When you sign up for our one on one lessons sessions, we’ll teach your dog commands like sit, wait, and heel. These sessions are scheduled at two-week intervals, giving you plenty of time to help your dog master these new behaviors. Read on for some at home dog training tips that will help you make the most of our professional help.
Create a Schedule
Whether you’re working on basic skills or building up toward off-leash walking, consistency is the key to cementing those new neural pathways. The only problem? It’s easy to let your training efforts slip, especially when you’re bogged down with other obligations.
The best way to continuously prioritize training and create consistency for your pup is to build training into your schedule. Keep training short, opting for two or three 20-minute sessions throughout the day, so your dog is energized and attentive the entire time.
Reinforce New Skills
Between ADU training sessions, one of the best things you can do is reinforce the skills your trainer introduced. Some of these skills function as building blocks and mastering one supports the development of another. For example, learning to sit and stay helps your dog understand what’s expected of them when you use commands like go to your place.
The goal is for your dog to perform the desired behavior the first time they’re cued, not the third or fourth. Consider a behavior mastered when your dog responds promptly and with or without an obvious reward.
Practice Training in New Environments
One of the things your trainer will work on is desensitizing your dog to various distractions. You can speed that process along by scheduling your supplemental training sessions in new environments, like different rooms of your home, the backyard, and the park. Even introducing a new person to the environment can help.
Keep in mind that for inexperienced dogs, training in a new environment is a lot like starting from scratch. Don’t be surprised (or discouraged) if a dog who sits perfectly at home requires a little more corralling outside or in public.
Know Your Dog’s Limits
As motivated as you may be to see results, it’s important that you observe and respect your dog’s limits. Putting your dog in scenarios they aren’t comfortable with or ready for can put them (and others) at risk.
Dogs with high anxiety, territorial tendencies, or a traumatic past require special care. Talk to your trainer about your dog’s particular needs to develop a plan of action that fosters your dog’s progress without jeopardizing her sense of safety.
Follow Your Trainer’s Lead
To limit confusion and speed up the learning process, we encourage you to implement the same methods used by your trainer. For example, if your trainer is using a clicker, keep using one in your supplemental trainings. The same goes if your trainer uses a combination of verbal cues and hand signals.
At ADU, we love meeting new families and helping every dog become the perfect fit. Learn more about our training programs and start your journey to good behavior today.