Based on their nature, every dog has a basic level of intelligence. The intelligence in dogs can range from instinctive intelligence to adaptive intelligence and working or obedience intelligence. There is a wide range of tasks that dogs can perform like sniffing drugs, helping people with disabilities, hunting criminals, and performing clever tricks such a shaking paw. This is the reason why working with dogs can be quite rewarding. Won’t it be fantastic if your dog wo0uld understand your basic commands and can bring stuff to you like your boots or newspaper?
Possibilities need to be embraced
A lot of people believe in the fact that smartness in dogs is highly subjective. Though dogs have the confined ability to sense, hear, and understand limited instructions, their intelligence can always be improved regardless of your dog’s age or breed. If you want to transform your dog into a clever canine, then here is a list of tips that you need to follow. Have a look at some of them!
- Rewards are a complementary delight
Just like while teaching your two-year-old child, positive reinforcement can be crucial, similarly with your dog also rewards can be of great help. Most dogs even understand words like treat or toys easily than other words. Isn’t that amazing?
- Early training is the key
To make your dog a true smart gem, you need to practice physical manipulation every day with him. Start training him from his initial days when he was no bigger than a puppy. Just like humans in case of dogs as well the sooner you start, the better the results are.
- Associate training with hand signals
Gestures are an indispensable tool to help your dog learn new things and respond to new signals. Dogs, in fact, easily understand visual cues and so using comprehensive human visual communication can be a great idea. Rather than talking with your dog and compelling him to understand the instructions if you simply move your hand up or down then your dag may try to figure out that whether he needs to sit or stand.
- Frequency and regular training
Along with keeping in mind the fact that you are training your dog from an earlier period, you should also consider daily training well. It doesn’t matter that training is planned or spontaneous what matters is the consistency and efforts that you need to maintain.
- Word Associations
Researchers say that an average dog can learn about 165 words, and those breeds in the top of the intelligence list can learn more than 250 words. You may not believe your ears, but dogs also know how to count. Yes, they can’t do the deliberate addition or subtractions, but a basic sense of numbers is present in dogs. If you want your dog to be a prodigy in tricks and training, then make sure that you teach him word association well.
- Make your dog work for food
This doesn’t mean that you need to be harsh with your dog but sometimes if your little bundle of joy isn’t listening to your instructions, then you need to be a bit cold-hearted and deny him food for the good.
- Trick or Treat!
You might deny this, but dogs that perform cool tricks look smart. Start with simple tricks such as “sit” or “roll-over” and gradually try to hike the repertoire that can be beneficial on the fun as well as on the practical side.
Follow the tips mentioned above, and you will notice the considerable changes in your dog’s behavior that will be the sole consequence f his increased smartness.
