A dog trainer shared the two “simple” skills all owners should have to guarantee their pet behaves in the way they “always dreamed of” – and he urged people to learn them fast. Dogs are a popular choice of pet, with millions of people across the world opening their homes to a four-legged friend who quickly becomes a treasured family member.
Owning a dog isn’t for the faint of heart though as they require consistency, love, attention, mental stimulation, physical exercise and more. Bringing a dog home is a major decision and responsibility – dogs are famously loyal and devoted to their owners, so it’s important to ensure you’re up for the challenge and commitment.
Canine behaviourist Will Atherton often takes to social media to offer training tips and guidance based on his years of professional experience working with a vast array of dog breeds.
Recently, he shared the two skills he considers among the most important for owners in a video on Instagram.
In the clip, the expert began: “Let me tell you the secret to training a perfect canine companion. You need to have the ability to do two things.
“You need to be able to communicate to your dog, ‘please do this’ and then you need to be able to communicate to your dog, ‘please don’t do that’.
“If you have just those two skills, you will be able to train an amazing canine companion. The reality is, is that it really is that simple.
“Everybody wants to overcomplicate it, everybody wants to make it sound like it’s something more fancy than it actually is.”
Reiterating his point, he concludes: “‘Please do this, don’t do that’. If you only ever focus on ‘please do this’, you’re going to run into a lot of situations where your dog would rather do something else.
“If you only ever focus on, ‘don’t do that’, you’re going to find yourself with a dog that’s going to be a little bit nervous not knowing what it is they should be doing instead.”
Will stressed the importance of being able to master both instructions so dogs know exactly what’s expected of them and where they stand.
He urged people to stop “overwhelming” themselves and instead “focus on those two things” to guarantee them a “perfect canine companion”.
In the caption accompanying the video, the expert simply added: “Please do this, please don’t do that.
“Learn how to explain that to your dog in a language THEY UNDERSTAND (that’s the magic part) and you’ll have the dog you always dreamed of!”
Dogs typically bring about a major lifestyle change so before getting one, it’s important to do your research.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that training is essential, and not all dogs are suitable for first time owners.
If you’re looking to welcome a dog into your home, consider the benefits of adopting a puppy or dog from a charity or local shelter instead of shopping from a breeder.
