Training your pet can be difficult if you are a new owner or even if you’ve had a long list of pets prior. When training pets the key is to understand that animals are creatures of habits, when you reward an animal for good behavior, they will surely repeat that behavior. Another important thing to remember is that pets have their own personalities; what works for one pet may not work for another.
Using a Clicker
For cats and dogs, purchasing a clicker can be a great time saver. They are pretty cheap and can be bought at all pet stores and most drug stores too. They also generally come with a little pamphlet that teaches you how to train your animal. When first beginning to use the clicker, you several times press the clicker then follow it up with a treat. Do this over and over, but make sure your pet doesnt get full off the treats. After this begin giving simple commands and when your pet does the command click the clicker and give them a treat. They will learn to associate the click with a reward and you can gradually wean them off of the treats, so that hearing the click alone will be enough. Eventually, they will no longer need the click either and will just do what they are told.
Training Sessions
When training your pet, use small treats so they do not get full and lose interest. Also, do not give them treats when they dont do what they are told otherwise they will think that is the right thing to do. Training sessions should only last as long as your pet wants them to. When they begin to get distracted or stop responding, do not push them to continue or they will become recalcitrant.