We all dream of training the perfect Rat Terrier, a pet that is a CGC or canine good citizen and is very well behaved and trustworthy at all times. Well dreams do come true if the education is done with kindness and commitment. Bear in mind pups learn from day one and need to be shown what is correct, what is not, and appropriate interpersonal skills.
Pups behave like kids, they require frequent guidance and instruction. Training a pup need not be a chore, all you need to consider are a few basic principles:
10 Tips For Training Your Rat Terrier
- Till your pup is trained, you must keep an eye on him at all times. If you can’t then you must cage him. Create a calendar for the pup, this will serve to help her to settle down quickly. The calendar has to consist of things such as hourly bathroom visits, feeding times, rest times, strolls, play time, training, et cetera. A pup that has a busy day has no time at all for being unoccupied and misbehave.
- Train the pup to value you. Rat Terriers stay in packs and instinctively need a leader. If you establish your dominance in no uncertain terms then teaching will eventually become easy because the pup will heed you at all times and not test your power.
- Use exclusively encouraging training strategies. Never holler at, attack, or abuse your Rat Terrier. It’s not just cruel but may cause behavioral issues. Use of electric shocks, prong collars, sprays, and so forth could easily injure the animal.
- Show the pup “nothing in life is without cost.” This is a mantra that is frequently recognized as a valuable coaching tool. As you reinforce this, the pup will discover that to get something like affection, a stroll, or reward, he has to act properly.
- Demonstrate the significance of “No,” from day one. Do not advocate actions like jumping, yelping, tug-o-war, howling, or escaping open gates and doorways. Celebrate excellent behavior and dismiss or leave when there is bad behavior. The pup will discover that if he misbehaves he will lose his companion/playmate.
- To deal with a behavior you will need to witness the Rat Terrier in the process and startle her by shaking a jar of rocks. When you have done this help him correct his behavior and immediately give him a snack and praise. Rat Terriers do not recall what occurred prior so scolding him after an event is useless.
- Be certain to call/use his name favorably. Never say “Bad TOM,” or “No Tom,” this will induce mental confusion and the Rat Terrier will believe that if you call his name then it is something negative. The dog should identify his name with pleasant things like hugs, petting, strolls, snacks, and such. If this transpires he will approach willingly whenever you call out his name.
- Develop a coaching schedule that is short and sweet, about ten minutes three times a day. Extensive repeated trainings can be monotonous and the Rat Terrier is going to lose interest in learning. Help make training cool and use trick training to show commands like sit, down, come etc.
- Connect with the Rat Terrier and both of you are going to have fun with your lessons. The pup must expect hanging out with you and not keep away from you by breaking away or hiding. Make sure to socialize the puppy early on. Socialization is one of the most essential teachings. The Rat Terrier has to figure out how to exist around other animals, people, sounds, vehicles, and other activities. Therefore, carefully introduce the doggie when he is small to common endeavors and sounds. Take him to the store/ park, present him to kids and other animals, and make him unfrightened of the vacuum and garden hose.
- Get to know everything about crate training, leash walking, house breaking, in addition to food training. These are kindergarten lessons that every Rat Terrier puppy must understand. Learn about all the idiosyncrasies and distinctive features of the breed. This will give you valuable ideas on how to properly educate the doggy.
As a Rat Terrier parent you have plenty of options. You might decide to train the Rat Terrier yourself or enroll at a qualified professional training school. Training a Rat Terrier has numerous steps: preschool, behavior training, doggy sports, presenting and conformation, in addition to other elements like therapy dogs, hearing dogs, et cetera. What standard you decide to teach depends on you in addition to the brainpower of your Rat Terrier. As you realize, various dogs, like human beings, have different talents. Choose wisely and both you and your Rat Terrier pup will have fun times together.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Rat Terriers.
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