Small dog training is like other regular dog training. It isn’t true that training a smaller dog is more challenging than training a large dog. Here are a few questions about training smaller type dogs and some expert answers.

Why is it so hard to potty train my small dog?

The reason why most people find training a little dog hard is because of their natural reactions to them. They tend to carry around a little dog and this is the root of why they are hard to potty train. When you carry your small sized dog to the place where they should take care of their toilet business and then carry them back to your place, you are essentially not teaching them anything. When you carry them around too much, smaller type dogs have no way to warn their owners that they have to relieve themselves outside. Training these little dogs starts when you recognize that they are just like any other large-sized or medium-sized dog. You have to keep them on a leash and let them go to their special place where they should relieve themselves. Do not carry them and you’ll be successful in small dog training.

What kind of method is the best in small dog training?

Any kind of obedience training is suitable for smaller type dog training, but clicker training works more effectively for smaller dogs. Clicker training is a more gentle approach to small dog training. In clicker training, you can make the dog respond positively to a series of clicks. In clicker training, you allow the dog to associate the clicks to treats. You click and give a treat and do this until the dog responds well to clicks. Then, you can break down the skills you want your dog to learn. When the dog does something towards good behavior, you click and give a treat. It’s as easy as that.

Training dogs of a smaller size can be a very rewarding experience if you approach it well. Smaller or little dogs are a joy to train and learning about the basics of small dog training can increase the pleasure of having a small dog within your own home.

Sit is one of the easiest commands you can teach your dog. And it is usually the first step or lesson in obedience training.

The simplest way to teach your new puppy or dog to sit requires that you have your dog’s food dish and integrate feeding time with training time.

This is only one method of teaching your dog to sit and there are many. However this simple way works quite well.

Prepare your dog’s food and put it in the serving bowl. Then call your puppy’s name and after your dog comes to you, you want to hold the dog food dish above your puppy’s head. This will cause your dog to raise its head and try to see into or get at the food in the dish. When he or she is leaning back toward the dish and about to fall over, you say “sit.” When your dog’s butt hits the floor, you want to give your dog lots of loving praise and then set down the food dish and allow your dog to eat.

If you do this scenario consistently with each feeding time, your dog will soon come to you and sit for you routinely for each meal.

Now this training method works best if you do not allow “free feeding” for your dog. Free feeding means that you leave the dish of dog food out at all times and your dog can eat its food whenever it feels “free” to which is basically anytime. When food is always available and not given at set times, you lose the ability to use food as a training tool and food can be one of your most powerful training advantages. You want to be able to use it to more easily train your dog. So avoid “free feeding” and don’t let other family members give your dog food either as that will dilute the training technique you are teaching.

Training your dog requires a lot of patience and persistence on your part as the owner. It may not be that easy at first, but for sure when you master the art of dog training, it will be a rewarding and fulfilling experience for you.

Remember that dog training is about enriching your dog-owner relationship. It goes beyond responsibility and companionship. If you decide to train your dog by yourself, you need all the tips on dog training you can get to be an effective trainer. You have to be committed in properly training your dog to make him a better companion, playmate, or exercise partner for you and an added member to your family.

Obedience training is an example of dog training that is effective when administered at an early stage. This is very helpful in correcting any behavior problems of your dog like barking, digging, or biting. Whatever training style you use for your dog, always set boundaries for what is an acceptable behavior and what is not and be consistent in imposing them.

At the top of the list of helpful tips on dog training is getting your dog’s attention by talking to him or giving him a treat. It is also a must that you have the right training supplies for your dog. For a well-behaved dog, you need a regular buckle collar and a training lead. While for hard-to-control dogs, a training collar is needed. The right collar size is 2 inches bigger than your dog’s neck.

Other useful tips on dog training are the “stay!” and “down!” commands. These are just like “stop!” or “no!” commands. Using these commands is very helpful especially when your dog engages in bad behavior. Instead of hitting him, saying “stop!” or “no!” will make him stay and behave.

Also, giving your dog a positive praise every time he does something good is one of the very important tips on dog training that you should learn as a dog owner and trainer of your own dog. This is what positive dog training is all about. A positive praise may be a pat or fuss on your dog. Others also prefer giving them doggy treats like playing with their favorite game or toy.

