Paw Pals Pet Sitting

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in Northern VA

(703) 345-1695
Schedule Our Services
  • About Us
    • Client Reviews
    • Common Questions
    • Team Bios
    • Join Our Team
    • Who We Support
  • Pricing
    • Dog Walking
    • Dog Sitting
    • Cat Sitting
    • Pet Sitting
    • Additional Services
    • Holiday Fee Service Schedule
  • Policies
  • Dog Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas ,VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Dog Walking
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Cat Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Pet Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fair Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

A Beginner’s Guide to Dog Training

December 29, 2017 by Mary Telesz

dog training guideSo, you just got a puppy for the Holidays. I bet you are very happy. But before anything else, it is only logical that you consider training your dog. Dog training is a rewarding experience not only for your dog but also for you. While human members of the family need to be familiarized with household chores, so do your dogs. As a first-time dog owner, how do you train your dog? There are so many tricks that you can teach your dog but there are certain basic things that you need to know in order for your dog trainings to be effective.

Obedience Training

Dog training can be overwhelming during the first few days of training. Truth be told, dogs don’t really know what it is that you want them to do and that it takes small steps to be able to train your dog. The first thing that you need to do is training your dog on how to be obedient. The cornerstone of good behavior for dogs is teaching or training them to be obedient. It is key to note that most dogs flourish with predictable and boundary routines. If you don’t teach them how to obey, they won’t know how to behave.

There are so many techniques to coach your dog and you can hire a professional dog trainer or enroll your dog in a dog training class. But what if you want to do it by yourself? Yes, there are a lot of people who have successfully trained their dog by themselves. You don’t actually need out-of-this-world gadgets to train your dog to be obedient. Simple tools like a dog collar, leash, and clappers are what you would need. But most importantly, make sure that you reinforce every positive behavior that your dog makes.

Setting Up Training Sessions

Training sessions with your dog should last between 10 and 15 minutes, around two to three times a day. This is very important particularly for puppies as they have a very short concentration span–much like children. Even adult dogs become bored with long training sessions.

dog training

During the training session, start by teaching basic commands like sit, lie down, stay, or come when called. It is crucial that you just teach one action or trick with every training session so that your dog does not get puzzled with too many instructions. If you think that your dog has already mastered one trick, try to introduce another trick slowly.

There is no standard number of sessions that you can follow so that your dog will become properly trained. The success still depends on the skill of the trainer as well as the receptivity of your dog. Some dogs might only require a couple of weeks while others need more. Be patient and consistent!

Use Positive Reinforcement

The use of positive reinforcement is very crucial in training your dog. This means that you are rewarding the positive behavior of your dog. There are so many ways to do positive reinforcement but the most effective include treats, praises, and games. Clicker training is a great way to do positive reinforcement.
But more than rewarding your dog, positive reinforcement also allows you to communicate to your dog and let him or her know what you want by giving rewards. In fact, it is more effective than punishing dogs as they—more often than not—get confused on why they are being punished.

Train Using Games

Training does not need to be boring for you and your dog. It can also be fun if you use games. While serious training is important for your dog to learn tricks, it is also crucial for them to have fun. Playing games with dogs builds rapport and deepens your relationship with your dog. It also builds trust between you and your canine friend. Examples of fun games that you can use to train your dog include hide and seek, fetch, tug-of-war, find the treat, and even dog sports. However, playing dog sports require special facilities that are only available in many dog training clubs. You can even take your dog to frequent walks to train them especially when it comes to socializing with other dogs.

dog training techniques

Training your dog can be challenging but keep in mind that it is necessary so that your dog will be disciplined. If you live in Northern Virginia area, you can seek help from Local Paw Pals not only in training your dog but also for dog walking and sitting services.

Filed Under: Pet Training

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

Have a question?

Send us a message and we'll get back to you in a timely manner.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Certifications & Associations

PetTech-logo

PUPS-logo

KennelPro

Northern Virginia Magazine - Best Pet Care 2019 Award

 2020 Best Pet Care Award

Powered By

Pet Sitter Plus logo

Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

professional dog walking software

Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 22151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
See All Reviews Write a review
powered by Google

© 2021 · Paw Pals Pet Sitters, LLC · Website Design by 321 Web Marketing