What an Ideal Day of Dog Training Looks Like

You've read the books, you've searched endlessly for articles, and you've watched enough dog training television shows to make your eyes bleed. You are starting to understand the principles behind dog training, but when you look at your dog, you're not exactly where to start with it all. So why don't we start first thing in the morning, by actually the ideal day of dog training and what it will actually entail?

Wakeup time. Upon waking, you and your dog head out for a morning walk or a jog. If you're not exercising daily, this is something you need to take up regardless of whether or not you own a dog. Stick to this routine every day, and at least do some form of exercise with your dog for a good thirty minutes to an hour. This will keep both of your moods stable and balanced throughout the rest of the day. Note: Make it clear that this is your run, not your dog's run. Do this by walking out of the door first to enter and exit your home.

Feeding time. After the workout, if your dog has been calm and relaxed, feed it a treat and then its breakfast. Remember not to produce any reward for your dog - don't even present it to them just to see until they are behaving the way you want them to behave. Wait until your dog is calm and relaxed before you put down the bowl of dog food. This will happen a few times a day.

Training time. Presumably, after you've exercised and fed your dog, you had to go to work. After returning home, accept the dog's affection but don't reward any intrusive behavior like the dog crawling on you. Tend to your family and your own needs first: dinner, conversation, etc. Once you've got some free time, take one behavior you'd like to train into your dog and work on that for fifteen minutes to a half an hour.

Play time. At the end of a full day, it's time to simply enjoy some leisure with you, your dog, and your family. A great way to entertain a dog is to give it "dog" things to do: have it fetch sticks, chase a ball, or accompany you on an adventure into the woods.

Night time. Once the day is over, make sure the dog goes into its designated spot - correct it by giving it a stern verbal warning and directing it back to its spot. If you've previously done training (rewarding your dog in the morning, for example, for a calm night of sleeping where it was supposed to sleep), you shouldn't have many problems here.

Photo Credits: Ed.ward

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Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners

Posted by Dog Training Pet on March 9, 2010 in Dog Training, Tips for Dog Owners. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.