When training your dog to sit down, make sure to mention his name so he will know that the command is intended for him. The command “sit!” should be mentioned clearly and loudly and while saying it, you need to push him down to force him to sit down. Repeating this for a couple of times will soon make your dog familiarize with the command and how to do it.

But do not rush dog training. You can teach one command each day and do not move on to the next command until he finally gets it. After your training session, do not forget to play with your dog so he will enjoy it and will let him look forward for your next playtime every time your training ends.

Take note also that in canine education, timing is an important key in any form of communication with your dog. Always develop a proper timing for each technique that you use in training him.

Apparently every dog owner wants a trained and intelligent dog that looks cute and adorable especially when performing a command. Though dogs are intelligent animals, they can not figure out basic obedience thus training them especially when they are still puppy is still needed.

There are lots of training areas as well as training methods that you can use to train your dog. Usually, basic command such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stay’ are often taught first. These commands are not just mere tricks to show their talents but training them these commands will make them behave in a way that makes them nice to be around and keeps them safe and other people and pets as well.

Potty training should also be done at a young age. If your dog is potty trained, you can be sure that he will only use the bathroom only in the spot you have selected for him. You won’t have to spend time and effort cleaning the mess he created anywhere he wants.

Many methods and tools can help you in your dachshund training. Loving praise is one of the most simple and easy tool in training your dog. Praising them after he has done well will make him understand that you want him to continue what he is doing. Giving him rewards such as food treats and toys are also ideal training tools. Just make sure that the dog is not aware of the presence of the reward before giving commands so as not to bribe him to perform.

Most dog owners find leash and collars helpful in their dachshund training. There are several types of collars available in the market. Flat collars carry your dog’s name, license and rabies tags. Other types of collars are martingale collar, choke chain, halter or head collar, prong collar and electronic collars. However, some trainers suggest that using tools such as choke collars, prong collars and electronic collars can inflict pain to your pet. A choke collar, once misused, can cause permanent injury to your dog’s throat and the organs it contains. Prong collar, though might look like a medieval torture device is less likely to cause pain compared to choke collar. Electronic collar or shock collar is the less recommended tool for dog training use. It can cause more problems than you could imagine especially to aggressive dogs.

Whether doing the simple obedience training or training a dog to perform tricks, choosing the right method and training tools is one of the most important factors to consider. But always bear in mind not to inflict pain to your dog even if he has done something unacceptable. Cruelty will not give you a well behave dog. It will just cause physical and psychological problem that could make your dog suffer.

Always use rewards when training your dog. Watch professional trainers. They use rewards constantly to reinforce positive behavior. The reward should also be accompanied with verbal praise. I have watched the Westminster Dog Show numerous times, thinking that the number of treats handed out was way overdone, but you can’t argue with the success they have achieved. So, join the pros and reward your dachshund.

Reinforce the positive praise with the command. Don’t just say “Good Boy”. Include the command, as in, “Good Boy, STAY”. Much positive praise leads to much success.

One valuable key to success is good timing. Your dog will associate your actions with the action he last committed; therefore, an immediate reward for the desired action is very important. Otherwise, your dog will think you are giving the reward for some other action. If you ask your dog to “SIT”, give him his reward immediately along with strong praise, such as, “Good Boy, sit.”

Do not punish your dog during the training routine. If your dog does not do a command correctly, do not shout at him, or punish him. The fault is probably in your teaching technique, not in his behavior. You may be pushing your dog too hard or rushing too much. Perhaps it is time to take a break. When you return to the training session, go back to the point your dog understood and slowly progress from there.

Keep the training sessions simple. Always use the same method of teaching. Dachshund training needs consistency in order to work. I am a teacher in middle school, and this rule applies to pre-teens as well as dogs. Most dogs, like young children, have a very short attention span, and dachshunds are no different.

Finally, use very simple, one-word commands whenever possible. Do not confuse your dog by changing the command. For instance, if you want your dog to get off the chair, use the command “OFF”, not “DOWN”. Down should be used when you want the dog to lie down. And don’t use “LIE DOWN” when “DOWN” will suffice. The simpler the command, the more success you will achieve.