National Train Your Dog Month: 3 Ways to Teach Your Dog Something New

Firstly, all of us here at Get Joy wish you a Happy New Year! Did you know that January is also National Train Your Dog Month? This time of year helps to remind dog owners how important it is to train their canine companions. It’s a perfect time to brush up on some behavior skills and teach your dog new things. Ultimately, dog training offers multiple benefits, including spending time together, exercise, mental stimulation for your dog, improved behavior, and a better bond. 

So, here are some excellent dog training tips to teach them something new. 

How to Train Your Dog with Treats

Positive reinforcement with treats can be an excellent way to train dogs for various behaviors. If you are wondering how to train your dog with treats, try some of the tips below. 

• Use Small Treats: When training, try to use smaller treats. If you only have large treats, break them up. Since you will likely use several of them, you don’t want to overfeed. These Freeze Dried superfood treats are a great option. 

• Reinforce, Don’t Bribe: The idea is that you want to reward your dog for doing the correct behavior beforehand. This includes rewarding progress. For instance, if you are trying to teach your dog to lie down, give them the command, then bring the treat down the floor. When he lies down, then give him the treat. However, as you continue the training, try not to use treats every time. Otherwise, your dog may begin only to do the behavior if a treat is waiting for him. 

• Remove Distractions: It can be difficult to train a dog around exterior distractions, such as other people, cars, playing children, and more. Instead, try to train them in an environment where they can concentrate. 

Dog Obedience Training Options

Setting up a standard dog obedience training program can help your dog get into the mindset of training. Rather than sporadic training, it can help to set a schedule of frequent short training sessions to help your dog understand expectations. Firstly, decide the behaviors and commands that you want your dog to know. 

According to the American Kennel Club, there are five basic dog commands, which are:

• Come
• Lay Down
• Sit
• Stay
• Leave It

These are incredibly versatile commands that can help to curb behavior in many situations. You can begin with 15-minute training sessions focusing on one particular command until your dog gets it down. Then, move on to the following command, but make sure they continue to adhere to what they learn. 

Hire a Professional Dog Trainer

If you have had difficulty training your dog or have limited time, it may be a good idea to hire a professional dog trainer. A trainer’s experience can help to train your dog quite quickly. Moreover, there are multiple options for professional dog trainers. For example, some will come to your home to work with you and your dog, whereas others may require you to leave your dog with them. However, in the latter, you will sometimes be requested to visit the dog trainer’s location to work with your dog as well. 

Dog Food That Doesn’t Sacrifice Nutrition

The dog food industry has not been in an excellent place for many years. The market is full of foods with processed ingredients and fillers that don’t give dogs the proper nutrition they need. That is precisely why we started here at Get Joy.