7 Basic Must-Have Items for Training Your Dog: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective and Safe Dog Training

As many dog owners know training is an important part of living with dogs, regardless if they are puppies or adults (yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks). Therefore, having a canine friend is a little more than just bring a new puppy or adult dog home and making sure that they are healthy and happy. Training can help add some structure to living with your dog since they will learn to follow your commands, plus, teaching them a few tricks can make for high-quality internet videos (watch out cats). Training can also make taking them for walks easier and more delightful. Before, you get started on the training there are seven basic must-haves items that will help you on your quest to have one of the best-behaved dogs in the dog park.

1. Rewards

The most well-known and common items to aid you in dog training is having the right treats and rewards for your dogs. This can help them keep their motivation high as well as to show them that they are on the right track. Whenever they do something right, they learn that it is good to do so. You can purchase high-quality treats that are specifically designed with dog training in mind and these are easy to pack and carry. The actual size of the treats should be about the size of a berry. Some dogs may be picky eaters so you may need to get creative with the type of treats or rewards that you give them. You can try using play time with their favorite toy when they do a task or trick well done.

2.Treat Bag/ Training Carry All

Keeping in the theme of treats a little bag where you can store them would make a great addition especially on walks. You can buy a washable, treat pouch that can come with different departments with the use of zippers in order to keep your keys, phone and clean up bags separate for each other so you can get to them quickly when your dog does something good. Or you can make space in your handbag and make sure you do not forget all the items you may need before you leave the house.

3. Clickers

Another way to reinforce the correct and positive behavior is dogs are with the use of clickers. There should be many types to choose from at your local pet stores such as small handheld ones, ones that can be attached to leashes or some that have wrist straps on them. Some leashes can even have built-in clickers. However, you can also get an app for clickers. Clickers can be used on multiple dogs at the same time or on individual dogs since they use different sounds depending on the type of dog. Clickers are one of the recent, great ways to show the dog what type of behavior you want from them regardless if they show it on cue or natural. Training can be a full-time job so be on the lookout to reinforce positivity.

4. Long Leash

While you are training your dog on walks it is a great idea to invest in a high-quality and strong lead and dog harness that is also quite long. About six feet (1, 8288 meters) would be a good length that can give you control as well as give your dog some freedom when need be. You would not like them to stick by your side so that neither of you have space to move. A leather leash can be a good choice since they are flexible, easy to hold in your hand, and should be durable enough to withstand even the biggest and jumpiest dogs. A good leash can also help keep your dog from running away and getting lost while you are taking them for a walk, especially if they are still learning the commands of ‘stop’, ‘stay’, ‘come back’ or their own name. However, if you are, unfortunately, looking for a lost dog you can go to a lost pet finder website to check if they are on there or to send out a request for people to keep an eye out if they are not yet on the site. Keep your long dog leash by your door so you can grab it on the way out for walks with them.

5. Collars

Something that goes along with a leash is a high-quality collar or a harness depending on the size and breed of your dog. The most common type of collar is the simple, flat-buckle that has some metal hardware. Metal elements are stronger and less likely to break or pop open when compared to their plastic counterpart. However, a harness could be a better choice since they can help you to guide the movements of your dog. Correction collars are not at all required for training purposes and would be best to avoid them.

6. Target Stick

A target stick can be used to help your dog stay on target while they are on their walks as well as for tricks such as teaching them to bow or even spin. A target stick is a long stick which could even be a wooden spoon if you have a spare in the house. However, you can also get ones that come with clickers or a foldable to allow for carrying and storage.

7. Training Book

There are as many methods to teach and train your dog as there are books. Find one that would suit your needs with easy to follow instruction and the theory behind the method so that you can understand and maybe even tweak it a bit to suit your dog.

Dog training can be a worthwhile and rewarding investment not only for your dog, but for yourself as well.

Lauretta Williams is a web-addicted blogger. She loves spending her time listening to music, playing with her dog and writing blogs from her computer. We all want our dog not to run from home. But sometimes, they still might get lost. Don't worry, we have your back. Report your lost with PawMaw we can help you find your lost dog.

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