Seven Tips for Greyhound Training

                                                                                         

1. Know the breed. It would be best to do a little research prior to getting a greyhound, be it from a breeder or through dog adoption. Finding out essential details about this breed is one effective way towards successful greyhound training.

2. Learn the greyhound communication. It is absolutely difficult to train a dog if communication problem exists. Since dogs can't talk, naturally you will need to read your pet's body language. Through careful observation, you will be able to grasp what he is trying to tell - if he is sick, confused, nervous, excited, frightened and so on.

3. The greyhound temperament. Since they were bred for coursing game and racing, greyhounds are known to be extremely fast and athletic. But despite that, they are actually quiet, gentle and affectionate dogs who become attached to their owners.

4. Use training method that suits the breed perfectly. Knowing that greyhounds have gentle personality, it would be best to use gentle yet effective training methods such as the use of positive reinforcement. This aims to motivate a dog to do the same behavior that he is being rewarded for. Positive reinforcers could be food treats, toys, attention, play, praise and other stuff your pet finds rewarding.

5. Punishment should not be imposed. Hitting your pet with rolled newspaper or rubbing his nose on the spot and other physical punishments are not only cruel but are ineffective as well considering that greyhounds are easy to startle and may turn into statues when stressed. Punishment tactics will only make matters worse by causing behavior problems such as aggression, submissive behavior and others.

6. Catch him in the act. Instead of punishing your pet, the best way to correct is to catch him in the act of doing something acceptable. If he is in the act of urinating inside the house, make a noise loud enough to distract him. Then immediately take him to the designated spot and let him finish there. Give reward if he does. If you see him chewing your socks, replace it with his chew toys to divert his attention. While you are keen in correcting his behavior, it is also important to notice him for doing something right. If he is being quiet and well behaved inside his crate, he surely deserve a reward. This will eventually give him the idea that he gets what he finds rewarding if he is being quiet and good, thus will motivate him to exhibit the same behavior often.

7. Make it fun and short. Greyhound training with lots of repetition may cause boredom and lack of attention. If he has correctly followed the task once or twice, move to work on different task at once.

About the author:
Richard Cussons provides useful information on greyhound training. Visit greyhoundsavvy.com for more expert advice on greyhound dog training tips.

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