Learning About Dog Training

When you get a new dog, there are several things that you need to make sure happen. You have to take them to the vet's office, you have to make sure that you socialize them properly, and you need to make sure that they have some training. Training your dog is essential because it makes them safer and better behaved. When it comes to training, you can do it yourself, join clubs, go to classes, or hire a trainer to do the work. There are different levels of training that you can do with your dog.

Basic Obedience

The first level of training is just basic obedience. This level of training includes teaching your dog the most basic commands, such as sit, down, drop it, and heel. These commands will give you basic voice control over your dog. When you start teaching your dog these commands, you will need to make sure to practice with them every day. It is important to train every day because it reinforces the command to your dog. It's similar to how exercising every day makes your muscles stronger. Working on training your dog every day makes reactions to your orders reflex. Make sure that you don't overwhelm your dog with learning too many commands at once. Start with one command, and build on that. Training sessions don't need to be long because some dogs don't have long attention spans.

Agility Training

Another level of training is to train your dog to do agility courses. This is an advanced level of training, which means your dog will have to be under voice command without you having them on a leash or holding on to them. Agility courses are open to any dog; whether you have a purebred or mixed-breed dog, you can take your dog to agility classes. It is best to find agility classes because there is a lot of specialized equipment for agility training, and until you and your dog reach a certain level of training, you don't want to invest in that equipment.

Making sure your dog is trained is the best way to keep your dog safe. Even if all you do is basic obedience, you need to do some level of training. Nobody wants to be around a dog who isn't trained, jumps on them, or doesn't listen to anyone. Training your dog can make your dog much more popular and safe. For more information on dog training, contact a professional near you.