Dogs love to learn new things. They are capable of learning on average 165 word commands in their lifetime. Researchers put dog intelligence on the par with a 2 year old toddler. Tricks and commands are a great way to stimulate your dog both mentally and physically.
Abide by these few Rules for optimal results:
- Once your dog knows the obedience commands, sit, stay and down, trick training becomes a snap.
- Train no more than 10 minutes once or twice a day.
- Praise is an important component of the process. If you are in a bad mood or get frustrated, it is best to stop the training and start over another day.
- Repetition is key. What is the saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it is true for dog tricks. Follow any good and desired behavior with praise and a treat. Some experts use use clickers. Once the Trick is learned well enough, you can start to eliminate the treats and offer praise instead.
- End each session with playtime. This is as good for you as it is for your pet!