Dog Training Mastery Guide

Proven Strategies for Beginners and More Advanced Puppy Trainers. Fun and Easy Way to Learn Tricks and Manage Your Best Friend’s Behavior and Habits

WARD NICHOLS

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: Why Everyone Needs A Puppy

Chapter Two: Choosing The Right Puppy For You

Chapter Three: Checklist: Everything You Need For A New Puppy Or Dog

Chapter Four: How To Ease Your Puppy’s Transition To A New Home

Chapter Five: The Psychology Behind Dog Training

Chapter Six: Crate Training Your New Dog

Chapter Seven: House Training Your Dog

Chapter Eight: Teaching Your Dog The Basic Obedience Commands

Chapter Nine: Advanced Obedience Commands Training

Chapter Ten: Advanced Techniques: Clicker Training Your Dog

Chapter Eleven: Advanced Training With Hand Signals

Chapter Twelve: Specialized Training For Dogs

Chapter Thirteen: Teaching Your Dog Positive Food Behavior

Chapter Fourteen: Managing Behavioral Problems In Your Dog

Chapter Fifteen: Socializing Your Dog

Chapter Sixteen: Exercising Your Dog

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Every dog owner wants their dog to have some form of training to an extent, and for good reasons. Having a dog as your pet is more enjoyable when the dog is trained to obey commands and perform tricks. When they get a new dog, most dog parents usually end up saving to take their new friends to a professional trainer so that they can acquire all the skills they want. Well, you don’t have to do that. With the right resource to serve as your guide, dog training does not have to be hard. It becomes amazingly simple and straightforward with an authentic guide.

An authentic guide is precisely what  “Dog Training Mastery Guide”  hopes to be for you, whether you are a beginner in the dog training game or you are already experienced and advanced. This ultimate dog training guide contains everything you need to know to become a skilled dog trainer and help you canine friends develop fundamental to advanced performance skills. But not only does this book provide methods and techniques to help you train your dog to become well-educated, obedient, and socialized, it also contains proven tips to help you combat behavioral problems in your dog. It is not only a must-read for every dog parent looking to train their dog themselves but also a must-read for budding and experienced dog trainers. Starting from the very basic,  Dog Training Mastery Guide  explains dog training in a language that beginners would find easy to understand and put to use. 

Ready to start teaching your new dog basic and advanced obedience skills and shaping his future behavior? Move on to the first chapter! 

Chapter One:
Why Everyone Needs A Puppy

If you are someone who frequents the internet, you have come across a few or one too many pictures and videos of puppies and dogs being all kinds of adorable. From getting a tan in the sun to just being outrightly mischievous, puppies do tons of lovely things that make you wish you had your furry friend. However, pictures and videos aren’t exactly the reason why people choose to bring a puppy into their home. As someone very familiar with dogs, you would expect that at a certain point in life, I may become desensitized to the charms of a fluffy, little pup. But that is not the case. It is safe to say that with every passing day, I simply find puppies more and more adorable and charming. It’s almost like I am jaded. This shouldn’t be a surprise as it’s usually this way with anybody that has had a puppy for a long time in their life or has simply worked with them. 

So, the first reason why people choose to get a puppy is because of their overwhelming adorable trait. That is the number one reason. It is the first persuasive argument any dog parent or enthusiast would give you as to why they want or need a puppy, and you can’t blame them for it. One of the most challenging things dog enthusiasts and owners usually find hard to accept is the simple fact that their tiny, cuddly puppy would later grow up to become a mature and bigger version of itself. This is a fact of life, but it usually comes as a disappointment to many that they no longer have that fluffy ball of energy they once fell in love with. It usually leads to several people finding a new home for their grown dog. When considering getting a puppy, it is essential to look beyond the cuteness and adorableness and be conscious of the fact that the puppy would grow up and become bigger one day. It might seem like an obvious fact, but it is quite easy to forget or push it to the back of your mind. If you are not confident that you can handle the grown and mature version of a little puppy, then you might not be ready to get a dog. 

Many dog lovers prefer to get puppies instead of grown dogs to raise and train the puppies in their way. They want to be a part of the pup’s life, as it matures from childhood to adulthood. This provides an avenue for bonding with the dog from a young age and helps assure that its training and socialization are done precisely as they should be. To be candid, this is one huge factor for many people deciding to get a canine friend. Training, socialization, and desensitization are some of the ways to starting your puppy on the right path in life, and they indeed hold the key to you getting the dog you have always desired. But if you don’t have the time to invest in your dog’s training, don’t have the skills, or don’t have the money to hire help or get a training guide such as this one, then getting a dog is your way of making life harder for yourself down the road. As a prospective dog owner, you should be able to assess how prepared you are for the task of training, socializing, and building a solid foundation for your dog. Can you invest time in taking your puppy to new places, introducing him to other puppies and people, and working together to show him that you will sometimes have to do things he may not like for his good? 

You may not know this, but some people also get pets to use them as practice kids. Whether they admit it or not, a lot of people get puppies just for this reason. A couple might decide to get a new puppy to make their new house feel like a home. It is an excellent way of figuring out just how good you are at raising a living thing together before you decide you are ready to have kids together, right? Well, it can get a little complicated. Raising a dog may have some of the requirements as raising children, but they are worlds apart. Raising a pet comes with lower responsibility levels than children come with. For a couple, this can be a great way of testing their abilities. But what happens when the puppy starts to get older? What do you do when you are successful at raising the practice kid, and it is time to step up to the bigger responsibilities that are kids? Where does your dog fall in all this? Having spent his whole life being your willing practice kid, being loyal, and doing everything expected, what do you do with him? Just because you are ready to move on to children doesn’t mean you have to cast your dog aside. Life continually evolves, and we, as humans, readily adapt to its new stages, but be sure that you will bring your dog along into the next phase of life and its adventure. Make sure you get him (or her) ready for a child – a new addition to the family. 

These are just some of the reasons why people choose to get a puppy, and you can’t fault them for it. But why should you get a puppy? Why do you need one? Well, there are several reasons I could give you for owning a puppy. But science has even more convincing reasons backed with years of research and evidence. Let’s find out what these science-backed reasons for getting a puppy are.

Firstly, puppies are great for your heart. Literally. Sure, cuddling with your furry friend might make you feel warm at heart. But research conducted by the American Heart Association discovered that owning a dog can reduce a person’s risk of getting cardiovascular disease. If cuddling your pooch can achieve that, then why should you not get a puppy? It’s certainly worth it. 

Secondly, dogs are known to be great therapists. Animal-assisted therapy, or pet therapy as it is also called, is linked to a decrease in anxiety, depression, and pain levels in people with varying mental and physical health conditions. Many people have a lot to benefit from animal-assisted therapy, including people undergoing chemotherapy, people with post-traumatic stress disorder, and those working on improving their fine motor skills. Some universities, like Miami University, ate using pet therapy to help new and old students ease feelings of depression and homesickness. Dogs are usually on call during midterm and final exams in those universities to curb those emotions that are typically at an all-time high during these times. 

Most people have a faint idea of how strong the sense of smell of dogs is, but no many know precisely how strong it is. If you don’t already know, dogs have a sense of smell that is like 1 million times stronger than humans. Service dogs use their powerful sense of smell to sniff out bombs and drugs, but interestingly, your puppy can also sniff out whatever is wrong or right inside your body. Research found that our everyday pooch can be trained to discern differences in the breath of people with cancer and those without. Furthermore, a study also found that pups can be trained to locate biomarkers in the urine of prostate cancer patients. That’s an incredibly strong reason to get and train a dog if you ask me. 

