Diana Myers
To ensure that the dog enjoys completing its training sessions, you should be careful not to overwhelm it. The golden rule: stop when it’s most beautiful.
Dose correctly
When it comes to training, every owner thinks about when, how long, and how often they should exercise their dog. Of course, that depends primarily on your dog, its age, and its condition. You should try to build in at least one small training session every day. Although puppies are very teachable, they also get tired very quickly, after all, they are constantly bombarded with new impressions. Here it can be enough for the day after just a few minutes.
An adult dog can concentrate longer
With an adult and experienced dog, you can and should practice much longer, e.g. it can sometimes be an hour or more. It is important that the exercises do not degenerate into drills, but are repeatedly interrupted by breaks and game units. In this way, the dog is motivated again and again, does not lose its desire to practice, and can simply let off pressure in between. Because practicing means pure tension and concentration for the four-legged friend, which eats away at the nerves. So best: an exercise, a short game, an exercise, a short cuddle break, etc.
Also, be sure to finish the practice session while your dog is still excited about it. It is actually true that you should stop when it is most beautiful: this guarantees that the dog associates positive feelings with the training session. Another basic rule is: never train a dog that has just eaten. Firstly, he should not romp around after feeding, otherwise, there is a risk of torsion in the stomach. Second, he’s tired afterward and probably doesn’t feel like playing. And then you can forget about treats as a means of motivation. So you better wait until he’s fresh and hungry.
The dog learns all day long
When looking for the best time, it’s easy to forget that the dog doesn’t just learn during those specific training sessions, but every day, 24 hours a day, throughout his life. If you want to achieve optimal results, then also pay attention to consistency and exemplary behavior outside of the training sessions.