Training Your Pet

Once you have decided to make a new pet a part of your family, the first concern you should have is with making them comfortable. After your pet has settled into your home, a good next step would be to think about training which can help to ensure that the behaviors they exhibit are primarily desirable ones.

Training your Dog

Whilst dogs have earned a reputation as ‘man’s best friend’ thanks to their loyal and affectionate nature, they can sometimes possess frustrating habits or personality traits that make them difficult to live with, just like their human counterparts.

Training your dog will be hugely beneficial for your dog to learn to live harmoniously alongside his human family. It will strengthen his bond with your family and ensure his safety when out and about.

What is the best method to train my dog?

There are many different schools of thought concerning how to best train a dog. Some owners prefer strict training with punishments for non-compliance, whilst others prefer to praise positive behavior and ignore undesirable reactions. Studies have shown that as a general rule, the latter method works best, but however you decide to train your dog, you will need to consistently control the consequences of your dogs’ behavior in order for the training to be effective.

Since dogs cannot relate events that are separated by time, the consequences to negative behavior need to be immediate. Just as you cannot praise your dog several minutes after returning to you when called since he will not understand why he is receiving it. The easiest way to train a dog is to reward the behaviors that you like and not those that you don’t.

• If your dog likes the reward you give them, they will be more likely to repeat that behavior so they can receive it again i.e. love, attention, and praise.

• If they dislike the consequences, then they will do the behavior less often.

It really is that simple, but being consistent is vital to a successful training plan, otherwise, you will send mixed messages to your pet. For example, if you do not want your pet to jump on you (which they do to get your attention) then ignore them until they calm down. Once they have calmed down, be sure to praise and make a fuss over them. This will help them to learn that this is the way that you prefer them to behave. It may take several days or weeks of doing this, but your dog will soon learn the correct behavior to exhibit.

What positive consequences should I use?

The biggest thing that your dog craves is love, attention, and affection from his human family. Rewarding their good behavior with these should make your pet happy and lead to successful training. Occasional commercial dog treats can be used if necessary too.

For more information on training your dog, speak to your veterinarian who may be able to direct you to local dog or puppy training classes.

Training your Cat

Cats are naturally independent creatures that are not as inclined as dogs are to work for praise or attention. They are also harder to motivate. This does not mean that they cannot be trained, but you will need additional patience.
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Just like training a dog, you should reinforce desired behavior by offering positive consequences whilst undesirable behavior should be left unrewarded. However, unlike dogs that are happy to be rewarded with affection, positive consequences for cats almost always have to be food-based. Find the food treats that your kitten or cat likes best. These could be small chunks of meat, tuna or commercial cat treats.

Some people use a clicker or a pen with a clicking function to train their feline friends. Clicking at the precise moment that your cat performs desirable behavior helps them to make the association which the positive consequence then reinforces.