If you own a dog, you must have walked it many times, right? Well, all that walking your dog helps many people. A study found that people who own dogs were more likely to achieve the recommended minutes of weekly exercise than those without a dog in their lives. A lot of people tend to dismiss walking as one wussy form of exercise, but it has many health benefits. Just because walking has minimal impact on your joints does not mean it has zero effect on your overall health and wellbeing. Apart from this, dogs can also help lower stress levels. We already know that they make us happier, but lowering your stress level is just one out of the many ways they achieve this. Only playing fetch with your pet or petting, it can increase the production of oxytocin, that feel-good hormone in your brain, and decrease the levels of cortisol, the hormone responsible for inducing stress. 

Another reason why you need a puppy in your life now is that our canine friends can help lower blood pressure. Blood pressure might seem like nothing to worry about if you are still in your early years, but keeping your numbers in check will benefit you a lot. The American Heart Association found that when pet parents get support from their fluffy pets, it can lower the level of blood pressure triggered by mental stress. I think that brings us much closer to making a prescription for dog cuddles a thing. 

A dog is a perfect companion for you if you are a social recluse, or you simply want to ease off social isolation. Rejection is a pretty big deal, but it becomes less big when you have a wagging tail at home to help ease it off. Science affirms that dogs can improve your sense of belonging. Research found that pet parents reported an improvement in self-esteem and felt more conscientious. They also recovered from social rejection quicker and better. One study even found that single adults can improve their mental health and wellbeing by owning a puppy. It makes sense why people would consider dogs man’s best companion. One specifically intriguing discovery I made from working with dogs is that they help alleviate work pressure. Science also backs this discovery. Bringing your puppy with you to work can have a positive impact on your work-induced stress levels. Research confirms that dog owners who take their cuddly friends to work will experience lower levels of workday stress throughout the day. But bringing your pet to work depends on your employer. Maybe you can convince the boss that having an office pooch is an investment in employee wellness and will boost productivity. 

Sometimes, just rubbing your canine’s belly may be enough to keep the flu away. According to research, dogs help boost one’s immune system. They also contribute to overall health improvement. So, even if you don’t feel up to owning a dog, think of the cold and imagine how helpful a trusty canine companion would be in that season. In addition to locating cancer in the body, you can also train your dog to identify life-threatening health problems. For instance, a trained dog can tell when the owner is about to experience a seizure. Or, if you have an allergy, your dog can be trained to detect the nut before you have a potential reaction. 

I could go on about reasons why you or anyone else needs a puppy. Sure, you will have to invest time, money, and precious resources into raising a well-behaved dog. But you, not your dog, have the most to benefit from your relationship. Little things can compare with the years of kisses, happiness, and wellbeing that a puppy will give you. As helpful as getting a dog is, the best thing to harness the full potentials and benefits of owning a dog is to choose one that perfectly fits your lifestyle. 

Therefore, the next thing I will be talking about is how you can choose the right puppy for you and (or) your household. Find out how to make the right puppy decision in the following chapter! 

Chapter Two:
Choosing The Right Puppy For You

We can’t dispute that all puppies are incredibly impressive. But not all are a fit for your lifestyle. The right thing to do before bringing a puppy or dog into your home is to conduct proper research and preparation to ensure that it suits your lifestyle perfectly. If you want a puppy that doesn’t seem so suited to your lifestyle, then you should be ready to compromise and make changes. That is the only way you can find a pet that will be an excellent addition to your family. Whether you are adopting a dog from the shelter or getting a new puppy from a pet store, certain factors will help you decide whether the puppy is right for you or not. The decision to own a dog is far too important to be premised on a love-at-first-sight basis. The range of dog breeds, exercise needs, and temperament makes it crucial for you to research before getting a puppy. Eventually, even the smallest puppy will grow to become an adult, so choosing a pup that suits your lifestyle is the key to ensuring that you don’t regret your decision to own a pooch. More importantly, the right dog is also the easiest to train. If a dog does not fit your lifestyle, you will find training much harder than you imagine. 

Firstly, you must make sure that you are ready to become responsible for another living thing. Ensure you are prepared to own a canine before you jumpstart the process of adopting or purchasing one. You should also make sure that you understand the cost of owning and raising a dog. That isn’t our focal point of discussion, but I must mention that many people rush to get a dog without considering whether they have what it takes to raise one properly, which usually results in suffering for the dog. If you have taken time to consider this thoroughly and you decide that you have what it takes to own and raise your pooch, great! You can proceed to figure out the right type of dog for you. 

As I said, there are various factors to put into consideration when choosing a dog. The most crucial part is your lifestyle and the compromises and adjustments you are willing to make to adapt to a dog in your home. Consider the needs of your family, especially if there are kids, older people, or other pets in the household. If you have a person with allergies in the home, then you might want to consider hypoallergenic dog breeds instead of getting a shedder like the Corgi. You must also consider things such as the ideal size for your dog, activity and energy level, and age. Keep in mind that owning a dog requires a solid commitment to responsible ownership. 

If you want to know about the different dog breeds, speak to an expert, get a book that focuses mainly on species, or reviews several articles online to know about both big and small dogs. An expert can share his or her take on the breeds you have interest in to help you reach the best decision. You can speak to a veterinarian since they work with different dog breeds every day and have the experience to provide detailed insight into which breeds are suitable for your lifestyle and household. Dog trainers can also be incredibly helpful in this regard. Before I give tips that can help you make your decision, here are some questions you should ask yourself to arrive at a range of breeds that will be right for you.

Do you have kids?  If you have children, a kid-friendly breed is what you need. In turn, you also have to make sure your kids are dog-friendly. You might need to take extra steps in teaching them to be accommodating of their new companion and be ready to train the dog while respecting his/her boundaries and personal space. 

            Are there other dogs or animals in your home? 

If you already own a dog or another animal in your house, introducing a new dog will require some additional actions. You will have to make sure that the breed you get is one that gets along with other animals. If it is a combative animal, you already know it won’t be friendly with the other animals you already own. 

            Does your job require you to be away a lot? 

Do you have to continually travel due to work, or is your workplace a long drive away from your home? Think of the possibility of hiring help to take care of your pet while you are away at work. If you can afford it, there should be no problem. If you aren’t spending a lot of time at home, you have to get a breed that is not particularly prone to separation anxiety.  

            Do you live in an apartment?

If your pick is a puppy that will grow larger and larger as it gets older, you may need to reconsider if you live in a city apartment where there is no space to raise a behemoth. Go for a smaller and less active dog that won’t require a lot of space and energy. 

After answering these questions, you will find that you are slightly closer to the right dog for you and your family – if you live with any.

Size

The size of a dog is a vital factor to consider when picking the right puppy. Already, you may know that you want a lap dog you can carry everywhere with you, or you might have your eyes set on a larger breed. If you can’t decide between a small and large dog breed, then a medium-sized dog might be the perfect choice for you. Keep in mind that some smaller breeds are delicate. Stepping on or mishandling a delicate dog can result in a serious mishap. Also, smaller dogs tend to be more sensitive to chilling temperatures, so make sure you have what it takes to keep a small dog warm at all times. One thing about smaller dogs is that some of them can adopt a “tough dog” attitude to compensate for their miniature size. Be sure you are ready to handle that possibility. 

