Have you been wanting to train your pet to react better in everyday life? Do you have a pet with a chronic behavior issue that you can’t resolve? Have you been curious about how to think like your pet in order to train them better? Are you frustrated that previous training efforts have failed?
In most cases, our pets have trained us better than we have trained them.
There are multiple health and social benefits in having a more relaxed, well-behaved pet. And as you spend more time training your pet, you will become more confident knowing your pet’s emotional needs.
Click here to watch a video on basic pet training
What species is the pet you are working with
All beings can be “trained” to respond to a situation or stimulus. Some types of animals may have physical limitation, such as a fish who must remain in water or a hamster with short legs. Birds are highly intelligent and responsive to interaction.
What NOT to do
Never use frustration or anger when training a pet. Studies have shown this negative feedback to be detrimental to your pet’s long term emotional well-being. If your pet associates negatively with their interactions with you, they develop PTSD-type connections in their brain which can be extremely hard to undo. That being said, if your pet has had negative life-experiences and is bringing them to the training sessions, be patient. They will be able to overcome it since they circumstances of the training are hopefully in a different environment with a different trainer (you.)
Starting the training process:
- Train to the species best qualities and abilities
- Work with your pet’s strengths
- Observe your pet and their reactions & responses to you
- Use simple body language and facial expressions more than verbal commands
- Keep messages clear and consistent
Most of all have fun!! Training is nothing more than communicating and building a relationship with your pet.
I hope this helps you and your pet!
To learn more about basic training for pets including instructional videos on various topics of pet health, check out these mini-courses on pet heath or sign up for the PetWise Membership.