Tips for Training Your Dog

1 Tips for Training Your Dog

Wolves are pack animals; the way a pack stays orderly is a hierarchy of rank, with subordinates absolutely obeying superiors. In a dog’s mind, each family member has a fixed status. Many owners complain: ‘I feed it, walk it, bathe it—yet it only listens to my husband who barely cares for it. Why?’ The owner assumes care equals being the boss, but the dog thinks: ‘This person feeds me, walks me, grooms me, and meets my demands, so I am the boss and she is my servant, lower in rank.’ Isn’t that the truth?

Walking the dog daily has become ‘the way of dog keeping.’ Owners walk at fixed times morning and evening, but this actually makes the dog willful and picky.

Dogs are very time-sensitive. If you walk at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily for a week, it memorizes it. Near walk time it’s ready at the door; if you’re busy it pesters and barks. In apartments, fearing neighbors’ complaints, the owner gives in—and this ‘forced to walk’ pattern undermines the owner’s leadership. So walk times must be irregular, fitting the owner’s convenience; sometimes skip the walk. Without fixed times, the dog won’t get anxious or bark at set hours.

Also, many tie walking to potty as a ‘package deal’; once habitual, the dog must go out to relieve itself. To avoid health harm, owners walk 365 days in all weather, led by the dog. So separate walking and elimination from puppyhood: pick a yard spot or fixed point as the toilet, teaching the dog to eliminate there, freeing you from weather worries.

If the dog has bad habits—pulling things on walks, barking at other dogs—does scolding and hitting correct it? No! Hitting only breeds hostility and fear; the dog remembers the hit (sharp-memory dogs may resent you for life) but not why.

Also, your angry scolding sounds like cheering it on, making it bark harder while you exhaust yourself. The right way is to ignore it—’no talk, no eye contact’—creating a ‘painful’ state for the dog, so the owner regains leadership and the dog obeys, building the correct hierarchy.

The ‘lead the walk’ method uses the same principle; it’s vital for good dog-human relations. Remember: never look at it.

Beyond leadership, praise matters in training. When the dog does well, plainly praise it: ‘Good job!’ An obedience-strong dog thinks ‘the owner praised me; what next earns praise? I’ll try harder.’ Use stick and carrot together for synergy. On success, say ‘good’ and stroke its head and throat; the dog feels happy, helping further training.

Hope you, who love your dog, can make it more obedient; sincere effort is the key to success.