Mary Allen
Why Consistent Dog Training is Important
Every four-legged friend needs basic training right from the start. Man’s best friend is one of the pack animals that instinctively want to fit into a social group. They need guidance, otherwise, they lose their bearings and do not know how to behave appropriately. And it doesn’t matter whether the group consists of conspecifics or humans.
So if your darling remains uneducated, he is missing important rules of conduct, which can lead to significant behavioral problems. If you haven’t made it clear to your dog what you want from him and what behavior you expect from him, he will act as he sees fit at the moment. This can sometimes be dangerous, for example, if your dog goes for a walk alone, poaches, or hunts other animals. Dogs are predators and need a certain amount of control from their owners in order not to pose a safety risk.
What Does Consistency Mean in Dog Training?
In short: Consistency in dog training means above all that you act the same way in certain situations. If your instructions always follow a clear pattern and are reliably consistent, your dog will understand the pattern and be better able to follow it. He then gradually understands the principle of cause and effect. The cause is a command or a specific signal, and the effect is a special behavior that should follow this signal. Consistent parenting means that you set clear rules and communicate them unequivocally.
An example: If you always let your four-legged friend understand that begging at the lunch table is unsuccessful and that he should refrain from doing so, you act consistently. However, give him a bite from the table occasionally, act inconsistently and your dog will not understand why he should refrain from begging in the future – after all, it works every now and then.
Remain consistent and online with your tasks and instructions – this way your furry friend can understand what you ask and expect of it. Important: In addition to commandments and coercion, you must never forget the large portion of love and affection. And don’t skimp on rewards, because if your dog understands that he needs to stop at the sidewalk and then gets a pet, it makes more sense for him to stop there.
Train Your Dog Consistently: Basic Tips
• Act in the same way in similar situations
• Give clear and reliable instructions
• Don’t stray from your line once a command has been made
• Reward your dog when he does the right thing
• Punish your dog when he acts undesirable (However, draconian punishments, excessive severity, or even violence have no place in dog training!)
• When training dogs, always combine consistency with love and affection
More Tips for Good Parenting: Learn Through Play
So you must make it clear that you are the pack leader; also by small commands like “sit!” or “Stay!”. However, “pack leader” does not mean an authoritarian leadership style. Rather, it’s about guiding your dog and giving them a direction to take with you. The more reliable you appear to your dog, the sooner he will realize that you are worth listening to. He then obeys better and living with him is much more relaxed.
A little tip for good cooperation: Teach your loyal friend a good upbringing in a playful way and build a good relationship with your animal partner. Playing and learning requires an atmosphere of trust and joie de vivre. Training is not only fun for your dog, but also for you.