Having a dog as a pet can be a rewarding experience. Not only do you have the unconditional love of an animal, but you have the companionship of a great friend, as well.

One good way to spend time with your dog is to teach it tricks. Knowing tricks will mean you can show off how smart your dog is to your friends, and teaching the dog the tricks is quality time you get to spend with it. If you train your dog properly, it can be a lot of fun for both of you!

The first thing to remember when teaching your dog tricks is patience. Your dog won’t understand what you want right away, so you need to be willing to work slowly with your dog until it can understand and respond to what you’re asking. If you get frustrated, your dog will, too, and the training won’t work.

Another important part of training is consistency. For example, if you use the word “Down” to get your dog to lie down, use that word every time. Don’t switch to “Lay” or anything else. This will just confuse your dog and keep you both from success.

There are lots of great resources both online and in print to help you teach your dog tricks. You can use them to get you started, then tailor your training to match your dog’s personality and do what works for the two of you.

One of the most basic commands is “Sit,” and this can be an easy trick to teach. Begin with your dog standing. Give the command, whether it be a vocal “Sit” or a hand gesture, then press gently on your dog’s back until it lowers to a sitting position. When it fulfills this command, praise your dog and give a treat.

Keep up this process, but each time you give the command, wait a little longer before pressing down on your dog’s back and giving the treat. Eventually, your dog will understand that you want it to sit down in order to get the treat. And after that, your dog will sit without getting a treat as a reward. However, even if you don’t reward with a treat, make sure you praise your dog for sitting on command to give positive reinforcement for good behavior.

Teaching your dog tricks can be a great experience for you both! The time you spend together will strengthen your relationship, and the positive reinforcement you give your dog will help it feel even more loved. Just remember that patience and consistency are the keys to success!

Westies will really go exploring if they can help it, since their disposition and terrier temperament include the irresistible urge to check and investigate. For them, new ventures mean more learning. One of the things he will understand very soon is that you are a good provider of what he needs. Soon, he will see that aside from material needs, he can also get from you the decision to know what is right and wrong to do. Earning the dog’s trust is important in westie training.

At first, you get the impression that the dog’s learning is progressing into the wrong directions. But prepare to implement training as a never-ending process. For example, you will need a response to the fact that your westie is quick to develop ways to catch your attention and get you to pass on to him a treat. Thus, your training goals need to include how to veer your dog’s natural instincts into its socially acceptable version, while giving the dog a proper lifestyle.

Here are some tips in order to take to heart westie training:

1. Every dog needs to be given the chance to have training, and it can start at eight weeks of age. Time spent on inculcating basic manners and obedience skills to your westie need to be fun and will create a special loving bond between dog and trainer.

2. Look for a reliable dog trainer, school, or private obedience teacher. Good sources of a contact can be the dog’s vet, groomer, or breeder. Once you have chosen, ask if it is possible to sit in a class session.

3. No dog training can consist of force and abuse. The best methods of training dogs rely on the use of reinforcements and corrections. We ourselves are aware that the behavior that is rewarded will be repeated by the dog.

4. When unacceptable behavior happens, correct the westie verbally right there and then. On the other hand, the best reinforcer is a treat. Praise, attention and play are also important.

5. Exercise fairness and compassion on your westie. Never hit or yell in correcting.

6. Shower praise on the dog when he does what you want.

7. In the long run, you will need to be consistent and confident. And not only that; the complete family needs to agree and stick to what the major family member teaches.

8. There needs to be a fair amount of time each day to attention, affection, training and play. A quarter of an hour of training a few times a week will have you and your westie keen on learning.

9. Among the many training commands out there, your westie will need the following in particular: sit, stay, heel, down and come. A well-behaved dog is a delight to know.

10. Westie training eats up time and wears away our daily focus, but yours for the keeping is a westie that is a pleasure to live with.

One of the most important areas of training a dog is house training. However, this can be a very frustrating task. One of the best ways to succeed is use the dogs own instincts. By nature, dogs are usually very clean animals. They prefer to keep the areas where they eat and sleep clean and free from soil. Dogs also like a routine and like to know where they are supposed to urinate and defecate. For instance, if they are taught to do their business on gravel or concrete, they will look for gravel or concrete to do this. If they are taught to go on grass or dirt, they will look for grass or dirt. Take advantage of these habits.