Larger dogs need a lot of space to move around. Big, delighted dogs with long tails tend to need a space where they can wag their tails around with no care in the world. Enough space will help avoid possible injury or damage to objects in the house. Another thing to consider when deciding on the size of your new dog is expenses. The larger a dog, the more expensive its needs – foods, supplies, and treatments – become. Training a larger dog is also much harder than training a small breed. A large dog breed might grow up to become the boss in your household if you don’t train him the right way. 

Breed

You can’t deny that purebreds are the most popular choice among dog enthusiasts. There are varying reasons why one might be attracted to a particular dog breed. You might have been raised around a specific breed or have spent enough time in the company of that breed. Perhaps you just love the way a particular breed looks and actions. Or, you might want that breed based on what you have heard or read about it. If you desire a purebred dog, be ready to complete extensive and thorough research on the breed to determine that it is indeed right for you. Be confident you are willing to take on the challenges that come with owning that breed, including grooming needs, temperament, and health issues. 

Although not as popular as purebreds, mixed breed dogs are also excellent choices. The mix of two or more breeds can create a balance in personalities and physical characteristics, which then makes the resulting breed perfect for your lifestyle. Just make sure you are ready for the unexpected, especially if your new dog is what they call a pound puppy. There is no definite way of knowing what your mixed breed puppy will turn out physically, and you can’t predict the issues and problems they will have. Many experts opine that mixed breeds experience fewer health issues than purebred canines. Overall, mixed breeds turn out to be well-behaved and smart. More importantly, going for a mixed-breed dog means you are eliminating the possibility of euthanizing the dog or giving it away to a shelter.

Age

  Another key determinant in choosing the right dog is age. Puppies, normally, need a great deal of training and attention, especially within the first six months. Prepare yourself to dedicate an enormous amount of time to housebreaking, teaching, and training your new pup. A new puppy will usually have several accidents in its new home and probably chew on a number of furniture and belongings. With dedicated training, you will gradually resolve these little issues and problems. But this requires you to be very patient. If you cannot afford to be patient in training a new puppy, it is much more ideal to go for an older dog. Do not forget that your new puppy might grow up contrary to your expectation, especially if it is a mixed breed. This isn’t a bad thing, but you should regularly remind yourself of that fact. 

For some people, adult dogs can be the right choice. If you want a fair idea of a dog’s true activity level, temperament, and attitude, going for an older dog might be the right thing to do. But just because a dog is grown doesn’t mean he has the necessary training, so you should still expect to train him to an extent. Fortunately for you, some adult dogs usually have some form of training and socialization, which makes them adapt to their new lives faster and better. 

Senior dogs can also be excellent choices if that is what you are into and if it matches your lifestyle. Bringing a senior dog into your home can be an amazing way of adding sunshine to the dog’s golden years. Unfortunately, most senior dogs have a hard time finding owners, and they often end up living the rest of their lives in shelters or being subjected to euthanasia. If you want a lower energy companion, a senior dog can make the right companion for you. However, you should be aware that your senior dog might require frequent veterinary visits, special attention, and is more susceptible to health problems that will be quite demanding of your time and money. Unlike a pup or adult pooch, you should know that you won’t get to spend as many years with a senior dog. If you are willing to look past this and accept all responsibilities, think about adopting a senior dog from a shelter. It might single-handedly be the nicest and most compassionate thing you ever do for the animal. Senior dogs usually don’t require training of any type because they would have already been taught at the shelter or by the former owner. 

Energy and Activity Level

There is no doubt that some dogs have more energy than their canine counterparts, which means that they require more activities than others. A dog’s activity level is usually determined by breed, but this doesn’t mean you can depend on just the breed to determine your dog’s potential activity level. Every dog, whether energetic or not, requires an activity and exercise routine. Regardless of breed, size, or energy, you will need to exercise your dog; so, make sure it is a responsibility you feel up to. If you know you can’t afford more than one or two brief walks daily; you are better off with a dog that has lower energy levels than most. An example is a Basset Hound. But if you want a dog that can be your exercise partner or agility competitor, go for a breed like the Border Collie. 

Be certain you are willing to adjust the amount of exercise and activity you engage your dog with if necessary. Consider the amount of attention you are willing to dedicate to the dog, too. A puppy or dog that barks unnecessarily or acts out in destructive ways is likely in need of more engaging activities. Behavioral problems in many dogs are usually the result of extra unused energy. Unfortunately, some people choose to give up or euthanize their dogs due to a behavioral problem that is their fault and could have been avoided with the right amount of activity and attention. Don’t be one of these people. Go for a dog with an activity level that matches yours. 

Physical Maintenance

A dog’s physical appearance is affected by his maintenance needs. All dogs have basic grooming needs, but certain breeds have grooming needs that are based on their hair coat type. If you adopt or get a breed that grows its hair quite quickly, you will need to equip yourself with advanced grooming essentials, especially if you can’t afford to go to a professional groomer every time. Most short-haired, smooth-coated breeds are heavy shedders, so be prepared for extra cleaning efforts if that is the breed you choose. You may need to get special grooming tools that can reduce shedding in dogs. Take note that dog breeds with long, floppy ears are prone to ear infections, which means they need frequent and thorough ear cleaning. Additionally, some types of dogs drool a lot. Make sure you can keep up with that.

There are other key factors you can weigh more carefully before you decide on the right dog for you, but these are pretty much the essential and basics factors that should influence your decision, ultimately. 

I’d like to state that it is vital to do a background check before you bring a new puppy home. Finding a trusted breeder or animal shelter is key to finding a healthy and well-behaved puppy. If you want a purebred dog, you can speak to your veterinarian or local breed club to guide you through the process and in the right direction. Breed-specific rescue groups also serve as great sources for finding a purebred up for adoption. If possible, you should check out a puppy’s parents and siblings before you adopt, and also check out the breeding facility. You will find it worth your time and effort to find out everything you can about your puppy’s family background and ensure he is from a healthy environment. Usually, it is impossible to do a background check on dogs from the pet store. Moreover, most of the puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills where the breeding standards are deficient. Adopting from a rescue or shelter or getting from a reputable breeder is the only option you should consider when getting a new puppy.

Once you pick the perfect, little snuffles, get him examined by a veterinarian before bringing him into your home for the first time. Breeders, shelters, and rescues usually provide documentations that ascertain that a puppy has been examined by a licensed veterinarian, treated, and vaccinated, but conducting further checks with your vet shouldn’t hurt. When you meet your new companion, here are some things to check for:

            Ensure he looks sharp and aware, without a hint of lethargy.

            Make sure he looks well fed. Check for fat around his rib cage.

            Inspect his fur and coat. Be sure there are no bald patches, and the skin isn’t dry or flaky. 

            Check out the eyes, ears, and nose; make sure they are clean and without discharge. 

            Toss him a toy or ball. Check if his eyes follow the toy.

            Watch out for any signs of illness, such as coughing or sneezing.

            Clap your hands. See if your new puppy turns to look at the source of the noise.

