Read About Pet Training

Pet training is a fun and rewarding activity as long as you have time and patience. More importantly, it is critical to the proper development and socialization of your pet. Specifics of pet training vary from one species to another, but many things remain constant. Positive reinforcement, praise and consistency are critical to proper training. And remember, effective pet training requires patience, Imagepatience, patience!

Positive reinforcement involves letting your pet know he has performed the desired behavior by praising and rewarding him for doing it. You will need to progress in very small, gradual steps and praise your pet for every small accomplishment. You can’t teach your dog to roll over simply by telling him to do so; you will need to start with teaching him to sit, then lie, then lie back, then roll over. Each of these steps may actually require many smaller steps along the way. By praising and rewarding him for each small step, you are providing your pet with positive reinforcement for performing the desired behavior.

Rewards and treats during pet training do not always have to be in the form of food, even though that is what many of us think of. For many animals, physical contact such as rubbing, petting or scratching and verbal praise are reward enough. Keep the tone of your voice upbeat and your mannerisms positive and your pet will likely respond in kind.

With any pet training, the keys to success are repetition and consistency. Remember that every time you interact with your pet you are teaching him something. If you are consistent in your actions and your expectations of him, you are more likely to be teaching what you are trying to teach. If, however, you sometimes let things “slide” a bit and lower your expectations, youImage are teaching your pet that he can get away with doing less than what you are telling him to do. More important, you are also teaching him that he has more control that he realized and chances are he will continually push to see how much else he can get away with.

Keep your expectations reasonable and always allow your pet to burn off some energy before beginning training. Keep your pet training sessions short and fun and be sure to lavishly praise the desired behavior each and every time your pet exhibits it. Pet training pays off in many ways. Not only do you have a pet that you can feel comfortable with, but you are more likely to engage in social settings with a well-trained pet. This, in turn, rewards him for his good behavior and makes the pet training worth the effort.

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