Bad Dog Training Tricks - Training Tricks for Dogs and Owners

Training a dog in obedience is not a simple task when the dog's owner has not received proper training himself. The majority of dog owners do not know how to train their dog and expect the animal to think like humans, which lead to quite a lot of disappointment. There are simple methods that can be learned by reading obedience training books or watching dog training DVDs in addition to attending dog training classes with a qualified dog trainer, dog and owner together.

The most important thing in training a dog is to use basic communication that the dog has learned to understand and obey. There are 5 basic commands which are the standard in the English language, that every dog should obey to: sit, down, stay, heel and come. The command words used are not important but consistency in their use is. The same words in Italian or Chinese will be understood by a dog that was trained in one or the other language.

The purpose of training a dog is to have the animal behave properly when around members of the family, invited strangers and other pets. It is recommended to begin training when the puppy arrives in its new home to correct unwanted dog behavior and teach discipline. Basic training classes with a professional trainer start with puppies of a least 3 to 6 months old, and before that time, the owner should prepare himself and read a few books on the subject.

Dog training is all about good communication between the owner and his dog. The dog has to understand and obey simple commands while the handler has to interpret the dog's signals when it is nervous, excited, confused or happy. Obedience training is to train the dog, according to the owner's perspective, what behaviors are good and which are bad.

There are four signals used by dog trainers to communicate with the dog:

- The reward signal for correct behavior, letting the dog know it has earned a reward.
- The keep going signal for correct behavior, telling the dog it has to carry on in order to get a reward.
- The no reward signal for incorrect behavior, to tell the dog to try something new.
- The punishment signal for incorrect behavior, to tell the dog it has earned a punishment.

These signals can be sent with simple words or with a little mechanical clicker.

Obedience training is most of the time a short course of 6 to 10 weeks when the owner learns how to communicate and train his animal with a few basic commands. The German Shepherd or the Doberman Pinscher are easier to train than other breeds with a minimum amount of time but all dogs can eventually be trained, even the most difficult.