All training should be reward based. Giving your dog something they really like - such as food, toys or praise - when they show a particular behaviour means that they're more likely to do it again. It's important to find out what your dog really likes and what their favourite things are.
Doing this consistently, you can ensure that your puppy will retain their training and good behaviors throughout the rest of their life. Even if your puppy started at an older age, you can work on catching your puppy up so they are on track to being well-behaved by the time they reach their 1-year mark!
Interrupt Commands
When your dog is doing something bad, it can be helpful to have an interrupt command the dog is trained to obey. You may use "Stop!" "No!" "Drop it!" or "Leave It!" to get your dog's attention and let them know their behavior is unacceptable.
As soon as the dog begins to engage in unacceptable behavior, it can be interrupted and directed into performing the desirable behavior (“sit,” “down,” “quiet”). By the same token, if you give the dog a command and he does not obey, you can always get the compliance that you require if the halter and leash is attached.
The adolescent period typically begins around six months of age, and will be over when a dog reaches physical maturity around two to three years old. The most pronounced behavioral issues will be noticed between six to 12 months old.
Approximately 35% of owners and trainers voted 8-9 months as the toughest age citing new challenging behaviors associated with their puppy's now larger size such as pulling on the leash or counter-surfing.
Research conducted by The Goody Pet found that Golden Retrievers make dog training easy thanks to their inherent smart and obedient nature, while Border Collies and gorgeous German Shepherds are also great for first-time owners as they are always eager to please their owners — and are rather well behaved.
Methods such as alpha rolls and physical corrections (via the leash and a choke chain or by smacking the dog on the nose or by shaking their scruffs) were often recommended as a way for humans to establish dominance over their dogs.
You need an incentive to encourage your dog to come back - a really tasty treat or a fun game with a toy. Show your dog the toy or food. Run away a couple of paces then call your dog's name and say "come" in a friendly, exciting tone - getting down low can also encourage them to come back.
Why do some dogs simply not obey? If your dog ignores every “sit”, “stay” and “heel”, this isn't simply due to it being stubborn. As harsh as it sounds, such disobedience is solely down to the owner and scarce or incorrect training.
In general, the time varies. Usually, it takes 6 weeks to teach your dog the basics. However, long daily sessions take more than 4 weeks, whereas short, bi-weekly training sessions take 9 weeks. After that, you will get a trained dog.
It's never too late to start dog training
In fact - as your dog ages it's important for his or her physical and mental health that they have good manners.
Female dogs tend to be easier to housebreak, easier to train, and more connected with their owners—but in certain circumstances they can be more demanding of attention. Aggression can be a problem in any dog of any breed, however it is usually more apparent in non-neutered males.
Generally, puppies start to calm down when they reach emotional maturity — around 1 year old. However, some dog breeds take longer to reach adulthood and emotional maturity.
The Labrador Retriever earned the crown as the “naughtiest” breed. Traditionally, people know this popular dog for its friendly and outgoing nature. Yet, it seems that the breed's strength and energetic spirit could sometimes steer them into less desirable behaviors.
Overall, the researchers found that the dogs' attentiveness and ability to solve problems changed a lot during life, improving up until about 6 years of age and then remaining stable.
If they are not in any kind of danger from the behavior or behaviors (for instance, eating something bad from the garbage), ignore the behavior and reward when the behavior stops. The key to helping prevent negative, attention-seeking behaviors from your dog is by giving him plenty of love, attention and playtime.
The reasons your dog may not be listening might be medical in nature, but most often, if your dog will not come to you or ignores you completely, it is because of a training or a behavioral issue. Once you feel you have ruled out potential illness, training and conditioning your dog will improve his recall ability.