But my dog does it at home…

April 10th, 2008

By Anu Maurya

But my dog does it at home…This is a very common phrase used by many dog owners, and even myself as well!

Dogs live on repetitions and routine. All the trainings done at home, should also be practiced at different locations. Otherwise they will associate the location, your house, to be the only place they should perform your commands.

Some suggestions —

• Different locations in the house: Start with changing the location within your house. For instance if you train in your living room, then train also in your kitchen, hallway, patio, …
• Around the house: Once your dog has mastered performing the command in your house, then try outside your house.
• Daily Walks: While taking your daily walks, spend a couple minutes doing a few commands. If you spend 5 minutes practicing a command on each walk, everyday - that’s a pretty good amount practice in a week!
• Pet Stores: When visiting your local pet stores, perform some exercises. This is a great location as there are lots of distractions - food, toys, people, and other dogs.

Just remember not to “overload” your dog with lots of commands in one session. If you see your dog is mastering a command, then move onto the next. And if your dog isn’t quite getting it, take a break and try again later. Like us humans, they learn best when they are happy and having fun

Have more helpful suggestions? Please feel free to submit them by posting a comment.

Entry Filed under: Training