While you are checking these out, make sure you are observing the puppy’s personality and disposition. Selecting a pup with a friendly temperament is the foundation for building a lifetime of happiness, companionships, and contentment with your canine. Know what to look for and be mindful as this will help you have an idea of the puppy’s temperament while visiting. See how/if he plays with his littermates. It can help evaluate how he may get along with other dogs or animals at home – if any – and other dogs he will meet later in life. A puppy who is quite interested in playing yet goes easy when littermate barks or yelps, will undoubtedly find socializing with other dogs easy. 

Also, gauge how he interacts with the people around him. Typically, you will be able to see as he encounters humans of different ages and sexes at the rescue, shelter, or breeder’s place. Ideally, a puppy should be curious about people; he should show interest in them. Puppies that cower in fear or urinate when they see people may find socializing difficult. They also turn out harder to train. Roll the new puppy on his back for few seconds to see ascertain if he has dominance issues. If the puppy struggles or exhibits aggression, you may have a dominant one on your hand. A well-adjusted pooch may simply wiggle a bit and eventually relax in your hands. Take it up a notch by handling his ears, mouth, and paws. A well-adjusted puppy should be comfortable with you handling him. If he tries to get away while you are holding his ears, mouth, or paws, he might not be the type of canine that lets you trim his nails or cuddle him on the couch. 

These are just some of the indicators that can be used to evaluate whether a particular puppy is a suitable fit for you or not. 

Chapter Three:
Checklist: Everything You Need For A New Puppy Or Dog

From the start of this book, you probably expected me to get to the training part right away. But I know that a lot of readers will be new dog parents. If you have ever owned a dog, then you probably already know how to train one. If you never have, it means you are a new dog parent, and you need as much helpful information as you can get. It may not be immediately apparent, but things such as choosing the right puppy and providing everything your puppy needs are pertinent to how smooth and seamless the training process turns out with a new puppy. This is mainly why I chose to start the book with chapters on how you can select the right puppy and everything you need to make a puppy comfortable in its new home. Having said this, let’s look at the complete checklist of things you need for a new canine companion in a new home.

Few things are as exciting as the prospects to bring a brand-new puppy into your home. But before you take your new puppy home, you have to make sure that you are indeed ready to accommodate the new pup in your home. In other words, you have to make your house a prepared space for him. Puppies require a lot of dedication, attention, and care, so having a checklist of their essential needs is a great place to begin. Never forget that you don’t need everything for a new puppy; you only need the basics and essentials. 

Here are puppy essentials to have ready before welcoming a new pooch into your home.

Quality Puppy Food

Up until your new puppy clocks a year, he will need a constant supply of high-quality puppy food formulated specifically for a dog of his age, size, and development. Puppy foods are specifically important because they contain more nutrients than older dogs’ food, and your puppy will need these special nutrients and nourishment to grow and develop at the right pace. If you got your dog from a breeder, you might come home with a supply of the food his breeder feeds to him. Either way, make sure you continue to provide him with the same diet he was weaned onto when he reaches your home. Any changes you want to make to the diet should be a gradual process. Talk to your vet if you are uncertain when or how to change to a new diet. Also, don’t forget that puppies of larger breeds will need different foods from smaller breeds. Ensure that you go through the puppy-food packages to make sure you are getting the right kind of food for your puppy’s breed. If your puppy is of a larger breed, be sure to get food that is formulated specially to aid his rapid development into adulthood. 

Food and Water Bowls

Food and water bowls are no-brainers when making a list of what to get your new puppy. The best kinds of bowls are the ceramic or stainless-steel types that are quite easier to clean. They also don’t retain bacteria as plastic bowls do. Plus, ceramic and stainless-steel bowls are suitable for the dishwasher, and there are tons of beautiful designs to choose from. 

Crate or Puppy Pad

You can choose to crate-train your new pup or use puppy pads with him. Either way, you will need something to keep your pet’s urine or feces off your floors. I recommend crate-training, and you will find out about the best crate-training techniques as you read the book further. Be aware that you need to make your puppy’s crate a safe and comfortable space. So, consider lining the base of the crate with soft bedding materials and make sure you keep your pet’s favorite toy whenever he is in there. Puppy pads are also beneficial; they help to absorb moisture, which prevents leaks and odors. Perhaps the best thing about puppy pads is that they don’t give room for urine to spread along with the parts. 

Treats and Chews

Treats are puppy essentials, and they are particularly important for training. Without a ready bag of treats, training your puppy will be harder than normal, if not impossible. Treats simply make the job easier on you and your puppy. Since treats will be a regular part of your training tools, you must get the healthiest ones possible. Also, make sure the treats are soft and easy for your dog’s tiny teeth to chew on. If you have never owned a puppy, be ready to have your new one chew your household items, including furniture, shoes, clothes, hands, and feet. Getting a good dog chew will help keep your puppy busy while redirecting his attention away from your household objects until he matures and becomes rid of his puppy teeth. 

Dog Toys

Puppies play a lot, and it is your responsibility to keep your pup entertained. Entertainment helps keep the untrained pooch from becoming bored and, ultimately, destructive. You must get several toys of different textures available before you bring your new dog into your home. According to the American Kennel Club, the right number of toys for a new dog should be between 5 and 6. This way, you can interchange the toys a dog plays with while ensuring that you keep him on paws at all times. Apart from keeping your puppy engaged and active, toys also help with teething and chewing problems. However, before getting the toy, ensure it is a plush choice. More importantly, take it with you to the shelter or rescue to rub on littermates and parents to bring back their scent to your family home. This will help your dog settle in quickly with the rest of the family. 

Leash, Collar, and Harness

A leash, collar, and harness are essential puppy wears that you will certainly have a lot of fun picking out. But it’s not just about the fun; make sure you choose the right picks for your puppy. A new puppy isn’t used to “wearing” things, so pick out a collar that is soft, plush, and adjustable – something that won’t irritate his neck or weigh down on him. Remember that you will have to go through many collars as your puppy grows and matures. For now, get the type that matches his needs. When choosing a leash, get one that is like 4 to 6 feet long. Note that your first few walks with your dog are going to be quite intriguing and fascinating since your puppy usually won’t know what a leash is or why you are attaching it to him. And, because your puppy, whether it is of a large breed or small one, will be quite small, it helps to attach a harness instead of a leash to his collars. When there is too much pressure on the throat, a puppy might experience what we call tracheal collapse and possibly other injuries. Get a soft, adjustable harness ready for your new friend and keep the leash for when he becomes older. 

Puppy Playpen

You don’t want your puppy wandering around the house while he is still undergoing training. One thing about puppies is that they are just like toddlers; they have no idea how to potty and have to be trained. Without training, they will pretty much go wherever they please. Not to mention that they will also be chewing and destroying things they find around them. When left unsupervised, you will need to make sure that they are restricted to a certain safe area where their actions and behaviors are contained. So, when you are about to start puppy-proofing and potty training, you might want to think about getting a puppy playpen where you can keep your pooch and contain him.

Puppy Gate

A puppy gate (baby gate) is crucial to the training stage and process. At first, you will need to puppy-proof your house because of the new pet. Understandably, you may have certain areas where you don’t want your puppy to reach, such as the kitchen, the basement, or the living room where you have your newly purchased, sparkly, new rug. Consider going for a retractable gate that you can keep away while it’s not needed. 

