My parents never bought me a dog when I was growing up, and so I never thought I would ever be interested in having one in my life. However, all these came to change when I was coming home from work this fateful day. I found some naughty boys beating up a nice dog but when they saw me they ran away. As I came out of my car, the poor dog came running to me for refuge; I pitied him and so I took him home with me. I called a veterinarian to check him and from that day I decided to keep him at home and i was training the dog. To date, he is loved my entire family and I never regret having him.

I heard a certain dog trainer say that having a dog in your life needs to be a source of joy and companionship, but not an endless frustration which was the case with my dog during the first week of his stay at my home. He was already a big dog and since I had the perception that puppies are the easiest ones to train, I wondered how I could change the ill behavior of my adult dog. I worked as a truck driver and since a truck driver’s salary is awesome, I could not imagine myself quitting the job to take care of the dog.

I have nothing against old school dog training techniques but I certainly don’t think that they work. Do you really have to break a dog’s spirit in the name of training him? I don’t think so. Having worked in the medical industry as a surgical tech, I learn that everything needs to be done with much consideration. As a surgical tech you get good salary, and so you need to do the work keenly for the good of your patient and so I tailored my training for the benefit of my dog. Here is how you can effectively train your dog:

Listen to your dog

If after training your dog he still feels uncomfortable meeting other dogs or persons, do not insist. He is reluctant of getting closer to as new person or a dog, he is telling you that he does not want to say hello and he is uncomfortable for a reason. Forcing him can result to bigger issues such as fights.

Be consistent

When training my dog, I got my family members involved as much as possible to ensure we were all in the same page. If you tell your dog “off” when is jumping on the couch with another person telling him to stay down, how on earth will he learn what you expect him to do? Consistency is the key to success.

Crate training

This makes dogs feel secure because they tend to feel more comfortable in small cave-like spaces. When training him, I used words like “got to bed” or “in your house”. Dogs are very energetic and so I could throw a toy for them to play with. Dogs are usually independent and so you should give your orders with authority. If he refuses to get into the crate, never force him inside. Let your dog understand that the crate is a safer place for them and not a punishment.

Does he really like the treat?

Just because the bag for dog food says, “a treat that all dogs love” doesn’t mean that your dog loves it. Some canines are selective and you may find that your dog loves crunchy treats over soft chew treats, and vice-versa. Just observe to know what he likes.

You do not have to keep up with your ill mannered dog. If you make good use of the above tips, you will be the happiest dog owner just like me.