Basic King Charles Spaniel Training

King charles spaniel training is an important part of your dog’s development.  Training provides you with control, and your dog with direction.  Although cavalier king charles spaniels (CKCS) are easy to train, eager to learn and highly intelligent, which makes them ideal for taking part in obedience competitions, you will find that basic training is all your pooch requires if his sole purpose is to be a family pet.

What should you teach your dog?  You can teach your dog as many commands and tricks that you want.  However, if you are looking for king charles spaniel training basics, the commands you would be interested in usually include:

• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Come
• Wait
• Heel

You will find that you can study most of these general training commands from a book or video, but one of the best places to learn them is by taking your cavalier to puppy or basic obedience classes.  It is a good idea for first-time dog owners to enroll their dog in a class, because they can obtain proper teaching skills.  Classes also help socialize dogs, and provide them with mental stimulation.

However, when king charles spaniel training is done at home, you need to keep the following basic tips in mind to achieve effective results:

• Be patient – don’t expect your dog to understand and perform your commands after the first time.  Each lesson is usually introduced in steps.
• Keep training lessons short.  Training sessions should be no longer than 10 minutes to keep your dog interested.
• Limit distractions at first – Teach your dog in an area that is quiet where only you and he are present.  As he improves, increase distractions so you know he will respond to your commands in more involved environments, such as a park.
• Reward him with treats and praise – When your king charles responds to commands, reward him with small treats and praise to keep him happy, interested, and to show him that he has greatly pleased you.  Eventually you will want to replace treats with praise, attention and playtime.
• Persistence – Your spaniel will sometimes show he has a mind of his own, and may decide he isn’t’ interested in following your command.  Don’t give in!  You must be persistent and show him whose boss.
• Consistency – Every command part of your king charles spaniel training should be taught in the same manner every time, so you don’t confuse your dog and can achieve faster results.
• Do not reprimand your dog for doing what he was told – It is imperative that you remember a canine associates praise and discipline with their last action.  Therefore, if you command your dog to “Come” and he happens to flatten your flower bed in the process, you cannot yell at him for ruining your plants because he will think you are mad at him for following your command.  Praise him when he responds to a command, regardless of what may result from his response.  Don’t confuse him.

Finally, understand that king charles spaniel training is a lifelong commitment, and does not stop as soon as your dog shows he has learned from your teachings.  You must practice and continue to refresh your pet’s memory throughout his life to ensure he stays sharp, responsive and obedient.