Every year, thousands of families across the world welcome a new member to the family. We’ve all seen the videos, the one’s that are just too cute and endearing to not melt even the stoniest of hearts, the videos where a new puppy is introduced to the children and adults who will raise them. Getting a dog, especially a young pup, is an adventure for all involved.
Psychologists agree that pet ownership is very beneficial for most children, they will learn about responsibility and caring for another living creature.With a dog, they will also have an incentive to go out and exercise and as both dogs and their owners tend to be social creatures, children will learn valuable lessons from meeting with other owners. Ultimately of course, children will have to contend with the death of their beloved pet and this is something that we don’t want to think about, but which is also unavoidable, and it is important to acknowledge it. For many people, their first experience with death is when a pet dies and, as unpleasant as it may be, it is an inevitable part of life.
Why Teach Your Dog Commands?
Teaching a dog commands is a good idea for a number of reasons.It is about so much more than simply having a pet that can perform tricks for entertainment. Teaching a dog commands at a young age helps to encourage good behavior for the duration of its life.It means that you as an owner will have better control over it should it misbehave and will therefore feel more confident taking it out in public
Teaching your dog to respond to voice commands will also help to solidify your position as the dominant player in the relationship. Dog are hierarchical creatures and will defer to the one they perceive as being the alpha in the pack; you want this to be you. Finally, by having a means of communicating with your dog, you will be able to reward and reinforce good behavior, while punishing and discouraging bad behavior.
Clicker Training
The first thing that most owners do is teach puppy sit stay, these are the most basic commands and will get your dog used to the idea that you are in control in the relationship. These days, the preferred technique for helping to reinforce correct behavior is by use of a device known as a clicker. The clicker is a small box that fits in the palm of your hand, you press the button on one end with your thumb and the device emits a clicking noise. Combine the clicker with some treats and when the dog does something right, you givethem a treat and simultaneously click the box. Your dog will begin to associate the clicking with the treat and will understand that it too is a reward for good behavior.
Coercion
The notion of punishing a dog is just as controversial these days as the notion of physically punishing a child. As long as you do not set out to harm your dog then using a light physical touch to deter bad behavior is ok. If your dog exhibits serious aggression, then you must correct this behavior forcefullyfor yours and the dog’s safety. Here is a guide on some other methods you can use that are not harmful.
Training a puppy requires that you show it care and affection, and sometimes a little discipline. The main thing to remember while training should be that rewarding and encouraging good behavior is easier and more effective than correcting poor behavior. Emphasize this to your children too.