4 Types of Training for Improved Dog Behavior and Agility


Is your dog in need of habit improvement training? Well, if you’ve already started noticing some not so good behaviors in your dog like destructive chewing, restless in new environments or around strangers, excessive barking and aggression then you may want to consider training your dog. However, choosing the right type of training for your puppy can be a little challenging considering some training techniques are only meant for competitive dogs.

Here are some of the best type of training for dogs that can help improve its habit and performance.

1. Obedience Training

When it comes to dog training, this is the most common type of class for misbehaving dogs. This training technique is designed to teach dogs basic instructions such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’, ‘come’, ‘off’, and ‘down”. Some of these dog commands can be easily taught at home, but for more effectiveness consider enrolling your dog to a professional class. This could be either individual or group sessions depending on what you want for your dog.

For adult dogs, which are often easier to train, it’s recommended to sign up for individual classes. In this setting, they are more receptive to commands and training techniques than in group sessions. Puppies, on the other hand, would benefit a lot in group classes than individual classes because they’ll often tend to copy from each other allowing them to learn a bit faster.

While they may not catch up with the training in the first few sessions, group training can help puppies learn how to socialize and develop comfort around other dogs. Obedience classes are meant dogs of all ages and not just puppies; old dogs can still learn new tricks with the required training.

2. Behavioral Training

Fixing that bad and unwanted habit from your dog calls for this type of training. Whether the dog becomes aggressive and restless in the presence of new people or settings, begging, or exhibit obsessive-compulsive habits, behavioral training can help instill good manners.

Dealing with a dog with behavioral problems can be really frustrating, especially if you’re not sure where the problem is. However, dogs don’t just misbehave, probably there is an underlying issue which makes the dog lose it’s calm and guard. The best thing to do in such a case is to take your dog to a behavior specialist who can help uncover what the problem is and guide you on the best type of training to correct a misbehaving dog.

3. Agility Training

If you’re looking to improve your dog skills and behavior beyond the basic commands, agility training can help you with that. This training is mostly recommended for social anxiety service dogs and dogs that are generally used to support the disabled. Some of the common agility training techniques include standard jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and tunnels. This training is designed to improve the dog’s agility and confidence while reducing anxiety.

You can have the dog run through various obstacles as fast as he can, and choose to reward the dog with a treat when he successfully completes a particular training for encouragement. Dogs are naturally active and this type of training can help bring out the best in him.

4. Therapy Training

Therapy training is designed to teach dogs how to be more affectionate and supportive in their duties as healing companions for people suffering from mental health such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Such as dog can be used by individuals recovering from a condition either in a hospital, nursing or retirement homes.

Therapy dogs undergo emotional support animal training to offer comfort and help trigger calmness on people. They have become a critical part of holistic wellness and play a significant role in society. Therapy dogs are considered certified emotional support animals.