{"id":48,"date":"2018-05-31T21:32:18","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T21:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usserviceanimals.org\/new-blog\/the-basics-of-training-your-dog"},"modified":"2019-08-23T14:17:13","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T19:17:13","slug":"the-basics-of-training-your-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.usserviceanimalsbeta.org\/blog\/the-basics-of-training-your-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"US Service Animals – The Basics of Training Your Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"training<\/p>\n

Dog training is a wonderful experience. It feels rewarding, and it gives you and your dog the opportunity to strengthen the bond between you. It\u2019s expected of new human members of a household to conform to certain acceptable behavior while in that house; in the same way, a dog is much better of when it also conforms to behavior that is expected of it.<\/p>\n

One thing you have to realize about dogs is that they are actually ready to learn whatever tricks you want to teach them. It is in a dog\u2019s nature to seek the approval of its owner and, if it figures that certain acts and behaviors achieve this, it will readily partake in them. However, it first has to be taught these acts and behaviors. Otherwise, it will just be confused most of the time at your lack of approval. <\/p>\n

Of course, there\u2019s a plethora of tricks you can teach your dog, many of them impressive and certain to get cheers from your friends. But there are some basic ones that you simply can\u2019t skimp on. These are tricks you should train your dog to perform before any other. They are important because they make sure things flow smoothly between your dog and the humans of the house. <\/p>\n

Potty Training<\/h2>\n

\"potty<\/p>\n

This one is especially important for dogs that spend most of their time indoors. For such dogs, potty training is absolutely necessary. You obviously don\u2019t want to have to clean after your dog at every turn!<\/p>\n

The process, admittedly, isn\u2019t the most fun. You\u2019ll likely be stressed and frustrated a couple of times, and so will your dog. However, as long as you use the proper techniques, and practice a little patience, you\u2019ll love the end result. <\/p>\n

Potty training is most effective when a dog is still a puppy. The ideal age is in the 3 to 4-month range. If you do it any earlier, your puppy won\u2019t have developed the right amount of bladder and bowel control to be able to learn effectively. Any later and you\u2019ll spend a lot more time training your dog. That old clich\u00e9 about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks is a clich\u00e9 because it\u2019s true!<\/p>\n

 At the beginning of the training process, confine your dog to a small space, which you will gladly expand as the dog catches on to the training.  It can be anything from a crate to a small room. There are also a few points to note:<\/p>\n