To many owners, dog training could be a fairly important part of life with a canine. However, it’s one of those things where you might not be sure where to begin. At The Insurance Emporium, we thought we’d help you out with this, and who better to ask than Crufts champions Hayley and Teal? Read on and watch these videos on their dos and don’ts of dog training.
Do use a clicker
Some people find that a clicker is a nifty gadget for teaching their dog new tricks. By making a short sound, it allows you to tell your dog that they have done the right thing at the exact moment that they have performed the trick. It should always be followed by a treat so that your dog can associate the sound with this reward for their good behaviour.
Don’t say ‘sit’ before luring your dog
Before you can teach your dog the ‘sit’ command, it’s worth luring them into the correct position and rewarding them for this behaviour. Do this by placing a treat on the end of their nose and bringing it up over their head. Once their bottom lands on the floor, you can use your clicker and then feed them the treat. After you’ve taught them the behaviour, you can start using the word and gradually phasing the lure out.
Do follow up ‘sit’ with ‘lie down’
After you’ve taught your dog to sit, you can use a similar technique to teach them to lie down. Start by getting your dog to sit, rewarding that behaviour, and then lure them into lying down by placing a treat between their front paws. Once your dog is consistently following this command, you can begin teaching them to go straight from standing to lying down. Following this, you can start to link stand, sit and down commands together and begin to test your dog.
Don’t rush the ‘roll over’ command
Once you’ve coached your dog to lie down, you can begin teaching them to roll over. This trick should be taught in a series of small stages, rewarding your pup at each point. Begin by getting your dog to lie down and then use a treat to lure their head to one side until their hips tip over. Next, lure them to lie on their side and then onto their back. Gradually lure your dog further until they fully roll over. Then you can begin teaching the verbal command and fading the hand signal.
Do consider more advanced tricks
If you can successfully teach your dogs tricks such as these then you could consider encouraging them to learn a number of other tricks. For example, this video shows some of the tricks that Hayley has taught Teal. Who knows? Maybe you could add a blanket into your dog’s roll over. Perhaps they too could walk backwards, weave around your arms or jump up for a cuddle on command! Remember your clicker and your treats and let us know how you get on!
Teaching your dog new tricks can be a rewarding experience for you and your pup. As well as training your furry friend, pet insurance could also be an important part of ownership. The Insurance Emporium’s dog insurance could include benefits such as Vet’s Fees up to £8,000*. You could also get up to 30% discount^ on a new policy. Stop by The Insurance Emporium today to find out more.
*Available on lunar monthly Lifetime Gold Dog Insurance policies only.
^The 30% discount is available on lunar and calendar monthly policies and policies where the premium is paid annually. It is made up of 20% Introductory Discount plus 10% Multi-pet Discount (if appropriate). The Introductory Discount is available for the first 12 premium payments on lunar and calendar monthly policies or one premium payment on annual policies.
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