Dog Training

Use positive reinforcement methods

• Use positive reinforcement to teach your puppy how to behave. Positive reinforcement methods, such as praise and rewards, encourage your puppy to repeat desired behaviors. Your puppy will quickly learn what you do and don’t want him to do if you consistently praise or reward him when he exhibits the behavior you want, and ignore or redirect him when he displays the behavior you don’t want. You can use a clicker to tell your dog exactly when he has done something right.

• Be consistent about which words you use for commands. Dogs are much more likely to respond well to training if they know that certain words mean certain actions. Pick a single word for each command—for example, "sit"—and be consistent with its use throughout training sessions.

• Don’t allow aggressive behavior toward people or other animals. While it can be amusing (or even heartwarming) at first, biting is not acceptable behavior in dogs beyond their first few months of life. Milder forms of misbehavior can also lead to more serious issues down the line—for instance, continued barking at strangers may lead to biting later on. If these negative behaviors rear their heads during training sessions, simply redirect your dog by getting his attention on something else—give him another command or get his interest with a toy or treat—and then reward good behavior once he starts listening again.[11]

• Do not punish your puppy for accidents inside the house.[12] If you catch your puppy in the act of urinating or defecating in an inappropriate place inside the house—on a rug instead of going outside, for instance—it's best not to respond by punishing him physically or verbally; doing so may only cause fear or confusion."

Set realistic training goals

Before you begin training your dog, it's important to set realistic goals. While it can be fun to see what your dog may be capable of and work towards helping them achieve these things, some behaviors are simply not possible for dogs:

• Don't try to train a dog to do something that is not in its nature. Dogs will not bark the national anthem upon command or fly an airplane or play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the piano. Some things just aren't in their nature! They're great at a lot of things (including being our best friends), but dogs were never meant to be able-bodied pianists or pilots.

• Don't train a dog to do something that may put them in danger. For instance, it would probably not be a good idea to teach your dog how to climb ladders; they could accidentally fall off and hurt themselves badly! Plus ladders were really made for humans anyway; dogs have four legs, so they don't need fancy things like ladders.

If a behavior is not working, change the method

This is a key tip for dog training. If you are not seeing progress, try a different approach.

There are many reasons that this might be the case. You may need to consider the dog's personality or learning style, or environment. Or it could have to do with the trainer's personality or learning style, or their experience and environment.

Change up the routine

A change in routine is the spice of life, and it's no different for your dog. Knowing this, try to keep things interesting by changing up the location where you train. Some owners choose to stay indoors, while others find success training in the yard or even at a nearby park. If possible, it's best to bounce between locations and surfaces (i.e., grass vs concrete vs sand) so your pup doesn't get too comfortable with any one type of environment—and so he doesn't associate bad behavior with specific areas.

Additionally, if you're training outside your home during warmer months, be sure to bring plenty of water for both you and your dog!

Do not use harsh punishment techniques

Punishment is the third element in dog training. Again, this is not always necessary if you use positive reinforcement correctly, but if a dog is really misbehaving, he may need to be punished.

When you are punishing your dog, it's important to keep calm and firm but never angry or harsh. The reason for this is that dogs live in the present moment—they can't hold grudges against their owners like humans do. If you punish your dog in anger, he will only think of it as a random outburst rather than something he deserves for misbehaving. It's also not fair to reward good behavior with positive reinforcement and then punish bad behavior by being cruel or mean. Keep up with a positive attitude!

There are several ways to effectively punish a dog:

• Say "No!" or "Uh uh!" loudly and firmly each time he does something wrong

• Immediately stop playing or interacting when he does something wrong

• Use a clicker (if you're clicker training) as soon as punishment needs to occur

• Use your body language as punishment by pointing at him when he does something wrong

Positive training methods are the best way to go.

Positive training methods are the best way to go. You want your puppy to associate good things with you, so reward good behavior—just make sure that whatever you use as a reward is something your dog really likes, and not just the most readily available treatment in the house. Using a variety of rewards (treats, belly rubs, toys) and giving different rewards for different behaviors will keep your dog from getting bored and will help train them to respond faster.

Don't punish bad behavior: punishing your dog for doing something wrong won't actually teach them what they should be doing instead, it'll just tell them that you're unpredictable and maybe even scary. Instead of punishing bad behavior with harsh words or physical punishments like hitting or kicking your dog (which can effectively ruin any of the trust-building you've been working on), try redirecting their attention or find a way to redirect their energy into an acceptable outlet.