Monday, February 20, 2012

Seven Tips for Effective Westie Training

By Kathleen Jenkins


While westie training is one of the most important responsibilities of a pet owner, getting favorable results is definitely not impossible. It's not difficult as well considering that this breed is naturally easy to train. Training westies should be fun both for you and your dog for it is during this period that he learns details essential for him to become well-behaved. In addition, training is also an excellent opportunity for you to know more about each other thus strengthen the owner-pet relationship.

Below are a few suggestions you may want to take into consideration to attain successful westie training:

Preparation.

Similar to having a trip, westie training requires careful planning and preparation. As owner, it is your task to know more about the breed, their characteristics and what training technique would work best depending on their characteristics. You can ask for tips from other breed owners in your area or search the web for websites, discussion boards or online groups specially dedicated to westies. Apart from that, it is also important that you are committed in reaching your aims. If you're not sure whether or not you can provide the training and care a pet needs, then pet ownership is likely not for you.

Preparing your pet.

Naturally, the dog needs to prepare for training too. He needs to be physically fit in order to go through training, be it training for basic obedience or housebreaking. A sick or anxious dog won't learn efficiently therefore it is crucial that you consider their current condition before training starts.

Starting simple.

It's not a good idea to incorporate complicated lessons during the first few days of westie training. Begin with socialization to get him familiar with the new atmosphere he is into. During socialization period, you should start housebreaking him as well. Then deal with basic commands one at a time. You can work with come command after he has mastered the command sit. Spend a few days training each command and avoid training multiple commands at a time for it will only confuse him.

Reward.

Many dog owners and experts encourage the use of positive training since it's viewed as the most humane and effective strategy. Positive training includes giving of rewards for each good behavior exhibited. This is to motivate a dog to repeat the action he is being recognized for. Rewards could be whatever your dog finds satisfying like tasty treats, favorite toys, praise and time to play. Giving of food treats must be regulated though to prevent obesity and turning your pet into a food-dependent canine.

Punishment.

Physical punishment won't do your pet any good. In fact, it can trigger problems including aggression and may even cause your pet to be scared of you. Moreover, punishing him each time he committed accident could trigger him to do his thing in locations you are less likely to find, or worse, he'll feel terrified of doing it.

Training time.

Training should not exceed one hour each session. The ideal length of training ought to be about 20 minutes per session to prevent your pet from getting bored that could end in disappointment on your part.

Daily activities.

In order to help your furry friend learn the commands taught to him, it would be a smart idea to use the commands in his daily activities. Like for example if you're currently training him the command sit, giving him the stated command before putting his food dish on the floor or prompting him to sit when someone is nearing can help him figure out that the command is applicable anytime, anywhere, not only in the boundaries of your living room where training took place.




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