Getting a new puppy is an exciting new experience but at the same time extremely challenging! As all pet owners know, training your new furry friend to be well-behaved and obedient is a priority. Where to start training can be overwhelming, from research to equipment, to dog treats, it is difficult to know where to begin your training journey. In this blog post, we will give you the best tips and dog treat recommendations to ensure that training your puppy goes as smoothly as possible!
Six benefits of dog training
To begin with, it is so important to train your dog for both your sake and for the health of your dog. Below are six reasons on to why you need to be training your dog!
1. Safety
A dog which is trained and obedient is a safe dog. This can be recalling your dog from a dangerous situation to ensuring your dog does not attack another dog. Training your dog allows them to understand dangerous situations whilst also being able to socialise with other dogs and learn positive and healthy habits.
2. Improves your dog’s health
Dogs thrive on routine and obedience and enjoy being trained. The training sessions involve both physical and mental exercises for your dog and ensures engaging and positive behaviours are learnt.
3. Socialisation
Socialising your dog through training exposes them to different people, animals, and environments. When done correctly, socialisation benefits your dog’s confidence and reduces anxiety and stress. A well-socialised dog is much less likely to develop aggression and live a happier and healthier life. Additionally, a socialised dog can be taken on more adventures and can have playdates with other dogs. Making both your life and your dog’s life much easier and stress free!
4. Building a bond between you and your furry friend
Did you know that training can strengthen your relationship with your dog? Training combined with positive reinforcement techniques enhances a bond between dog and owner and allows for trust to be formed. Additionally, positive reinforcement reduces stress and anxiety in dogs alongside giving them extra yummy treats!
5. Preventing negative behaviours
When a dog has had full training then they are much less likely to develop negative behaviours. This can be aggression to other dogs to things such as chewing furniture. Nobody wants an aggressive dog and therefore it is your responsibility to train them properly.
6. Training is continuous and takes a dog’s whole life!
Lastly but most importantly, training is not just for when your furry friend is a puppy. Dogs need continuously trained throughout their lifetime. This can be new tricks or learning human words, but behavioural training is so important, and dogs can develop bad habits later in life.
Choosing the Right Dog Treats
The dog treat market is filled with different brands, flavours, sizes and shapes of treats and it can be difficult to know where to start! The most important factor to look for is quality. Ideally, looking at the ingredients list to identify natural ingredients paired with no artificial flavours or additives. If you want to find out more about dog treats, read our blog post ‘Healthy dog treats found in your kitchen!’
Cooked Lean Meat
Dogs favourite foods include meat! Plain boiled chicken cut into small pieces is great for training. Chicken is easy for dogs to digest whilst being full of nutrients and being extra yummy.
If you are unsure on feeding your dog real chicken, there are other great options on the dog treat market. These treats are from pedigree and are chicken flavour and clean your dog’s teeth! The treats also have no artificial colours or flavours.
Adventuros Adult Dog Treats
These dog treats are great for training adult dogs, with the treats being rich in meat and low in fat! The brand feature different variations of the treats, ensuring there is something for every dog!
ForthGlade Dog Treats
Last but not least is the brand Forthglade which has been tried and tested and approved as the best dog treats for training by Smart Bark. They have a wide variety of products and flavours, with their soft bite treats being perfect for training puppies. The texture is softer compared to the usual crunchiness of dog biscuits and therefore are much easier to swallow. The flavours range from turkey to lamb to even salmon!
Chicken and Duck Flavour
These treats are heart shaped and can easily be broken into two smaller shapes!
Multipack of 3
If you are struggling to decide between the yummy flavours, then this pack of three is perfect for you! The treats even come with a dog toy.
Trial and Error
It is important to discover what treats your dog enjoys, just like human’s dogs have preferences too! This can take some time, but it is definitely worth it! Additionally, dogs can have dietary requirements and health specifications, therefore finding a treat that they enjoy but is also easily digestible and healthy for them is so important!
Check out our other Blog Posts
Below you can find more interesting and exciting blog posts on everything you need to know about dogs!