Bedding

Just as you would for babies, keep your pup warm and snuggly during bedtimes and naptimes. Make sure the material of your puppy’s bedding is soft and gentle, yet easy to wash. Regardless of the type of puppy bedding you purchase, make sure you have extra bedding that you can use interchangeably in your puppy’s crate and playpen. Keep in mind that you can take the bedding and blanket to rub on your pooch’s littermates before putting it in the crate or playpen. Doing this will make your dog feel more comfortable in his first few nights with you. 

Grooming Brush and Combs

Your dog will require regular brushing and combing of his coat to keep him looking healthy and beautiful. Depending on your puppy’s breed, you may require special brushes and combs to maintain a well-groomed coat. Without these, his fur and coat can become knotted in just a few days with you. A soft-bristled brush is the ideal type of grooming brush for daily brushing and grooming of your pet’s coat. If your pet has longer hair than most, use a metal comb. 

Puppy Shampoo and Conditioner

Along with grooming brush and comb, you will need to get gentle and standard puppy shampoo and conditioner. Keep in mind that you should never use human shampoo or conditioner for your pet. Also, you shouldn’t use an adult dog shampoo for a puppy. Find an all-natural pet shampoo specially formulated for puppies that not only cleans your dog’s fur but also feels gentle on his delicate skin and fur. 

Nail Trimmer

A quality dog nail trimmer is essential for any puppy or dog. Don’t be surprised to find that your puppy has needle-like nails, and his nails grow as fast as weeds. Unless you have enough money to visit a professional groomer once every week for regular nail trimming, you will want to get a quality nail trimmer that is sure to get the job done. Ask an expert how short to trim your pet’s nails because trimming too fast can lead to a quick injury, resulting in bleeding, infection, and pain for your pup. However, don’t be scared of trimming as not cutting and cleaning your canine friend’s nails could also result in infection and pain. Get a nail trimmer that has a quick sensor to alert you when you are close to trimming too short. This should help eliminate any feeling of fear you might have about harming your pet. 

Conclusively, while thinking of the things you need for your new puppy, you should remember to ask yourself what your puppy needs from you. Your new puppy will need you to be consistent and patient with him at all times, but especially while he is undergoing training. Consistent training is the key to raising a healthy, well-behaved, and happy puppy that is obedient and willing to socialize. 

Chapter Four:
How To Ease Your Puppy’s Transition To A New Home

You have got your new puppy, got his essential supplies, puppy-proofed your home, and now it’s to help him settle in right. Many people argue that the first few days (especially nights) when you bring a new puppy home is usually challenging for the family and the pup itself. A puppy that has never been introduced to a family and home has probably spent most of its time with parents and littermates while weaning. For this puppy to acclimate to your home, it will have to go through a little transition period. The pup will have to get used to the different schedules of people in the family; will have to get used to being alone sometimes with new sounds, smells, and sights to process; and more importantly, it will have to undergo training to mold into a highly socialized and obedient dog. Usually, puppies express displeasure and stress by whining and barking. A new puppy may also experience some form of anxiety due to being in a new space and home. He may hide, bark, scratch, chew and do all sorts of acting out. 

To help your puppy avoid all these, it is your duty to ease his transition into your home by making the atmosphere and environment as accommodating as possible. In other words, you have to make him see his new home as a haven instead of a strange place he has never been to. Without helping your pup settle into its new home comfortably, you will never be able to make training easy and fast for him. 

Sleeping

Remember that dog crate you got? Let your puppy sleep in it. A crate gives the feeling of a den to dogs and, therefore, makes them feel more secure in a new environment. The crate should be fitted to the size of your new dog. Make sure you drape a towel over it to reduce noise and let him sleep beside you (in the crate) for the first couple of nights. Because of the newness of the environment to the new puppy, you may find that you have to stay up a couple of nights in the first week. This happens as a result of the need to help your puppy relieve himself. 

Feeding

Feeding time is the best time for setting the ground for basic training commands. Your new puppy is likely to become overly excited each feeding time. So, use that excitement to lay the ground by associating feeding with some obedience commands. For instance, only give the food to your pup when he settles down to eat. Hold the food bowl above his head and tell him to “sit,” wait some minutes and repeat the command again and again until he settles his behind on the floor (even if it is only for a second). Then, immediately set down the food bowl before him and tell him to “go ahead.” The key here is to associate getting food with attentiveness and calmness. By doing this, you are conditioning your puppy earlier, and this will make training much easier for him. Do not give any meal to your dog without associating it with a positive behavior; the association is vital in the early stages before you start training.  

On the other hand, water can be left out freely for your puppy unless he has a hard time controlling his bladder. If he does, you will need to create a schedule on when you can let him access water and when not. But even if he is good at handling free water, you should consider taking it away an hour and a half before bedtime to improve his ability to make it through the night without having to “go.” 

Jumping, Mouthing, and Biting

Many trainers make the “mistake” of telling new puppy owners to treat their pups like an older/adult dog. Something like, “If you don’t like your dog jumping on you when he’s bigger and more mature, then don’t let him do it now that he is still a puppy.” While this is somewhat true, I call it a mistake because you need to strike a casual relationship and bond with your puppy in the first few weeks. One of the ways a puppy will do that is by jumping and climbing on you at every chance they get. Do not restrict things like this until your puppy starts to mature. Let there be as much physical contact as possible between the pup and members of the family. 

In the first couple of weeks, you may find that you can’t outrightly say “NO” to your puppy’s needs and requests. To avoid having to say “NO,” puppy-proof a chosen part of your house and restrict his access to that puppy area. Simply put, this means you create an area for the puppy where you can’t holler at him for doing something you don’t want him to do. If you notice that your puppy is fond of nibbling at you or trying to bite, say NO in a firm tone and place a chew toy in his mouth instead. The best way to stop your new pooch from misusing his teeth on you or anything else in the house is to distract him from his focus and redirect his attention towards something he is allowed to chew. Once you start training, he should learn that biting is inappropriate. 

Play Time

Of course, you also have to create a playtime schedule for your pup to ease his transition the more. Let him play with his toys when necessary. This will make him acclimate to his new home all the more. 

Once the transition has been achieved, you can start training your puppy in all aspects. Never try to start training until you are sure that your new puppy has become entirely secure and comfortable in its new home. If you try, you will only make it harder on yourself. So, just work on helping him achieve comfortability and security in the first couple of weeks. Now that you know how to ease your puppy’s transition to its new home to prepare it for training let’s get to the actual training! 

Chapter Five:
The Psychology Behind Dog Training

Training a dog can be easy or hard; it is all up to you. Every dog is an individual with his rights, and you must learn to treat them accordingly. For you to effectively train a dog, you must understand his psychology, thought process, and instincts that have been with him for as long as he has existed. In other words, the key to training a dog successfully lies in learning dog behavior. Just as you would need to understand human behavior to get them to do things you would like them to, you also need to know dogs. You need to understand why dogs act the way they do to control them. Training is all about control – it is about getting someone to do the things you want and stopping them from doing the things you don’t want. There is a psychology behind training a puppy or dog to behave in a specific way that is desirable to you. Whether you are a pet owner or a trainer, you will find training your animal to act in a particular way very fascinating. 

Training a dog is based on understanding the fundamentals of how dogs learn. Why do they misbehave, and what can you do to change their behavior? To answer this, you have to familiarize yourself with the evolution of dogs from wolves and how this evolution influences their behavior. Fundamentally, dogs are pack animals. In a pack of wolves, there are usually two leaders: An Alpha male and Alpha female. Both alphas make all decisions for the pack, and they make sure pack members stick to behavioral rules. There is a strict hierarchy within the pack, which is necessary for enforcing togetherness and maintaining harmony under challenging situations or circumstances. Training your dog is all about helping him understand that you are the alpha in this pack (your home). Then, you use specific training techniques to reinforce everything you are teaching him, particularly in regards to behavior. 

