Creature Companion July Edition | Página 26

Pet Training DOG TRAINING BASIC TRAINING TIPS FOR PET PARENTS By Aaron D'silva* Train your pet like a professional with these tips. Bringing home a dog is the most joyous experience in the world. Your loyal four-legged friend will offer you heaps of comfort, love, laughter and companionship along with a little bit of mischief, if not trained early on. Once you bring home this little fluffy friend, you will become his everything throughout their lifespan (10-15 years). They will look up to you as their pack leader and will rely on you for everything, and it is important to know that they are your responsibility now. Your dog will need plenty of quality time with you to thrive, your maid or caretaker alone would not suffice. Training and walking your dog everyday is of utmost importance to keep unwanted behaviour in check and to avoid boredom. So when should you start training your puppy? Tip 1 - Start Young Practice simple obedience commands like sit, stay and toilet training using positive reinforcements like treats and food. Start as young as 6-7 weeks old. Also, set house rules early on and give your pup their own space and toys. Tip 2 - Use Positive Reinforcements only (Treats & Praises) 26 When training your pup, your voice and your body language are enough, to get your point across. Never, we repeat, never attempt to hit your puppy or use force to discipline as this could lead to aggression and result in bigger problems down the line. Whenever your pup does something right or obeys your command, be sure to shower them with praises. Tip 3 - Socialise your dog with other doggies & humans Socialise your dog with other dogs and people, while doing this, make sure that you are continually reading their body language to pick up on stress signals. These stress signals may include excessive panting, backing away in defence, tail tucked between the hind legs.  Tip 4 - Exercise and walk them regularly Dogs are intelligent & sociable pack animals; they love to be outdoors and around people and they are easily bored too. Bored dogs Creature Companion | July 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 7 • Noida