Boston Terrier Training – What Not To Do!

You might think that boston terrier training is a simple task, but if you haven’t yet tried to teach your dog, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into.  Teaching your terrier is a time consuming effort that doesn’t only last through his puppyhood, but for his entire life.  Just like all the other aspects related to owning a canine, educating your pet is a serious commitment.

That said, while you can learn the step-by-step methods for boston terrier training from a professional trainer or a book, the following are the things you will not want to include in your lessons if you want your pooch to successfully learn a command.

Don’t…

•    Become angry or frustrated with your terrier dog.  Though it is easy to shout or lose your patience when he doesn’t listen to you or becomes disinterested, reprimanding your pal is giving him the wrong idea.  Your goal is to help him understand what you want from him, not scare or bore him.  You need patience and you need to take it slow and let your boston learn at his pace, not yours.

•    Make lessons long.  Your boston terrier training must be kept short because dogs have very poor attention spans, especially when they are puppies.  Your sessions should be no longer than 5-10 minutes.  This doesn’t mean that you can only instruct him for a maximum of ten minutes per day; it simply means you need to take sufficient breaks.

•    Confuse your dog.  Stick to one method of teaching and make certain the rest of your family members follow suit.  Ensure everyone uses the same steps and the same hand signals.  The more familiar something is the easier it is to understand.

•    Train him just anywhere.  Canines can be distracted by anything.  Smells, sights, sounds and tastes are all extremely exciting to terriers.  Therefore, when you are beginning boston terrier training (particularly a new instruction), if not done in a proper class, choose an area of your home that is quiet and void of anything that is too tempting.

•    Forget to praise every time.  Every time your pup follows through with a command, praise and reward him with attention, affection and/or a small treat.  All he wants to do is please you, and the more he knows he is accomplishing this, the faster he will learn, listen and remember.

Finally, don’t forget that boston terrier training doesn’t end once you have taught him everything you want him to learn.  All that is gained must be kept fresh.  Test him with what he has learned on a daily basis and you’ll be pleased with his obedience and he’ll be happy to please you.