The steps of animal training

1 ASSOCIATION

At first, the word of a command will mean nothing to your pet. When first saying the command, demonstrate the action you wish the animal to perform through actions and pointing.

2 CONSISTENCY

If there’s more than one person living in your house, make sure you use commands and actions that match. A pet needs to receive the same information and expectations from everyone to learn quickly.

3 REPETITION

Your pet won’t instantly catch on to different tricks and commands. Keep repeating the command until the word is ingrained and associated with the relevant action.

4 REINFORCEMENT

Try using an action that matches each command, such as tapping the back of a pet’s body while saying “sit”. This will serve as another prompt for each action to make the association stronger. When successfully achieved – with or without the prompt – reward with a treat.

5 MAINTENANCE

When you have achieved the desired level of training for your pet, maintain constant practice. Test their abilities daily if possible so that they don’t forget over time.