Have Realistic Expectations

Changing behavior takes time. You need to have realistic expectations about changing your dog’s behavior as well as how long it will take to change behaviors that you don’t like. Often behaviors which are “normal” doggie behaviors will take the most time such as barking, digging and jumping. You also need to consider how long your dog has rehearsed the behavior. For example, if you didn’t mind that your dog jumped up on people to say hi for the last seven years and now you decide that you don’t want him to do that anymore, that behavior will take a much longer time to undo than if you had addressed it when he was a pup. Remember it’s never too late to change the behavior some will just take longer than others.

Don’t Underestimate the Benefits of Feeding a High-Quality Food

Feed your dog a high-quality diet with appropriate amounts of protein. If your dog spends most of his days lounging in your condo, don’t feed him food with a protein level that is ideal for dogs who herd sheep all day. The money that you will spend on feeding an appropriate quality food will often be money that you save in vet bills later on. I recommend you always check with your veterinarian for the right diet for your dog.

You Get What You Reinforce – Not Necessarily What You Want

If your dog exhibits a behavior you don’t like, there is a strong likelihood that it’s something that has been reinforced before. A great example is when your dog brings you a toy and barks to entice you to throw it. You throw the toy. Your dog has just learned that barking gets you to do what he wants. You say “no,” and he barks even more. Heaven forbid you give in and throw the toy now! Why? Because you will have taught him persistence pays off. Before you know it you’ll have a dog that barks and barks every time he wants something. The solution? Ignore his barking or ask him to do something for you (like “sit”) before you throw his toy.

Bribery vs. Reward

The idea of using treats to train is often equated with bribery. Truthfully, dogs do what works. If using treats gets them to do what you want, then why not? You can also use the world around you as a reinforcement. Every interaction you have with your dog is a learning opportunity, so when you think about it, you probably don’t use food very often except during active training sessions. So why does your dog continue to hang out? Because you reinforce him with praise, touch, games and walks. Just remember, the behavior should produce the treat; the treat should not produce the behavior.

Freedom

Let your new dog gradually earn freedom throughout your home. A common error that many pet parents make is giving their new dog too much freedom too soon. This can easily lead to accidents relating to housetraining and destructive chewing. So, close off doors to unoccupied rooms and use baby gates to section off parts of the house, if necessary. One of the best ways to minimize incidents is to keep your dog tethered to you in the house and by using a crate or doggie safe area when you can’t actively supervise him.

Additional puppy training techniques

The best method used when learning how to train a puppy or dog, and the most successful amongst professional trainers is a rewards-based, positive training technique. A reward could be many things, but most importantly, it must be something a puppy or dog values as worthy enough to do, in order to receive the reward.

Some of the best and most successfully used dog training practices are:

Voice signals – The easiest way to teach a puppy is by using your voice. Always use a calm, but firm tone with clear instructions on what you expect. Example: Sit! Then reward him when he gets it right.
Hand cues – Your puppy or dog will need to have a good understanding of voice commands before introducing hand cues. These types of commands are best for distance training and are often used in agility training.
Clicker training – You can train your puppy to follow your instructions using a clicker. The sound is also distracting and will make him pay attention immediately. Clicker noise should be associated with a specific action, like learning to not jump up on you or other people. Reward him for getting it right.
Game playing – Creating a game around training a puppy or dog could be fun for both of you. You can apply this technique to any object play, such as throwing a toy. When your puppy or dog returns it to you, reward him with a treat.

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