Dogs are much more than some nice beings that bring a smile on our face. They are individuals and have different personalities. Often their natural instincts are more powerful that we want, which leads to conflicts. Therefore we must understand their actions and then teach them to live in accordance with our demands. Understanding dog behavior is the most important part of dog training.

Training your dog is essential if you want him to be part of your family. The training process will make him feel free, as he will know what to expect from you. Start teaching your pet new commands in his first months of life.

Dogs have their own language. If you learn the meaning of your dog gestures, it will be much easier to know what he has to tell you. Although they can not speak, dogs have unique ways of telling us what they expect. Communicating with your dog properly is extremely important. For example, when you talk to your dog and he barks, it means that he wants something from you. If are able to listen carefully and understand him, the changes to have a strong relationship with him will increase greatly.

Start by learning more about your dog’s gestures and behavior. When the dog holds his head high and his neck arched, it means that he wants to show his superiority. The leaning of a dog’s head to the right or to the left expresses curiosity and interest. When he is obedient, he holds his head down.

If the dog holds his tail between legs, it means that he is afraid of something. When he holds his tail high, he is alert. Fast wags of the tail are a sign of excitement and happiness. A simple tail wag expresses self- confidence, but also fear and anxiety.

The way in which your dog holds his ears expresses the dog’s level of attention. If your dog is very attentive and focused, he holds his ears erect facing forward. When he holds his ears laid back, he is scared. Some dogs can’t use their ears to transmit clear signals, because they have drop ears.

Socializing is an important factor in dog training. Regardless of age or breed, you dog mustn’t attack any other dog and must be sociable with people, especially with children. You must train him to be a good companion in every situation. The dog must interact with the environment from an early age. The lack of socialization leads to insecurity, fear or aggression towards people and animals. Some dogs have behavioral problems because they haven’t been encouraged to face new situations. Even if the pet is sociable, this doesn’t mean that he will have the same behavior in adulthood, because his behavior may change. If you don’t help him socialize, he might become aggressive, anxious and shy.

There are many important factors that you should consider when it comes about dog training. Keep in mind that you mustn’t punish the dog when he refuses to do something. Reward him if he deserves and don’t forget that you and your dog are a team.

About the author: Remco van Reenen helps people to train their dog and on his website positieve hondentraining you can read a lot more articles. You can also get all sort of tools to make training your dog easy in the section puppytraining