There are two different ways you can help a dog learn: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. 

Classical conditioning was introduced by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian Scientist that worked and experimented with dogs. Pavlov, in one of his experiments, offered food to his study dogs and rang a bell at the same time. In doing this, he associated feeding with the ring of the bell. Over time, the dogs began to drool whenever food was offered, or the bell was rung. This was an unconscious response to the food. Thus, dogs can be trained to associate a certain event, whether positive or negative, with a chosen stimulus. Classical conditioning is why some dogs get excited and grab their leash when they hear the word “walk.” 

The second type of learning is operant conditioning. This is premised on voluntary learning based on reinforcement and punishment. If your dog does something you like, such as sitting calmly when a visitor arrives instead of jumping at them, you can reward him in the form of treats. Similarly, you can punish him by denying him treats when he does something you don’t like. Or, you can rebuke him. But you have to be careful as a rebuke might come off as playful behavior to him and then reinforce the negative behavior i.e., jumping. The theory of operant conditioning was introduced by B.F. Skinner, a scientist who conducted experiments on rats and pigeons, to observe how animals learn based on stimuli. Note that punishment in operant conditioning is not about being abusive or using physical force on a dog. It is more about taking away something positive, such as treats, if your dog behaves in a way you don’t want. Dogs can also be trained through social learning. It is the process whereby a dog (or any animal) learns a behavior by mimicking other people. Social learning can be constructive when training your dog, whether with basic or advanced techniques. It works even more when you have another dog, a well-behaved one, that can act as a role model to your dog. 

Dogs are referred to as “man’s best friend.” This is because of their loyalty to the man. But that loyalty doesn’t just come from nowhere. It is the result of their strong, functioning instinct to be part of a pack. Naturally, dogs are born with the desire to be part of an organized social structure. This desire is what helps them integrate seamlessly into a human family and adopt their lifestyle. A dog will do all he can to please his master, the pack leader, the alpha, which is you. He will do all this just to retain his position within the pack. As humans, we thrive on freedom and the ability to make independent choices. And that is why anybody who breaks the law ends up losing their freedom. But dogs operate on routine and structure because they are not humans. Some dogs handle the absence of structure and routine better than others; however, all dogs thrive on structure and routine, especially when they have just started training. As pack animals, dogs want to follow, not lead. By giving your dog structure and routine, you are establishing yourself as the leader and the decision-maker. You are also laying the ground for building positive habits and behavioral patterns. You do this by establishing rules and boundaries. Your dog is a creature of habit, and if you don’t establish a routine for him, he will set his own rules and form his habits and behavior patterns. Most of the time, dogs end up doing the things you don’t want because you are putting a lot of pressure on them by not assuming the role of leader or alpha in the pack. Routines and structures help to establish rules, regulations, and boundaries. They also create a foundation for a leader-follower relationship between you and your puppy, thereby satisfying his need for followership. With routine, training becomes much easier and straightforward. Training is the one way you can establish your leadership position in the pack, and it assists your dog in learning the rules that guide his acceptance in the pack. When you give a dog rules, he understands that he needs the rules to function and perform without an alternative of discipline. Once trained, a dog will follow the rules to the best of his ability. If you cannot establish yourself as the leader, specifically a fair leader, or be specific with rules for the pack, your dog will attempt to surmount you and assume the position of alpha. That is just how it works. 

Another thing about dogs is that they learn based on the effect of their actions; so, even when you aren’t actively teaching your dog anything, he is learning a lot. If he does something that brings a positive or pleasurable consequence, he will repeat that behavior without you insisting. In the same way, if he does something that is met with an unpleasant or negative experience, he will avoid repeating that behavior because he knows what comes with it. Having a well-defined structure and routine reduces the number of experiences your canine will be exposed to without you specifically making it possible. Therefore, when you start training your dog, you should employ the “Nothing in Life is Free” approach as this will ensure that every action your pooch takes serves as a learning experience. Rewarding your dog freely teaches him nothing about accountability and offers no sense of accomplishment. Any reward that is given or taken freely cannot be used to encourage good behavior in your dog, meaning there is no incentive for him to act the way you desire. But, keep in mind that using the “Nothing is Free in Life” approach does not mean you have to deny your pup of affection, care, play, and rewards; it simply means you have to make him earn them in one way or another. That way, he always learns to strive to please you by not behaving in an inappropriate or unwanted way. 

The last thing I want to talk about regarding the psychology of training a dog is the state of mind practice. Many trainers, new or old, sometimes forget how important this is in a training plan. Making a state of mind practice a part of your everyday routine with your dog will help him learn to keep that state of mind even outside of practice. If your canine routinely practices having an excited or aroused state of mind, he will retain that state of mind in his normal daily life, and that will result in behaviors you don’t want from him. So much so, that he will be in an ultimately uneasy state through the day. If you desire a calm and respectful behavior from your pet, then you need to practice a calm state of mind with him routinely. This will help create an ultimately calm state during practice and outside of practice when he is living his normal life. A calm state of mind routine teaches your dog about controlling his impulses, making his actions much more foreseeable and resulting in a happier and healthier dog. 

Whether you are an amateur dog trainer or a seasoned one, you should never attempt to train a dog without understanding how the psyche of a dog works, as well as the temperament and specific breed, attributes that might dictate how training goes. The whole point of training your canine might be to teach him to obey you, but grooming a well-trained dog goes well beyond obedience. To train a dog, satisfy his needs for a leader by providing him with routine and structure. Ensure you hold him accountable for his actions and inactions by using the NILIF approach to all your interactions with him. Teach him about maintaining a calm state of mind using the duration method, which we will come to talk about as we progress. Do all three, and you would have mastered the psychology of training a dog. Any dog would be lucky to have you as their trainer! 

Moving on, I want to talk about some of the important principles and rules that should guide your training sessions with your dog. Keeping these principles in mind will help you train your animal faster and easier.

Principles and Rules of Dog Training

Beyond understanding the psychology of dog training, a prospective dog trainer, and an experienced one must know and understand the guiding principles and rules for training a canine. The first most crucial step in dog training of any type is to create a means of communicating with the dog you are teaching. Clarity will only be achieved when you communicate clearly and concisely when asking a dog to perform. Any means of communication you choose should be one that promotes mutual understanding between you and the dog. The second most crucial step is to monitor the dog’s responses to stimuli and his natural behaviors. No matter the kind of responses he gives to stimuli – your voice, movements, sound, body language – once you learn his reactions, you can use that as a key to finding the way to communicate with him. All kinds of dog training are based on a dog’s understanding of what is right and what is wrong. A dog learns this through the trainer’s application of a straightforward training technique with validation of appropriate behavior and the confirmation of inappropriate behavior.

So, what are the key principles that should guide your training sessions with a dog?

