that although dogs are a lot smarter than many people would give them credit for, they are not as smart as humans. So training your dog will require a certain amount of patience and persistence. If you love your terrier dog enough, this will never be a problem.

It is essential to first determine the personality of your terrier dog. Terrier dogs are usually either submissive or dominant.

Submissive Dog

A submissive dog will exhibit some of the following qualities;

Avoids eye contact

Rolls over onto its back

Crouches down with its ears back and tail lowered

is comfortable on its back in your arms

Dominant dog

Conversely a dominant dog will exhibit these qualities;

Maintains eye contact

Is unwilling to move from its place on the couch

Dislikes grooming or petting

Is possessive of “its” belongings i.e. dish, bowl, toys

Regardless of which type your dog is training should be done in the same way. Just remember these points when deciding the most appropriate methods for training your dog.

So where do I train my dog?

A good place to teach your terrier dog new skills is at obedience classes. These classes can be especially beneficial to training younger terrier dogs. At these classes the younger terrier dogs will for perhaps the first time be around several people and other dogs at the same time. This can be very overwhelming for terrier dogs and they will most likely get very excited. It is best that this happens in a safe environment. Do remember that your dog is never to old to be taught obedience skills. I would in fact recommend that you retrain your dog once every couple of years as it will help the dog pick up new skills, and keep its mind active. There you see, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

So how do train my dog?

Training your terrier dog requires persistence, consistency, a cool head and the ability to convey your emotions well. Terrier dogs are very good at picking up body language and can sense your mood even through the tone of your voice. It is therefore essential that when training you dog you keep all anger and frustration hidden from the dog. Your Terrier dog will often reflect you attitude towards it. If you start to become angry and aggressive, the dog will fight back. An angry and aggressive style is the worst way to train your dog. In fact, Terrier dogs respond well to compliments and treats. Reward your dog often especially but not exclusively for picking up new skills. Basically when training your dog keep in mind it will reflect your attitude towards itself at any given time.

When training dogs I like to follow a few guidelines. Here are the ways I train my dogs.

Through Reiteration and Repetition

This is the way you will train a dog to follow your commands. Repeat your commands in a friendly and loud voice. Be sure to say the command clearly and directly to the dog. If necessary help the terrier dog to fulfil its task. Two examples are the sit command, by pushing down the terrier dogs rear and holding on to the dog whilst giving the stay command. Once the dog has successfully completed the command remember to reward the dog with a treat. Also, do not do the routine once then forget about it, continue to train the dog in that command over and over again, whilst gradually removing some of the rewards.

Persistence

Patience is a virtue. You will know this saying and you will know it is true, yet you still sometimes lose it. If you want to successfully train your dog you need to exhibit self control. The moment you start to lose your patience you can say goodbye to a well behaved terrier dog.

Commendation and Ammendation

As I said before the dog should know if it has done the right thing. You must also tell it if it has not done the right thing. This is where the patience will come in handy. A good use of body language will help to diminish the incorrect results and to keep hold of the good action your terrier dog performs.

Rewards

I have already mentioned this several times but this is the most important part in forming a strong bond with your terrier dog. Dog treats are a great way of rewarding your dog. Do not forget however to regularly pet your terrier dog when it does well. Do remember though that even though treats are good to much of a good thing can be bad. You main aim is to one day be able to have your dog execute a command without having to bribe it. Another lesser point is that a terrier dog can easily become overweight on snacks which can lead to health problems and expensive vet’s bills.

Whatever happens you will always remember training your dog and the day that your terrier dog managed to execute your first commands. Nothing is better than having enough control over your dog so that you can take it out in public regularly and enjoy its company.

Additional Resources; more information on Training Your Terrier Dog; Finding Terrier Dogs For Sale; Terrier Dogs