For the majority of people, the main reason for getting a dog is for companionship and it follows then that you should complete a dog obedience training course and strive to build a really good, fun relationship with your canine companion.
In all the basic obedience dog training courses I instruct I insist the handlers use the “F” word as much as physically possible, right through the whole training course. The word I mean is of course “FUN”.
Dog ownership is not all about obedience training the dog. It is also about teaching the dog some fun things to do from a simple paw shake to riding a skate board. You can and should have some fun with your dog.
Using the click and treat system you can teach your dog to do all sorts of interesting little tricks. Every one you teach your dog means you are interacting and creating a bond with the dog.
One of the best things I teach my students is teaching the dog to tug,
simply because it is the start of a whole lot of other things you can do with your dog.
If you teach the dog to tug a piece of rope, you can use this to teach the dog to retrieve. Once he is a retrieving dog, you will be able to use this as an exercise to tire the dog before leaving it alone when you go to work so it does not become a problem barker.
If you can throw the retrieve toy into a river, dam or swimming pool or even into the waves at a safe beach, and have the dog retrieve the toy, you will not need to spend as much time exercising him, and you will end up with a very healthy and fit animal.
There are lots and lots of books available that show you the dozens of fun things you can teach your dog to do. Using the click and treat system will ensure that the dog learns to use his brain and there is nothing nicer than seeing an animal displaying intelligence that you have developed in them.
Teaching your dog to roll over and to shake with the left paw to left hand and right paw to right hand will amuse your friends. Crawling on his tummy or standing up high on his rear legs will build muscles that might not otherwise get enough exercise.
I have seen the “bang” exercise used by an agility competitor whose dog would not lie down on an agility table.
I have taught my own agility dogs to spin left or right on command and use this fun game to both limber them up prior to running a course and to direct them whilst running the agility course.
And once you have him sitting and begging, it is not hard to have him drop his head between his front legs and say his prayers. After saying his prayers it would be nice if he put himself to bed and pulled his blanket over himself.
You can teach a dog to sneeze or talk on command, or ask you for his dinner or sit and wait for the command to tuck in.
Riding a skate board is really quite hard for a dog and riding a surf board even harder, but both can be achieved and can be fun activities for both of you.
All of these tricks however have their roots firmly embedded in the exercises that a good dog obedience training course would supply. So find a local dog club or training group and start building that fun relationship.
Author Resource:
Nev Allen is a dog trainer with 30 years of experience and he is now sharing this experience to help you make your puppy a good, happy and well trained obedient dog. Visit my blog for more detailed dog obedience training and clicker training articles.
http:www.dogobediencetrainingblogs.com
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