Are you feeling overwhelmed with your new puppy? Tired of cleaning up messes in the living room or losing sleep to endless barking from the doghouse? If so, you’re probably ready for some guidance. We’ve put together a list of beginner-friendly dog training tips to help you out.
The first thing to keep in mind is that training takes time. Success doesn’t happen overnight, especially if your pup has developed habits like barking at strangers. Breaking bad habits and building new ones requires consistency and patience—but don’t worry, progress will come.
Let’s dive into 7 Dog Training Tips for Beginners and explore other essential training methods to set you and your dog up for success.
And if you need a quality kennel to support your training efforts, The Dog Kennel Collection offers a range of options to meet your needs.
Table of Contents
1. Start with the Basics
Starting your dog’s training can feel overwhelming, especially with so much for them to learn. The best approach is to begin with the basics, like helping them respond to their name or recognize simple commands. Let’s take a closer look at where to start.
What is the First Thing You Should Teach Your Dog?
Begin with basic commands and name recognition. Teach your dog their name by calling it in a happy tone and rewarding them with praise or treats when they respond. Once they recognize their name, focus on getting their attention. Hold a treat near your face and say “Look” or “Watch me.” When they make eye contact, reward them right away.
From there, you can move on to simple commands like sit, stay, down, and come. These foundational commands are key to building good behavior. Want to know more? Check out our blog on the 10 Basic Commands You Can Teach Your Dog for additional guidance.
2. Use Positive Reinforcement
Using positive reinforcement while training your dog is important because it rewards them for their good behavior and encourages them to do it in the future. Training like this will produce good results over time
Increase Motivation and Confidence
If your dog is being rewarded for positive behavior (If it obeys your command to stay for the first time), it will feel motivated to continue. It’s similar to training a child to obey and rewarding them with something they like. Rewarding your dog positively will help it feel a sense of security and connection with you as its owner. Dog treats are a great reward for good behavior, and we have a list of dog treat recipes you can make for your dog on our blog.
With positive reinforcement, your dog will continue to grow in confidence and will begin to understand what you require of it, knowing what behavior causes what outcome. This will help your dog to feel more relaxed and secure.
3. Keep Training Sessions Brief
Like most kinds of intense training sessions, it is important to keep them in fairly short intervals. Dogs do not do well when pushed to the limit and tired.
Help with Short Attention Span and Retention
In our list of dog training tips for beginners, this tip is important to understand. Dogs have a short attention span, and practicing commands or other training methods for a long period of time can cause them to become bored, and distracted, and make it difficult for them to learn. They are more likely to retain what they learned if they undergo short training sessions rather than long ones. For some ideas on what a training session should look like, read this article.
Increase Positive Association with Training
Dogs are naturally upbeat and will enjoy training times more if the training periods are short, interesting, and yield positive results for them. If you want your dog to enjoy learning new things with you, be sure that he/she associates positive things with training time. This is one of the best dog training tips to keep in mind.
4. Be Sure to Socialize Your Dog
If you want a well-mannered and happy dog, they must get some kind of interaction with other canines like themselves. Though humans are good buddies, too, dogs need interaction with their kind.
Develop Good Behavior and Help with Bonding
Socializing your dog is important as it helps them learn how to play with other dogs and deal with different personalities and situations they encounter. Supervised playtime with dogs (It should be supervised if they are not well trained) helps your dog learn how to deal with aggression and cope with problems like fear and anxiety. This can help your dog improve in training if it learns how to deal with these behaviors around other dogs.
Give them Exposure
Dogs who never spend time with other dogs or in other surroundings may not learn how to control themselves when exposed to different stimuli. Making sure they are exposed to other types of dogs, as well as different sounds and sights, will help your dog learn to deal with behavior issues like fear and will help them respond to your training in a good way.
5. Be Consistent
Like child training, consistency is very important. Your dog deserves to know what to expect from you. Being consistent in your behavior and training is very valuable when learning the best dog training tips for beginners.
Reduce Confusion in your Dog
If you respond in anger when your dog misbehaves and then ignore it the next time, your dog will never learn what to expect from you. On the flip side, if you treat your dog for good behavior and don’t acknowledge it the next time, it may be confused again with your lack of consistency. Consistently reward your dog for good behavior, and it will begin to understand what you expect and strive to please you.
Promote Independence in Your Dog
Consistency in training will help your furry friends to be equipped with what they need to learn on their own. They will learn what is expected of them and be able to use their good behavior independently, increasing their performance level in training.
6. Don’t Punish Your Dog
Contrary to what some people may believe, punishing your dog, especially physically, will probably not bring the results you want to see. It may actually damage your relationship with your dog. This is one of the important dog training tips for beginners, and many people don’t put it into practice.
Potentially Damages your Relationship with Your Dog
Punishing your dog physically may hurt your relationship with your dog by building fear and mistrust and causing them to associate you (and training time) with punishment. This can cause your dog to be less willing to obey you and make training more work than necessary.
Punishment can be Dangerous
Certain types of punishments may hurt your dog, especially if you are not careful and sensitive to what they are feeling. Using things like a choke color or hitting them when they misbehave can do not only emotional damage but may cause lasting physical harm as well.
