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Once you bring your new Akita home, it’s a good idea to begin training immediately. But why are Akitas so hard to train? What is the best way to train an Akita? How to train Akita puppies?
For training Akita puppy, you have a variety of options. Whether you decide to train your dog yourself, take classes, or hire a trainer, you can apply the following fundamental Akita training tips right away to make the process easier!
Top 10 Akita Training Tips
Training should be an enjoyable, rewarding, and fulfilling experience. These top 10 tips will help your training on the right track, whether you and your furry friend are working on basic manners or attempting a brand-new trick.
Tip 1: Choose Your Aktia’s Name Wisely
Finding the perfect name for your new Akita is part of the fun of bringing him home. But did you know certain names will make things easier?
The name you choose for your dog should grab his attention. Consider a short name with a strong consonant at the end. Make sure it is unique, recognizable, and will not sound like any verbal cues you use during training or any family members’ names.
Also, remember to associate it with fun, pleasant experiences rather than negative ones. Ideally, your Akita should think of his name in the same way he thinks of other fun stuff like mealtimes or walks.
Tip 2: Decide on the “House Rules”
Most Akita puppies are eager learners, but they won’t learn if the rules change every minute.
Deciding what your pup can and can’t do early will help you avoid confusion – for both of you. Do you allow your dog on the furniture? Do you want him to sleep in your bed? What’s the best position for him to eat?
You get what you reinforce, not what you want. If your Akita shows a behavior you don’t like, it’s very likely that something has been reinforced before.
Tip 3: Eliminate Distractions
Distractions rank as the main barrier to successful training lessons. Like us, dogs can easily get distracted by a variety of things. So it’s always a good idea to minimize distractions during training sessions.
For example, you can close the windows, keep their toys away, and start lessons in a quiet place away from your children or other pets.
Unfortunately, even without distractions, dogs will eventually lose focus and be more difficult to train. You should break the training up into short sessions to around 10-15 minutes is the sweet spot.
Tip 4: Be Concise
Although Akitas can learn many different words and phrases, their English is “very basic” when you first start training. Using full sentences or multi-step commands will only confuse them. For newbies, simple, one-word commands like sit, stay, down, and paw are the best.
Tip 5: Reward Good Behavior
Use positive reinforcement to reward your dog’s good behavior. Let your Akita know when he’s doing the right thing by using treats, praise, toys, or anything he finds rewarding. Along those same lines, never reward bad behavior, as it will only confuse him.
You’ll be surprised at how hard your dog will work for a small piece of chicken breast or liver. Those may work in a distraction-free environment, but when training lessons get more complex, you will need the good stuff.
Does he really like it?
In fact, words like “a treat all dogs love” printed on the bag don’t guarantee your Akita will automatically like it. Some dogs are very selective, so keep your eyes open for what he enjoys.
In general, soft and chewy treats are usually more exciting for your Akita than hard and crunchy treats.
Tip 6: Train on “Dog Time”
According to a 2014 study by National Geographic, dogs forget an incident within two minutes. They have a very short short-term memory.
Learn to be quick with treats and rewards. If treats come more than a few seconds after your Akita has completed the task, he has no idea what he did to earn it. He was happy to take it, but you failed to reward what you taught him.
Tip 7: Teach Your Akita to Come When Called
Come, Jack! Good boy!
Come should be the first command you teach your four-legged friend. Get down on your dog’s level and tell him to come using his name. Call him in a happy, playful tone and reward him with treats, toys, or compliments when he comes to you.
As your Akita gets older, you’ll continue to see and love the benefits of perfecting this command.
Tip 8: Set Up a Private Den
Giving new puppies too much freedom too soon is a common mistake many dog owners make. But this can easily lead to accidents relating to destructive chewing and housetraining.
The best way to minimize incidents is to use a crate or safe area when you cannot actively supervise your dog. If he stays calm and quiet in his den, do not hesitate to reward him with a treat.
Related post: Crate Training an Akita Puppy in 3 Easy Steps
Tip 9: Say No to Nipping
Puppy nipping is a pretty common challenge for new dog owners.
A great way to discourage this bad behavior is to pretend you’re in horrible pain with a sharp, loud yell when your dog nips you. Most dogs are so surprised that they quickly stop.
In addition, dogs tend to prefer a chew toy or bone, so you can give them these to prevent them from nipping your hands, pant legs, or your favorite shoes.
Tip 10: End Training Sessions on a Positive Note
How you end a training session will set the tone for the next, so keep that in mind. Always end with something positively your dog knows.
Your Akita has worked hard and put a lot of effort to follow your commands during training. Give him some petting, praises, treats, and five to ten minutes of play to ensure he’ll show up at the upcoming class with a tail wagging!
Bonus Tip
Do NOT wait too long to start training your new Akita puppy. Training is more challenging as dogs get older. The Akita will be stubborn and easy to be aggressive if not trained and socialized from a young age.
Although puppies have short attention spans, they are able to learn basic commands. However, your dog’s age also matters for certain kinds of training. You can learn more through this source, or grab the free guide below.
Learning how to train your dog is a great way to strengthen your relationship with your furry companion. Regardless of the behavior you are trying to teach him, the Akita training tips in this article will help!
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