subject: Basic Hound Training Via A Collection Of Painless Actions [print this page] How does your dog sit when you tell him to and mine doesn't? What's the secret to making your dog heel to you like that? Now he comes running with a simple command? If that's true, then it will be worth your while to go through the trouble of putting your dog through some simple dog training. It is important that you begin training your dog as soon as you can while it is still a puppy, because this will enable you to mold the behavior that you want from your dog for many years to come.
The most basic of dog training is to get your dog to sit and come. Teaching him those commands are essential for him to learn. These commands are used for various different reasons, if you are in competition, if your dog jumps making him sit will immediately get him off and "come" is the all important one. If you're walking your dog, and let him loose from the leash expecting him to come right back, you'll probably be disappointed. That would mean complete and utter embarrassment!
Training your dog requires fairly common techniques, but a great deal of repetition. When training a dog it's important to use the same command for come that you will always use with your dog. Keep a tasty treat for your dog in one hand and a toy he loves in the other, step away from him and hold out his favorite toy and be enthusiastic when calling his name. When he does come give him his special treat. Works like a charm! Doing this several times a day is a great way to teach him, but remember to have lots of long breaks so he doesn't get bored and stop enjoying it, and don't forget the treats!
Getting him to sit can be difficult, but it makes the further range of tricks much easier to teach. When you have mastered the come command call him to you, place your hand on the end of his back and say "sit" while gently pushing down on his backside, when he sits his bottom down give him a treat and a lot of praise. If you want him to sit a little longer, just take your time bending over to give him his treat.
It's actually pretty easy to effectively give your dog some basic training. You'll want your dog and yourself to both have a good time so be careful not to make it into a time-consuming ordeal; just a few minutes every day is enough. You should never forget to reward both yourself and your dog for all the tough work!
