Top 10 Effective Dog Training Tips for First-Time Dog Owners

Becoming a dog parent for the first time is incredibly exciting! Most first-time dog guardians are well equipped with essential supplies, basic dog training tips, and a ton of love and affection. Unfortunately, these are rarely enough to ensure life goes happily-ever-after together. Proper dog training plays a crucial role in ensuring a happy, well-mannered pet and a peaceful household. Whether you're a first-time dog owner or looking to strengthen your dog's skills, these top 10 dog training tips will help get you and your dog set up for success.

1) Start training early

While puppyhood is the ideal time to start teaching dogs social skills, house rules, and basic commands, we don't always meet our beloved pets when they're puppies. Luckily, older dogs can still learn! In either case, starting training as soon as possible after bringing a dog home helps prevent behavioral issues from arising and makes future training sessions go more smoothly. Setting boundaries and expectations early on in your relationship will go a long way.

2) Use positive reinforcement in dog training

Positive reinforcement dog training has been proven to be the most effective method in terms of getting more of the behaviors we like from our dogs while strengthening their confidence, relationship with us, and overall wellbeing. Armed with this knowledge and understanding the concepts of positive reinforcement as a first-time dog owner is sure to set you and your dog up for success. Rewarding your dog with treats, praise, and/or petting when they do things you like encourages your dog to repeat desired behaviors, fosters trust, and makes you really really fun to be around. A great and simple way to get started is to implement the SMARTx50 exercise.

3) Be clear, consistent, and kind

Dog training might seem like a daunting task, but it really boils down to being clear, consistent, and kind. The first step is to choose clear verbal cues and/or hand gestures to signal to our dogs what we're asking. For example, we might choose to point to the floor while saying "down" to ask our dogs to lie down. The next step is to consistently use these signals to clearly mean one and only one thing - to lie down. And lastly, no one likes to work for free! And no one likes to work for a bully. The real magic of training lies in rewarding our dogs for doing things we like and want to see more of and managing the environment to prevent our dogs from practicing unwanted or inappropriate behaviors, rather than punishing.

4) Keep training lessons short and fun

Dogs, especially puppies, can have short attention spans and they can get frustrated or burn out quickly. Keeping training sessions brief—around 5 to 10 minutes—and making them fun and game-like can have a profound impact on our dogs' learning. Using reinforcers like toys and play, treats, praise, and petting will help keep your dog motivated and engaged. Short, frequent sessions are more effective than long, tiring ones, and following training sessions with play and good rest will help the training stick better and faster.

5) Be patient and persistent

Training takes time, and setbacks are normal. Celebrating small successes and remembering that progress can sometimes be slow will help you stay patient and persistent. Consistent effort over time leads to lasting behavioral improvements. If you and your dog are struggling to make progress together, you may want to consider getting help from a positive reinforcement trainer as well as consulting your veterinarian to make sure there are no underlying medical conditions affecting your dog's learning.

6) Choosing the right training equipment for your dog

Choosing the appropriate training equipment is crucial. Having a good understanding of you and your dog can help guide you in your choice of training equipment. For example, gentle leader head halter harnesses can be very effective for elderly or physically limited persons with large, strong dogs who pull on the leash. Generally, properly fitting body harnesses that don't restrict dogs' legs or shoulders are best, as they've been found to be the least invasive on dogs' bodies. Avoiding harsh or aversive tools that can harm your dog or cause fear is imperative. Proper equipment enhances safety and comfort during training so that you and your dog can fully focus on learning together.

7) The importance of understanding dog body language

Dogs primarily communicate through body language. Educating yourself on both general dog body language signals and your unique dog's cues will go a long way in troubleshooting behavior issues, preventing behavior issues from developing or progressing, and dog behavior management. A helpful guide is the Canine Ladder of Communication. Can you recognize signs of stress in your dog? How can you prevent your dog from feeling stressed or help them feel less stressed in certain situations?

8) The importance of socialization

Socialization is more than making doggie or people friends. Socialization is about making sure our dogs feel safe and secure out in the world among other dogs, people, animals, and even modern day marvels, like traffic and hard slippery floors. Introducing our dogs gradually and safely to different people, other dogs, and diverse environments early on in their lives is crucial. One of the most important pieces of puppy training advice is to socialize as early as safely possible. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior even put out a statement that puppies should start socializing as early as one week after their first round of vaccines - socialization is so crucial for puppies that they should not wait to be fully vaccinated before engaging safely with the world. If your dog is older or has had negative life experiences, you can still work with your dog to build their confidence in the world; just know that it might take a bit more time for them to adjust and learn, and they may never become a social butterfly. Proper socialization reduces fear and aggression, making life together a lot more safe and enjoyable.

9) Build a team

Choosing to be a dog guardian comes with a lot of responsibility! Having a team on your side can make all the difference when things get tough - and they will get tough from time to time. Your core team may consist of your veterinarian, positive reinforcement trainer, friends and family. You may also have dog sitters, dog walkers, groomers, doggie daycare staff, or a veterinary behaviorist on your team. Understanding these different roles and how they might fit into your dog's life ahead of time will help things go smoothly through all the ups and downs of life.

10) Take care of you

You are the most important person in your dog's life! They rely on you more than anyone else when it comes to providing all of their needs, you make all the important decisions for their lives, and you are their best advocate. Your dog needs you. Sometimes it can be stressful being a dog guardian. It’s important to have your own positive outlets for stress. And in those trying moments, try to show yourself some kindness and grace - remember that you’re learning too. Whatever your situation is with your dog, making sure you both are getting your needs met is important for your success together. 

Conclusion

Some of the items in the list above may not seem like training tips at first glance. The most effective training takes a more holistic approach than simply telling our dogs what to do. Dogs can learn to do the most incredible things when their environment is managed to set them up for success, their needs are met, and we engage them in a way that they truly understand and enjoy. By focusing on our dogs as a whole and being curious about how they experience the world, training becomes fun for both our dogs and us - and often times training stops feeling like "training" and more like living our best lives together.