Timing

Timing is a vital part of any dog training. Your reaction, positive or negative, to a particular behavior must be instant and timely, or your dog will end up being confused when you correct him. If you miss correcting within the first three seconds of a command, action, or incident, then you have missed the chance to improve your pet. For example – you see your pooch biting on the furniture. You shout at him, but he continues nonetheless. Out of frustration, you look for something to throw at him so he can leave the furniture alone. Before you find something, he already moved from the furniture to some shoes lying nearby. You throw whatever at him and yell at him again. The lesson the dog learns here is that you don’t want to see him chewing on the shoes, not the furniture. Of course, that is not what you intended, but it is what he learns anyway. Improper timing when teaching or training a dog will usually compound the problem or produce another one. If you were ready for the situation, you could have done a better job of correcting, and your animal would have understood the exact reason for the correction. Seeing your dog behave in a way you don’t want is a prompt or an indication that you should always be prepared to correct that behavior when it happens again because it surely will. You can even go to the length of setting him up to catch him in the act and then correct him. At all times, be ready to give a timely correction to trigger a positive response. Praise/correction during training must be given within three seconds to create an association between your dog’s behavior and the consequence. The three-second rule applies to both praise and correction during training. 

Patience

Dogs don’t understand our language, and that’s why we teach them to obey commands and desired actions. Only when you teach associate a command with the desired action will your dog be able to give the desired response. Without teaching the commands first, you cannot expect your pet to understand what you want. No matter how smart a dog is, he cannot learn a command and the associated action or response on his first try. You have to be repetitive with the lessons until he learns and understands the appropriate response related to the specific command you give. It is natural for dogs to become distracted by things that appear more exciting and essential during training. Your new dog would be curious about everything, especially those with an odor. You expect him to pay attention to his lessons, but he is more interested in sniffing the ground. Sniffing is a part of every dog’s existence because it is their way of knowing everything going on around them. As the trainer, you must be patient with your trainee – patient enough to help him work around or work through the distractions and other problems before you correct them. Do not let the feelings of frustration or anger that will undoubtedly be present prevail as this will do nothing to help your situation. It will neither make him pay any more attention, nor will it prompt him to give better responses.

Contrary to what you want, they will only make him detest training (and you) enough to want to run away. So, the key is always to remain patient, no matter the level of frustration. Your dog wants to please you by doing what you want, but he is yet to master your wishes and desires. One thing about dogs is that they can’t think logically or rationally; therefore, your dog does not just wake up looking for ways to frustrate or upset you. Usually, a dog is just being a dog and doing what comes naturally for him. It is best to avoid training on days when you don’t feel so good or well to prevent going ballistic on your canine when he acts like himself. Patience is a virtue and also a key to unlocking progress when it comes to dog training. Without being patient, you will open more setbacks than gain. 

Consistency

The importance of consistency in dog training is, unfortunately, understated. Many trainers switch between different methods and techniques, which often end up being confusing for a dog. Whatever approach or strategy you employ to train your new dog, you must remain consistent with that technique. Changing methods every day will only confuse your dog. For example, giving a command and then modifying the word or phrase will confuse him. Consistency is the key to providing the repetitive action that dogs require for learning. When choosing a training method, pick one that you feel comfortable with, and start training. Give it some time to see if your chosen method works. Most amateur trainers who have never trained a dog wrongly assume that there is a miracle method that can be used to introduce a dog without much input or effort in the part of the trainer. As I said, this is a wrong and baseless assumption. If you choose a specific method and it appears not to be effective after a considerable period, then switch to another method and stick to it. Do not think of alternating between the former approach and the new one in the hope that your dog would learn that way. The only way for your dog to fully assimilate and process your wishes and desires is if you are consistent with your techniques and commands. Most dog owners want their dog to be obedient to their orders, but they also erroneously believe that obedience training is for dogs that perform in competitions and events. Obedience training is meant to teach a dog to portray good manners and behave appropriately at all times. Instructions for obedience lessons teach you, as the owner, to train your animal to respond to your commands and wishes. It places both the owner and the dog on a balanced field of learning. If you are using a trainer instead of training your pooch yourself, the trainer guides you through the training methods. Otherwise, the duty falls on you to train your dog to have manners and be well-behaved. And, it also falls on you to remain consistent with your training methods. 

Motivation

Motivation can be positive or negative. Positive motivation is praise, while negative motivation is correction. Praise will teach your dog to perform what is expected or requested of him, while correction will teach him to stop unwanted and undesired behaviors. A lot of trainers give positive motivation in the form of treats or food as a reward for obedience. That works, but it does not always have to be about treats or food. Most times, just praising your pet in a soothing tone and a quick rub on the head or belly is enough to serve as a positive motivation for the dog. When you put your hands on a dog because of a way he just acted, he sees that as an acceptance of his behavior or action. However, when you correct him, he understands that as a disapproval of the behavior he has just exhibited. Negative motivation is the key to curtailing undesirable behaviors in a dog. As you give your dog commands to perform, he learns to associate the command with a pleasant experience, i.e., praise, which moves him to perform to the best of his ability. Teaching him the difference between praise and correction will assist him in learning appropriate behavioral patterns. Once he gets the difference, he will always try to portray proper behavior to receive recognition rather than being corrected for inappropriate behavior. Motivation is a dog’s language, and the operative action of the pack, a language that all dogs readily understand. 

Commitment

Ultimately, the secret to training a dog is you – the trainer. Commitment on your part is the only way you and your dog can figure out your problems, ease the lessons, and reach a level of mutual acceptance and respect for each other. Often, people ask me how I can train dogs to respond to my commands and do what I want them to do without question. The answer is always the same – commitment. The secret to running a successful training program is to commit to the sessions and the dog. Approximately, you will train your dog for 15 to 20 minutes every day for five days every week and use the remaining two days to take a break from training. Being a trainer, you are in charge of a living, breathing, thinking animal, and you have no choice but to commit to that responsibility. Dogs may not be able to think on a logical level as humans do, but they certainly think, and if you do not find a way to occupy his thinking, your dog will find something else that will. Your animal’s power of reasoning might be limited, but he does have instincts that are sharper than yours. It is your responsibility to teach to submit voluntarily to your commands, without a hint of fear. Training is up to you, no matter how you look at it. Any trainer can teach your dog to respond to their signals, commands, and instructions. But ultimately, it is dependent on you to continue training and maintain a pattern in your canine’s life so that the results stay consistent. You have to understand that training is a continual process, and must be repeated periodically if you want a dog to remain obedient. If you don’t make training periodic, your pooch will not be quick to respond to your commands and signals. You must create the time to periodically work with your dog to help him remember the rules of the pack. Training is heavily dependent on YOU. 

The two major reasons why most dog parents have problems training their dog without the help of a trainer are:

            Failing to take charge as the alpha would in a dog pack.

            Not making corrections on time.

Not taking charge is the problem most often encountered by dog owners. An average dog owner will bark commands, yell, scream, curse, and talk at their dog, thinking that is the way to lead, but it isn’t. That is merely acting out of frustration, not leading. Unless you teach your dog what you expect of him, he lacks the knowledge and idea. Most dog owners often fail with training because they don’t reinforce training. Regardless of the type of training you give to your dog, you must renew his training periodically. This simply means regularly helping your dog put his training to practice to keep as sharp as a newly-taught dog. Once trained, every dog should have a weekly reminder of his lessons to maintain sharpness and alertness. That is the one way you will be able to say that you have effectively and successfully trained a dog. 

Conclusively, here are some tips to keep in mind as you incorporate the principles and rules of training in your plan:

            Don’t be overanxious to get started with training.