A quote from an article written on this topic says, “Punishment may teach a pet that something is unpleasant, but it does not teach the pet what is desirable.” To delve deeper into this topic, check out this article from VCA Animal Hospitals.
7. Exercise your Dog
Another one of our dog training tips for beginners is simply to exercise your dog. Dogs benefit from the outdoors just like humans, and time outdoors may help them to respond better in training.
If you need a place to keep your dog outdoors, The Dog Kennel Collection offers quality customizable kennels that will provide the perfect home for your dog.
Improve the Physical Health of your Dog
One obvious benefit of exercise for your dog is better physical health. Dogs should spend about 30 minutes to 2 hours exercising outside. Consistently exercising your dog will help it stay in good shape and reduce its chances of disease. Going on walks, teaching them to “Go fetch,” and running with your dogs will increase their stamina and mental stimulation as well.
Increase Focus and Strengthen your Bond
If a dog does not get a chance to “run-off” its energy, it may be more restless and not as receptive to training. Getting a chance to run around outside and stretch its legs will help your dog to stay focused in training. Spending time with your dog outdoors and exercising with your dog will build a bond between you and will improve its cooperation in trust and training.
All that to say, training your dog is a lot of work, and there are a variety of good methods you can use to help you. It is very important to stay patient and understand that proper training takes time. Learn not to react out of frustration but instead encourage your dog in its endeavors. Before you know it, all your hard work will pay off, and you will have a delightful pet, your dream dog.
Other Training Tips & Methods
What Are The 3 C’s of Dog Training?
Training your dog can be a rewarding experience if you follow some key principles. The Three C’s of Dog Training are essential for ensuring success:
1. Consistency
Consistency is key when it comes to training. Use the same commands, cues, and techniques every time, and stick to a regular training schedule. Inconsistent training can confuse your dog and make it harder for them to learn. For example, if you alternate between “down” and “lay,” your dog might struggle to understand what you’re asking. Consistency helps your dog build lasting habits.
2. Communication
Dogs rely on clear signals to understand what you want. Use verbal cues, body language, and tone of voice to communicate effectively. Pairing hand gestures with commands, like pointing to the ground when saying “sit,” can make it easier for your dog to learn. Clear communication creates a strong foundation for training success.
3. Compassion
Patience and kindness go a long way in dog training. Positive reinforcement, such as treats, praise, or play, encourages good behavior and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. Instead of punishing mistakes, redirect your dog and reward them when they get it right. Building trust through compassion makes training more enjoyable for both of you.
By keeping the Three C’s in mind—Consistency, Communication, and Compassion—you’ll create a positive and productive training experience for your dog.
What Are The Five Golden Rules of Dog Training?
The five golden rules of dog training touch on the principles we have mentioned in this blog. They are:
- Be Consistent
- Keep Training Sessions Short & Positive
- Use Positive Reinforcement
- Be Patient
- Build Trust Through Bonding
What is the 1 2 3 Dog Training Method?
This method is a proven way to address unwanted behaviors like biting or jumping without using harsh punishment. It helps teach your dog boundaries calmly and consistently. The process is simple and follows three steps:
Step 1: The Warning
When your dog begins displaying unwanted behavior, calmly say “1” in a firm, steady tone to let them know they need to stop.
Step 2: The Reminder
If your dog continues the behavior, say “2” in the same calm tone. This gives them a second chance to adjust their actions.
Step 3: The Consequence
If they ignore the first two warnings, say “3” and follow through with a consequence. This could mean removing your attention, redirecting them to a new activity, or giving them a time-out by removing them from the situation.
This structured approach helps your dog understand what’s expected of them while maintaining a positive and effective training experience.
Benefits of a Dog Kennel for Training
A dog kennel may be a good fit for your dog and can help promote good habits in your dog. So how does a dog kennel improve training?
Provides them with a Safe Space
A kennel, especially a comfortable and clean one, can give your dog a safe space to retreat when it feels threatened or anxious. Having a spot where your dog can go when it is feeling overwhelmed is important, and a kennel may be a quiet place to retreat to.
Prevents Destructive Behavior
Unsupervised dogs, or dogs who are in training, may find themselves in trouble around the house. Destructive behavior like chewing on shoes and getting into the trash can be prevented by giving your dog a space like a kennel where it can be safe and without those temptations.
Reduces Separation Anxiety
Because dogs are very social creatures, they may experience separation anxiety when you are gone. A kennel may provide them a safe space to retreat and rest while you are away.
If you want some tips to learn how to kennel and crate train your dog, check out this article.
Dog Kennels from the Dog Kennel Collection
Here at The Dog Kennel Collection, we provide a large variety of kennels for your dog, in sizes that accompany one dog as well as sizes that may fit up to 16 dogs. We offer commercial kennels and residential outdoor dog kennels for every use. Here are a few features of our kennels:
- 30-year shingles and durable painted siding for maximum weather protection
- Lined with glass wall for easy cleaning
- Chew Proof Dog Door
- Easy-to-Maintain Poly Decking