First, you must set up a training area. You will need a place that is small and confined, like a bathroom or kitchen. A crate will work for small dogs or puppies but larger animals need more room. You need to spend some time with your pet in this area playing with him. Your pet will also eat and sleep in this area as well.

You should put together a special bed for your dog or purchase one. Don’t fret if your pet soils in this area at first. He will soon learn that this is where he eats and sleeps and stop eliminating there. Once the dog figures out the bed is for sleeping, you can move it to different locations in the house. Make sure you do this only when you are home. If you are not there, move the bed back to the training area.

Next, you will need to set up a bathroom area. Find a location for this purpose, probably outside. But, it needs a to be a place the dog can go whenever he needs to go. You should go with your dog to give rewards for good behavior. Feed the dog at the same time everyday. If your dog is fed at the same time everyday and establishes a schedule for eating he will also establish a routine for eliminating. Once you get a feel for those times, it will be easier to guide your dog to the designated location. Your dog should have easy access to the bathroom area; that way accidents are less likely.

Now, you can continue the house training. When your pet is in the habit of urinating or defecating in the toilet area and not in his eating or sleeping area, you may extend the training area to include the rest of the house. Don’t start to fast. Go slowly at first. Add one room at a time. Don’t go into new rooms until you are sure your pet has good control of his bathroom habits. Do this only when you are present with the dog. If you are not home, keep your dog in the original training area. You can speed the process up, but do so with caution. It is advisable to go slowly rather than have to retrain your pet at a later time. If you do choose to speed things up, make sure you are there to reward your dog. Remember, it is important not to punish for accidents. This will only slow the process down by confusing the dog.

Good luck!

The best moment to start to train your puppy is as soon as you get him. It is easier to learn the correct way to do things the first time than to have to untrain unruly habits when you first get him.

The very first thing you will need to do after purchasing your puppy is to take it to your home. The smartest way to carry your dog is by utilizing either a harness that attaches to the seatbelt or to use a medium size carrier . A dog that is not used to to those devices might feel uncomfortable at first, and whine, or show a desire to lay on your lap. This is a dangerous practice and should not be done. Use the dog restraint or car seat in the beginning and your puppy will soon not be uncomfortable with it.

After you reach home, the all-important puppy home training should take shape. Fortunately, for most dog breeds there is definitive instinct to deficate away from where they live. Even the very young of pups will often take a few steps away from its mother before doing its business. Most dogs are creatures of habit so as soon as you arrive home, begin walking the young dog to a place where you want it to pee. Be patient as it walks around and investigates its new environment. After it goes to the bathroom, offer lots of praise for doing the right thing. Eliminating outside can be scarey at first, this is because that is when a puppy is very vulnerable. To a little dog that is used to being inside, the great outdoors can be scarey in the beginning, so try not to be shocked if it runs away. Patiently bring your puppy back to the correct place, and reassure it that you are there for it. Bring it back to the same place often, and give it a moment to sniff around. Once it detects the smell of its last defication, it will feel inspired to repeat its past. Again, please give it plenty of praise and soft touches as you learn more information about dogs

Don’t punish your little dog for making mistakes. That will only cause it afraid of you. Shoving the dog’s face into its feces is a dangerous practice. After it has an accident, clean up the urine, or pick up the feces and take it outdoors, showing the dog where it goes.

While walking your puppy you should use a leash to  keep it safe. Using of a choke collar is discouraged, because it causes pain. To teach the dog to walk using a leash, say “Come on”. Then softly bring the puppy along, on your left side. Praise the puppy when he does walks along beside you without you having to pull it. This kind of leash walking should be utilized where there is a decent amount of room around.

When you are walking your puppy in a crowded location, such as an outdoor fair, you will want your puppypet to know “heel”. Say the command and gently move the puppy next to you. Reward the puppy after it listens.
 
The last command to learn is “stay”, which is useful when your around guests over who are afraid of some dogs. Give the command and then walk off a few feet away. If the dog tries to follow you, put the puppy back to the same spot, state the command again, and walk off a few feet. Begin by staying away for only a few moments, return, and give the puppy praise. Gradually increase the time as the dog learns.

Keep in mind, puppy training should be a good time for both of you, because you’re going to be this dog’s friend. When you are both settled with the basics, you should train your new friend a few tricks. Have fun.