Basic Obedience

Training starts with basic obedience. You don't have to go to an obedience class, but it's a good idea. Your dog will get extra socialization and you will have an expert right there, able to answer your questions.

Natural Instincts

Things like chewing and jumping are things that dogs just do! Basic obedience helps them learn when it is appropriate and when it is not. For example, if you find your dog chewing something they shouldn't be, don't just tell them "no" and take it away, tell them .no. and give them something more appropriate like a rawhide or chew toy.

Positive Reinforcement

When training your dog, or looking for a trainer or obedience class, the method of training should be positive reinforcement. This means you reward the dog when he does something right, and ignore the behavior when he does something wrong. Having a good relationship with your dog and not yelling and punishing him increases the likelihood he will listen to you.

Essential Commands

These commands are a must for any dog and dog owner and may even save your dog's life.

• Sit

  Usually the first "trick" people teach their dogs. Just knowing this "trick" will help you teach your dog not to jump on people.

  To get him to sit, hold small treat in your hand at his eye level, but don't let him have it. Move your hand and the treat slowly behind him; he will look up to watch your hand, and his butt should touch the floor. If you do it too fast, your dog may just back up a couple steps to keep the treat in his sight.

• Down

  Not to be confused with "Off" this is when the dog is laying on his belly. Down is a submissive position for your dog, so don't be surprised if there is some hesitation at first.

  To get him "down" start when he is sitting. Hold a small treat in your hand and let him sniff, then slowly drop your hand to the ground and then away from your dog. Again, if you do it too fast, he may just stand up and walk toward the treat. You want him to reach for it so you can guide his actions.

• Off

  When your dog is on the couch and he shouldn't be, tell him .off. instead of .down.. You don't want to use two different commands interchangeably because this can confuse your dog. For example, if he is on the couch and you tell him down, and he lays down, in his mind he is doing what you want.

• Stay

  As in "don't move from that spot!"

  With your dog sitting, slowly take small steps away from your dog. If he gets up from the sit, ask him to sit again and start over. Start with just a few seconds and gradually add more time and distance between you and your dog.

• Come

  Meaning "get over here right now!" You never want to tell your dog "come" and then punish him; he'll associate coming to you with bad things and never listen when you call him. "Come" should be equated with something good and fun so your dog will hear "come" and think "I wanna go over there!"

  The importance of "come" can not be overstated. You may even want to come up with a special command that you know your dog will listen to (for example, I use my dogs nicknames when I want them to come running to me!) You want them to choose you over whatever else they may be doing!

Don't feel that you have to use any certain word for a command. Dogs don't know English; to them the words are just sounds that precede them doing a certain action.

Make sure everyone in the house is training the dog the same way. For example, everyone should use the same command for the same action. Use hand signals along with verbal signals in training; if you are in a noisy place with your dog, you can use hand signals instead of trying to shout commands. Be consistent with what you ask of your dog. Master one command before moving on to the next. Keep training sessions short and fun.

Leash Training

Teaching your dog to walk on a leash can be one of the more frustrating parts of training, but with patience you will have a dog you walk and not one that walks you! You also need lots of time to master leash training.

Training Tools

All you need are a collar and leash. Don't reach for a choke collar or prong collar unless you are working with a trainer or behaviorist. These training tools can cause injury to your dog if not used correctly.

Tips for leash training

Dogs pull because they want to get where they are going, usually faster than you want to go. When your dog pulls, stop. Stand still for a few seconds. Eventually he will learn that pulling doesn't get him there faster, it doesn't get him there at all! Don't spend the first part of your walk training and then the rest where you let your dog pull. This just teaches him that you will give in and let him pull you around.