What’s the best way to train a dog?

If there’s one pet that is loved around the world, it’s man’s best friend, the humble pooch. 

Owning a dog can be a magical experience, but this can quickly change to disaster if you don’t take the time to train your dog.  

So, what is the best way to train a dog and what is the best dog training technique? Answering these questions will set you and your dog on the road to a far better relationship leaving you with a happy dog, and a much happier owner!

If you’d rather let someone else do the hard work, you can use Bark to find dog trainers in your local area. Let’s take a look at how to train a dog properly, whether you do it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. 

Positive reinforcement

One of the most popular ways of training dogs is what is known as positive reinforcement. This is where a dog trainer will encourage and reward good behaviour through treats and attention. When the dog acts out negatively, the trainer will ignore the dog, or withhold those delicious treats. Over time, this will encourage the dog to act only in those ways that are rewarded with a treat! 

Clicker training

Clicker training is another great way to train your dog to behave in certain ways. A clicker is a device that makes a short sharp sound, and the trick is to train your dog to associate this noise with certain behaviour. For example, you can use the clicker to practice recalling your dog when you let them off the lead in a public space or to encourage them to come back into the house from your yard. If your dog responds to the noise, you can give them the treat to encourage them to do the same next time. 

Electric dog training

Electric dog training has become very controversial in recent years, and should only really be used as a last resort, and for very short periods. Usually, this type of dog training works through an electric dog collar. When the trainer presses a button it sends a short electric shock to the animal or releases an unpleasant spray. This is used to discourage dogs from bad behaviour. One of the downsides of using this training technique is that it only stops the negative aspects of a dog’s behaviour and doesn’t reinforce positive behaviour. It can also sometimes lead to anxiety issues further down the line, something that any loving dog-owner would be sad to see.  

Mirror training

Mirror training is most commonly used in dog training classes, or when there is more than one dog in the house. It works by using a well-trained dog to set an example and show an untrained dog how good behaviour is rewarded. If all goes well, the untrained dog will mirror the positive behaviour, and remember that this type of behaviour will lead to treats and attention in the future! This method relies on the natural learning instinct of the animal - something that it would learn in the wild. It works as it enables the dog to act of its own free will, leading to far better results further down the line.

To sum up 

There’s a huge variety of different dog training methods and, remember, every dog is different! It’s always worth seeking advice from a professional or hiring a dog trainer to make sure you’re using the most effective training technique for your dog’s breed, age and level of disobedience. Happy dog training!