Training your dog is a difficult task. Knowing how to train your dog effectively and what commands to use is arduous. It results in pet owners trying to over-discipline their puppies, making the dogs more anxious and leading to behavioral problems in the future.

Board and train in Lehi programs outline all of your options for training. It provides insightful advice on the best ways to train your dog with helpful tips and tricks from professional trainers who know how to get any puppy to obey. Read to learn how often you should train your dog.

Train Daily, but Keep It Short

Your dog can learn something new daily, but that doesn’t mean you should train him for hours. Training your dog too often can cause him to become bored, which can make him less receptive to the new behaviors you’re trying to teach him.

Instead of training your dog all day every day, space out your sessions throughout the week so he has time to rest and relax between them. You can also try training in short bursts throughout the day—keep each session short (no more than 15 minutes) so that you and your dog stay engaged.

Dogs’ attention spans two minutes when they first learn something new. A dog learning to pay attention to humans will be attentive for 60 seconds.

Start with Basics

Dogs are intelligent, but that doesn’t mean they know everything. They’re animals and, therefore, instinctual creatures—they need the training to help them understand what you want from them.

Start by teaching your dog the basics: sit, stay, come, and heel. These commands are essential for any dog owner to know because they will help you establish control over your pet and keep them safe when out in public or around other people’s pets (or even other humans).

Once they’ve mastered the basics, you can continue with intermediate-level training, like jumping through hoops or fetching objects from a distance. These activities will strengthen your bond with your canine companion while giving them something fun to do while they’re home alone during the day.

Be Consistent

Your dog will only learn to obey commands if you’re consistent. You need to be able to give the same commands in the same tone at the same time every day.

If your dog doesn’t know what command you’re giving him, then he won’t know how to respond—which means you’ll have a lot of work. Don’t let things get out of hand: keep it simple and ensure your dog knows what he’s supposed to do every time you give a command.

How to Ensure Training Your Dog Is Effective

Training your dog ensures it can perform the behaviors you want it to do in various situations. It means training has to be effective; it must be easy for your pet to understand what you’re trying to get them to do. For the dog training to be practical, you must:

  • Pick a good location. If you’re training your dog, pick a quiet and distraction-free place. It should be somewhere you can relax and focus on the task without being interrupted by unexpected visitors or loud noises.
  • Start simple. Don’t overcomplicate things when teaching your dog something new, especially if it involves commands and actions (like “sit”). Keep things simple so your dog can get used to doing what you want before adding more steps or making things complicated.
  • Do the same thing more than once. Dogs have a short attention span, so if you want them to learn something, repeat it until they get it right.
  • Use rewards that motivate your dog. Reward them when they do something right. If you use food as a reward, ensure your dog can smell and taste it easily. 
  • If your dog makes a mistake, try to figure out why. Your dog may be making mistakes because they do not understand what you’re asking them to do or is not paying attention to the task. Take some time to break down what you want them to do into smaller steps so that it’s easier for them to understand what you want from them at each step.

The exact frequency and structure of the training are different for every dog; ideally, you should train your dog once or twice daily. The amount of time spent on each exercise will also vary according to your goals and your pet’s needs. Experiment with different training routines and methods early on with your dog since you don’t want to feel like you’re forcing the dog, particularly if you’re having trouble adjusting the dog’s behavior. Dogs can be very obedient animals if adequately trained.