Having a dog is great. You can get all the cuddles you need, and they worship you like you're a god.

Well at least if you know how to train them correctly. You see, training a dog is not that complicated, but many people still mess it up. You have to realize that dogs think fundamentally different than you and me. They may do something that we deem as disrespectful, but don't even realize it. That's why you have to be able to understand how your dog thinks.

The fundamentals of training a dog

Remember that positive reinforcement is much more efficient than negative reinforcement. Why? Well you see, it's more difficult to analyze a situation and find out what you did wrong (negative reinforcement) than it is to just repeat what you already did (positive reinforcement).

What does this mean for you?

Try to get your dog to do the things you want him to do, then reward that behavior.

If he does something you absolutely don't want him to do, you will have to discipline him. But remember; when he does something you don't want him to do, the damage has already been done. If you would've trained him correctly, it wouldn't have gone so far, that you have to discipline him now.

How to reward / discipline your dog

Rewarding a dog can be done by giving him something he likes (a treat). But that's not always the best way. It can lead to a lot of problems, mainly that your dog only sees you as someone to give him stuff. And technically speaking, anyone can give him stuff. You won't have a strong bond with your dog, if you go this route.

The much better alternative is to reward him by giving him your attention and entertaining him. Tell him what a good boy he is, cuddle him etc.

This builds a much stronger bond. The more you do this, the more he will love you and the attention you give him. Someone else might also give him attention, but it will always be YOUR attention that he craves the most.

This also allows for you to use it to discipline him; by taking your attention away from him. When he does something you don't want him to do, ignore him. Don't even look at him, don't speak to him, ignore him completely. He will do anything just to get your attention back. And he will learn his lesson for the next time.

You have to lead

This is probably the most important thing to remember. YOU HAVE TO LEAD. Being a leader is a stressful job, but luckily we as men are born to lead. Dogs often don't like to lead, and if they're forced to do so (if you don't), they will be stressed. Some dogs might try to lead you, they try to challenge you to become the alpha of the pack. Letting this happen is probably the worst thing you can do. You want your dog to be dependent on you, not the other way around.

 

Conclusion

  1. Train your dog
  2. Know how to reward and discipline your dog
  3. Lead your dog