How to Train Your Dog? Getting started

This summer, are you wondering how to keep your children (both two-legged and four-legged) occupied? Here’s an idea! Get your children to train your dog - it's that simple. In the heat of this season, here’s why this is a great idea:

• In a time when kids spend increasingly more time stuck to screens, training your dog offers a good alternative.
• This is a great way to nurture the bond between your children and the pet.
• A great practice of compassion and patience.

How hard is it to train a dog?

Easy enough that your children can do it. All it requires is some time, patience and a lot of compassion. Remember to use positive reinforcement, never punish your dog for doing something you don’t like. Punishment causes fear and confusion in pets. This can fracture the bond between you and your dog and break the trust they’re supposed to have in you.

Here are some of the basics you, as a pet parent, need to understand before you start training your furry friend:

1.  Paw-sitive reinforcement.

Here’s why positive-reinforcement is better than punishment:

Dogs learn faster when good behavior gets rewarded. Punishment can create fear, but rewards build trust and encourage repetition. Experiment with what your dog finds best as a reward. Different dogs prefer different rewards, which can vary from the best of the best dog treats to something as simple as a dry dog food or kibble. Here’s a few things you can use:

• Dog Treats:

Use their favourite dog treats or dog biscuits to let them know they’re a good boy/girl. Treats are a great way to motivate good behaviour. Some treats also have functional benefits, which means you can tackle training along with nutrition.

• Dog food:

An alternative is to use the dry dog food that you usually feed your dog. Check out Carniwel’s range of dog food to give your dog something tasty and healthy! Carnowel’s pet food is made from premium ingredients and is formulated to take care of your dog’s health, so that you can spend your time enjoying pet parenting!

• Verbal praise:

Letting your dog know they’ve been a good boy/girl is another great way to keep them doing better. While treats are gifts in kind, praise builds the beautiful bond between you and your dog.

You can use positive-reinforcement by:

- Reward within *2 seconds* of the correct behavior.
- Be consistent: If you reward “sit” today, don’t ignore it tomorrow.
- Gradually fade treats once your dog reliably responds.

2. Mastering basic commands

It’s always preferred to start with basic commands such as “sit, stay, come, down , leave,etc”. Taking it slow with one command at a time consistently can definitely assure you a few changes in your dog's behaviour. Once the smart pupper learns a command, move onto the next!

3. Potty Training (To avoid those “accidents” on your favourite carpet)

One of the best ways to make your furry pupper comfortable with doing the business outside, is to take them outside, preferably a quiet and less crowded place and stand next to them patiently, soon enough when they finish off, reward them! Make sure to continue this habit consistently as it’ll form the habit of them wanting to go out on walks often to freshen up.
Punishing the dog for making mistakes will only delay and create confusion for them as they don’t intend on ruining your mothers gifted rug, hence, consistently training them to get used to the outdoors.

4. Leash Training

A leash is your best assistant, it allows you and your pup freedom, exploration as well as safety! To start off the training, use the harness when you’re on your daily walk with your furry friend, pause if they pull away too much, resume when they calm down. Remember to reward them if they follow your steps, consistency in this will train your pet to walk alongside you.

5. Socialization

Socialization can be a great way for your dog to make new furry friends, it can also be easier for you to enjoy some sunshine when out on a walk, as it won’t be a bother constantly chasing your dog to ensure they don’t hurt or bite other dogs or even people.

- Expose your dog to different people, environments, and animals gradually.
- Keep experiences positive with treats and praise.
- Never force interactions—go at your dog’s pace.

6. Be Consistent and Patient  

You might be wondering “How long does dog training take?”Every dog learns at a different pace. What matters most is consistency, repetition, and positive reinforcement. Keep sessions short (5–10 minutes), frequent, and fun.
Remember to always incorporate fun and liveliness in your training time, where there’s a reward there’s a way! 

Note:

The bond between you, your children and your pet is sacred. It is a bond that is built from trust - it is this trust and love that make the activity of training a fun and encouraging exercise. Keep this bond protected by providing your dog access to premium nutrition, high-quality proteins from fresh chicken, fresh lamb, and plant proteins. Aside from nutrition, always ensure to be compassionate and patient towards your pet. This is how you celebrate your pet, you celebrate the journey of pet parenting.