4 Simple Ways to Train Your Dog

Getting a new dog is a fun adventure. When you bring them home for the first time, it feels like introducing a new family member to your house, but bringing home a new dog requires a lot of work. One of the biggest things that needs to be done as soon as possible is training your dog. They need to be trained to do many things, like go to the bathroom outside or not flip over their dog bowls. Training your dog is of utmost importance, and today, we’re here to give you four simple ways to train your dog. If you’re struggling with how to train your dog, keep on reading. 

There are two main categories of dog training: aversive-based training and rewards-based training. Aversive-based training is done by exposing your dog to unpleasant things when they are not listening to you until they correctly obey your commands. This method of training is fear-based, so keep that in mind as you consider the right method for you and your dog. Let’s get into specific ways of using aversion to help train your dog. 

Yelling at your dog when they are being disobedient or doing something they shouldn’t is one of the simplest ways to train your dog using aversion. Dogs dislike loud sounds, and they want to please their owners. When their owner is mad and yells at them, it makes for the perfect storm, and your dog will hate being yelled at. When your dog does something you don’t want them to do, yell “no” at them, and show with your body language and facial expression that you are not pleased. When they obey and do what you want them to, shower them with compliments and show that those behaviors make you happy. They’ll want to keep making you happy and avoid being yelled at. 

(Note: you may feel bad for yelling at your dog when they are doing something bad. This is normal and just shows your deep care for your pet. However, sometimes we need to bite the bullet and do what it takes to train our dogs, especially if they are doing things that could be dangerous to themselves or others, such as jumping or nipping.) 

Another way to train your dog in an aversive-based manner is to put them in their crate when they are being disobedient. Again, make sure your body and face show that you are angry, and tell them “no” when they disobey. When your dog does an undesirable behavior, put them in the crate and leave them there for a few minutes, but you have to put them in right when they disobey. The longer you wait to put them in their crate, the less likely they are to realize why you put them in the crate. Keep doing this until they correctly obey your commands. 

The other dog training method is rewards-based training. This is essentially the opposite of aversion training; instead of giving your dog something unpleasant until they correctly obey your command, reward them when they do obey. This method of training is less reliant on fear and more reliant on love and care between you and your dog, so many people prefer reward training to aversion training. Here are some specific examples of ways you can utilize rewards to train your dog. 

This method of training is perhaps the most popular. Treats can be extremely effective in helping to train your dog. Let’s say you are teaching them a command, such as sitting. When you say the word “sit,” don’t give them a treat until they correctly obey the command. If you need to, you can push down on their bottom to encourage them to get into the sitting position and then immediately give them the treat to show them that this is what you want to happen when you say the word “sit.” Your dog will associate sitting when you say the word “sit” with getting a treat and you being happy with them. It won’t take long at all for you to train your dog to obey commands, as long as you are consistent with only rewarding them when they do what you want. 

This is essentially exactly the same as rewarding them with treats, but instead of using food, you’ll be rewarding your dog with praise and affection. This can be helpful especially if your dog is on a diet. Most dogs crave affection from their owners, so this method is quite effective. As mentioned, make sure to only praise them when they correctly obey your command. If you also praise them when they disobey, it will confuse them and you won’t find the results you’re looking for. 

We hope this article was helpful in showing you a few simple ways to train your dog. Each dog is different, so feel free to experiment with the different methods until you find the training method that works best for you and your dog. In no time at all, your dog will be obeying all your commands and behaving just like you want them to.