Tailor obedience training to your pet’s personality
Anyone who’s owned a stubborn, independent pet or a shy, hesitant one knows that training can sometimes feel like an exercise in patience. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done!
The key is to stick to training basics—consistency, positive reinforcement and using small steps to reach a desired behavior. However, staying sensitive to your pet’s personality and modifying your training to fit their temperament along the way can boost your success and keep the process fun for the both of you.
Here are several ways how to do it:
- Choose the right reward. Most pets are food motivated, but not all are. If a treat doesn’t do it for your pet, find a reward that does. It may be your loving attention, a favorite toy or even some soothing brushing, which many cats prefer.
- Know when to stop a session. Pushing past your pet’s natural attention span will only cause frustration for the both of you. Make training sessions as short and sweet as necessary to keep the experience fun.
- Go as slow as your pet needs. For anxious pets, certain tricks can seem scary. Break the behavior you are trying to capture down to as few steps as you can, and make sure your pet is comfortable with each step before moving on to the next.
- Set the scene for success. Highly distractable or social pets may have difficulty focusing in parks or busy households. They should master a command in a quiet environment first before trying it in more distracting locales.
- Use the right tone. Although a firm tone will be helpful to capture the attention of an independent pet, the same tone will be alarming for a sensitive pet, who will come to associate training with fear and negativity.
Most importantly, remember to stick with it! Love, consistency and lots of positive reinforcement will make any pet a well-mannered companion in time.
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