Becoming a dog owner is a fun and exciting experience, especially if you are living alone. Knowing that you are bringing home an everyday companion will lift your spirits. If it’s your first time to own a dog, however, you need to make a few adjustments in your lifestyle. Remember, you have to fulfill your duty as a dog owner. Prioritizing your needs will be a thing of the past. Taking care of your dog should be your new priority, so you have to ensure that you fulfill your duties as a new “pawrent.”
Aside from grooming, feeding, and taking care of your dog’s health, you also need to learn how to train them. That is essential, especially if you adopted the dog from a rescue shelter. You need to have a lot of patience, especially if the dog is too lively or playful. If you are not prepared for the struggles of becoming a pet owner, you should avoid getting one at all costs. However, if you believe that you can manage to become a responsible owner, go ahead and proceed with the adoption process.
Effective Ways to Train a Stubborn Dog
Some dogs ask for attention all the time. They love to get noticed by their owners and think they can always request playtime. Unfortunately, dedicating all your time to your pooch will be difficult. It’s especially challenging for people who have home-based jobs. If your dog is too stubborn to follow your instructions, you need to find a way to make them behave. Remember, you need to teach them at least how to stay put whenever you are working. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Patience is vital—You need to understand that some dogs will need some time to follow commands. Some of them are too playful that they don’t even know that they can sometimes disturb or bother their owners. Never lose patience and stay kind towards your pooch.
- Be consistent when imposing instructions—If you want to train your dog, be consistent with your commands. For instance, if you are training your dog to sit, you can either give them treats or pat their head after following your instructions. You need to be consistent about the action that you will take after they follow your command. That will prevent them from getting confused whenever you are asking them to do something about their behavior.
- Practice showing calm indifference—Never shout at your dog because he/she will only grow terrified at your voice. Avoid displaying irritability and other negative emotions in front of your dog. Always stay calm when giving commands and even when you are praising your dog.
If you still need assistance in training your dog, you can contact a professional dog trainer. Some dog training companies invest in VOIP telephone handset and other customer service tools to assist pet owners. Thus, you don’t need to worry about asking for their schedules for training and other pet concerns anytime. Make sure that you work with reliable companies so you can assure that your dog will be in good hands.
Owning a dog is a wonderful privilege, but it’s also a huge responsibility. Thus, you need to keep finding ways to improve your skills, especially when it comes to training and taking care of your dog. Aside from providing them a proper home, enough food, and medical attention, make sure that your dog also receives all the love he/she needs. Give your dog enough attention and make sure you schedule quality time with him/her as well. Take your dog out for walks and let him or her have fun on dog parks. Make sure that your dog knows that he/she is loved and that he/she is living in a safe and happy home.