To teach your dog how to do tricks can be fun for you and for the dog as well. It can help to keep the dog's mind active and may even stop it from having destructive tendencies through boredom.
As with all dog training I recommend that positive reinforcement is recommended. That is praising the dog for correct action as opposes to scalding it for incorrect action. The praise come in the form of verbal encouragement stroking and patting and also in the form of healthy dogie treats. These should be on hand when beginning.
It is very important to praise the dog a lot in an excited and happy voice and to make a big fuss of it when it performs correctly. The dog by its nature wants to please and is happy when it knows you are pleased with his performance.
The place in which you will be teaching your dog the tricks is also of importance. it should be a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. There must also be enough space to perform the tricks correctly. For example if you are teaching fetch tricks then an open space such as a big park would be appropriate.
The length of the training sessions should also be taken into consideration. If they are too short then your dog will not be able to learn correctly as it will not have enough time to assimilate the lessons. Too long and the dog will become bored and start to lose concentration. As a guideline, sessions of between 10 and 15 minutes are ideal for most dogs. For the best efficiency, these training sessions can be repeated 3 or 4 times a day.
Once your dog seems to have mastered a trick then you should keep on practicing it so that it is not forgotten. Repetition and patience are the keys to all successful dog training.
