Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tips for Effective Poodle Training

By Michael Brapopol


Poodles can be among the most stubborn dogs to train. But, just like other breeds of dog, they also love pleasing their owners. Poodle training, therefore, requires you to be firm yet gentle. To help you get started, we have identified some of the biggest mistakes that poodle owners make when they train their pet poodles. You should be careful to avoid these mistakes.

Never teach your poodle too many commands at the same time.

DO NOT teach your poodle a new command before he has mastered the first one. If more than one person has to train your dog, make sure that they employ the same training methods. Never neglect to refresh your dog's memory as regards previously learned commands.

Patience and consistency are the keys to effective poodle training. Patience is needed to make your poodle understand and master each command. Consistency spells the difference between having a poodle that executes a command only when he feels like it and having a poodle that executes a command as soon as you give it. If you're not sure exactly what we mean by consistency in poodle training, here are some tips that may help you get started properly.

Start with the simplest and most basic commands. Teach your dog one command at a time and limit your training sessions to 10 minutes two to three times a day. Long sessions tend to bore poodles, thus rendering them useless as your dog won't learn anything when he's bored.

Train your poodle in an uncluttered area where there are as few distractions as possible. This makes sure that your dog's attention is focused on the training. Poodle training is best done at the same time each day. Dogs love routine and they learn more when a fixed training schedule is set.

Choose positive over negative reinforcement. Poodles love being praised, so be sure to give him verbal praises and loving pats whenever he executes a command properly. This includes commands executed outside of training.

Sometimes a poodle can act up and refuse to cooperate during your training session. When this happens, quit that session and pick up where you left off in the next session. Never let your poodle think that you're going to stop training completely just because he's acting up. And hold your praises until he cooperates again. He should understand that praises will be given only when deserved.

This may be the most important thing to remember where poodles are concerned: Poodle training is a lifetime endeavour. Poodles tend to forget commands unless you refresh their memory from time to time. So make sure to practice these commands over and over even when your dog has already mastered tem.

Remember, the secrets to effective poodle training are patience and consistency. And the secret to having an obedient and affectionate poodle is in knowing how to keep a firm yet gentle approach. As long as you keep these secrets in mind and apply them in dealing with your dog, you will surely have a happy and lifetime companionship with your pet poodle.




About the Author:



>
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

0 comments: