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Training your canine companion is a crucial part of her development and the only way to ensure that you can maintain a fun, relaxed and harmonious relationship with one another. If you have a puppy, then you will obviously need to start your little furball’s training from scratch. However, if you are adopting an older dog, you shouldn’t just assume that she is adequately trained. One of the most important things about training is consistency, something which she may not have had if she has been living in kennels or foster care for some time.

With so many different aspects of training, it can be difficult to know where to start and which parts of her training are the most important. To help you get started on this priority task, here are our top tips for training your dog.
 

Use her name

Many owners think that if you adopt a dog with a name, you have no choice to stick with it. This isn’t strictly true. While your canine pal may be used to that name, she can adapt quickly and if you use her new name consistently, she will soon respond appropriately to it.

Whether you are renaming an older dog or naming a pup for the very first time, choose a name wisely. Pick something short and simple that you can say clearly. Many owners pick names that end on a strong, clear consonant such as ‘k’ as in Mack, ‘b’ as in Jeb or ‘d’ like in Fred. Shorter names are easier to call and for your pet to hear and respond to.
 

Teach her recall

A recall is one of the most important tools in a dog owner’s arsenal, particularly if you like to walk your furbaby off the leash. Having your pet come when she is called is not only useful for when you need her to come to you when you are indoors, but it can also help keep her safe from harm and ensure she doesn’t get lost. By teaching recall, you are also asserting yourself into the alpha role in the house.
 

Teach her stay

Just as important as recall, teaching your canine pal to stay when told to is another crucial element of keeping her safe from harm. The easiest way to do this is through positive reinforcement and rewarding her each time she holds her position. Don’t worry, most dogs and puppies pick up this skill really quite quickly.
 

Choose house rules and be consistent with them

One of the biggest mistakes in training is not setting house rules early enough and not being consistent with them. If you allow your dog onto the sofa one day, but not another, he won’t know what is expected of him and how to behave. Early on, or even before you bring your pooch home, decide what the house rules will be and ensure that all humans in your property are aware. That way they can support the rules and be consistent in their expectations too.
 

Potty training

All puppies will need house-training as soon as they are old enough, but you cannot guarantee that an older dog won’t need some additional potty-training too, especially in the early days of your relationship where she may feel anxious while she is getting to know you.

Successful potty training is all about consistency, patience, and positive reinforcements. Set a potty routine and stick to it, be calm when accidents occur and never punish her for them and give her plenty of praise and love when she gets it right. For more information on potty training, speak to our veterinarian or check out further articles online.
 

Walking on a leash

All dogs require some degree of walking, and to keep your pet safe while you are out and about, it is highly beneficial to train her to walk nicely on a leash. This can prevent her from hurting herself by jerking her neck and could stop you from falling over the leash and injuring yourself or your pet. One of the most important things to remember when leash training is to stick to one side that you expect your doggy to walk on, and you can reinforce this with a treat when she walks to heel on the right side and does not pull.

If you would like more tips on training your dog, contact us and speak to our veterinarian who will be able to give you sound advice, and possibly point you in the direction of local dog training classes which provide an ideal opportunity to meet with other owners and their pets which will help socialize your furbaby.