            Be friendly.

            Be patient and persevering.

            Be mentally and physically coordinated.

            Be resourceful.

            Be dependable and responsible.

            Stay conscious and protective at all times.

Incorporating these principles when training any dog at all is the blueprint to becoming a proficient dog trainer. It does not matter whether you are training dogs as a personal owner or you are a professional dog trainer, these principles will always prove themselves potent and productive. As you keep the principles in mind, do not forget the psychology! 

Chapter Six:
Crate Training Your New Dog

Crate training your new dog once you bring him home is a critical step you must take towards building a happy and healthy relationship. Professional trainers and vets recognize crate training as one of the fastest and most stress-free ways of shaping your dog to act desirably at all times. Although many new dog parents would rather not use the crate for their dogs because they consider it unfair and cruel, a crate is a convenient tool for grooming your dog. I have probably mentioned this before, but a crate provides satisfaction for your dog’s instinct to be in a den. The crate is your dog’s sanctuary – a place for him to be when he has no one around to supervise him or when he just needs some alone time. The purpose of crate training a dog is to provide a sense of security and safety, housetrain the dog, and prevent destructive behaviors. 

Crate training offers many benefits to both you and your pet. First of all, it gives you a sense of security and assurance that your dog is safe at home alone, knowing that he can’t soil or destroy anything – and, more importantly, that he is comfortable, protected, and not being mischievous. Also, crate training makes potty training much quicker and easier because you can take advantage of the confined space to maintain control, establish a routine for eliminating outside, as well as prevent accidents when the dog is left alone. Crate training your dog also means you can effectively restrict him to his living space when you have visitors or during mealtime. It also helps when he is overexcited, confused, or merely feeling hyper. With a crate, you can also travel with your puppy without worrying about how comfortable he will feel in the strange surroundings. As long as he has something that feels familiar, you can be confident you will enjoy your trip. 

For your dog, a crate gives him the privacy and security he craves – a secure cave he can retreat to when he is stressed, tired, or not feeling up to mingling with you humans. It also helps him avoid the fear, confusion, and anxiety that can be caused by your reaction to a behavior you don’t like. Crate training helps your pet learn to control his bowel movements and eliminate outdoors, away from the house. Furthermore, crate training saves the canine the loneliness and frustration that comes with being isolated in the basement or wherever when he needs to be restricted from some things or places. Crate training a dog requires some time and effort, but it ends up being worth it, especially when you are in certain situations. Until your dog learns all the house rules, a crate can be used to limit the access he has to various places in your house. 

When selecting a crate, make sure it is either plastic or collapsible metal. Choose one that is neither too small nor too big. Then, put the crate in a quiet spot, away from frequently occupied areas. Make sure it isn’t in a place with direct sunlight or somewhere with heat. Check to see that there are no power cables, cords, or anything that could potentially harm your puppy. You can also put it somewhere in your bedroom, but that is your call. 

Depending on your dog’s age, past living experiences, and temperament, crate training can take a few days or extend to weeks. Before you begin crate training, there are two things you should keep in mind:

            The crate should be associated with a pleasant experience at all times.

            Training should be done in a series of gradual steps – don’t be too fast. 

Step 1: Introduce your dog to his crate

Put the crate in a part of the house where you and other family members hang out a lot, such as your family room. Place a soft towel or blanket and your dog’s favorite toys in the crate. Carry your pooch over to the crate and talk to him excitedly. Ensure that the crate door is opened securely without letting it hit your pup or frighten him. Your dog might get excited and immediately go into the crate and start exploring it out of curiosity. If he doesn’t, drop some treats or food near the crate, just outside the door, and inside the crate itself. If he still doesn’t enter all the way in, do not attempt to force him. Continue throwing his favorite treats in the crate until he walks willingly and calmly into the crate to take the treats. If the treats don’t work for him, try his favorite toy. The first step may take the first few minutes or take as many as several days. 

Step 2: Feed him his meals in the crate

Once you have successfully introduced your dog to the crate, move to the next stage, which involves feeding him his regular meals near the crate. Don’t be quick to take the meals inside the crate itself. Doing this creates a positive association with the crate. If your dog readily enters the crate when you start this stage, place his meal all the way inside the crate. If he is still skeptical about going inside the crate, put the meal as far inside as he is ready to go without retreating due to fear or anxiety. Each time you give him his meals, place the meal a little farther in the crate. Once he becomes comfortable with eating his meal inside the crate, start closing the door. At first, reopen the door immediately he finishes eating. With each successive mealtime, begin leaving the door closed for a while, until he is spending 10 minutes or more in the crate after eating. If he starts whining about being locked in, it means you have increased the timeframe too quickly. Next time, leave him for a shorter period. But if he whines or cries, make sure you don’t let him out until he stops. Otherwise, he will think that the key to getting out of the crate is to cry and whine, so he’ll make it a habit. 

Step 3: Confine him to his crate for more extended periods

After your pooch starts eating his meals in the crate regularly without signs of fear, anxiety, or reluctance, you can begin to conditioning him there for short periods while you are home with him. Call him to the crate and hand out a treat or toy. Use a command word such as “Enter crate” to tell him to go inside. Give encouragement by gesturing inside the crate with the treat or toy in your hand. After he enters the crate, pet him, give him the toy or treat and close the crate door. Sit near the crate for about 5 minutes or more and then withdraw into another room for some minutes. Quietly, return to the crate, sit for some minutes, and then let him out. Do this every day. With each day, slowly increase the number of minutes you leave him in the crate and the amount of time you use out of his sight. Once he starts staying comfortably in the crate for more than 30 minutes, you can begin to leave him there while you go away for short periods and allow him to start sleeping there at bedtime. This step may take several days or weeks to complete. 

Step 4: Crate him while you leave the house

As I said, as your dog starts spending lengthier periods in the crate, start leaving him for a short time while you go out of your home. Put him inside the crate with your chosen command and his favorite treat or toy. Make sure the toy you leave with him is a safe one so that he doesn’t hurt himself. You will have to create a “preparing to leave the house” routine for putting your dog in his crate prior to going out. While you shouldn’t crate him for too long before you leave, keep him there for 5 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to make your departures prolonged or emotional; make it straightforward and serious. Praise him briefly, give him the treat and toys, and leave quietly. When you return, do not make your arrival a grand and excited one. Keep it low key. Continue to keep your pet in the crate for some minutes every day while you are at home; doing this will prevent him from associating crating with you leaving him alone at home. Do not leave him alone in the crate for more than 4 to 5 hours at a time. 

Step 5: Crate him at night

With the usual command and a treat, put your dog in his crate once it is nighttime. At first, you may find it a good idea to have the crate with you in the bedroom or near you in the hallway, especially if your animal is still a puppy. Puppies usually need to relieve themselves outside during the night, and you will want to be aware when it is time for your puppy to go. You can also keep an older dog nearby so that he does not learn to associate crating with isolation. When your dog starts sleeping through the night, comfortably with his crate beside your bed, you can start moving him to a more suitable location in your house. 

There are potential problems that can arise from crate training a dog. The crate doesn’t provide a magical solution to your puppy’s problems. If you don’t use it correctly, the dog can start feeling isolated, trapped, and frustrated. He may begin to resent the idea of being in the crate, and he may even start resenting staying with you because it feels like he is being held captive. For example, if you leave him in the crate all day while you aren’t home and then you crate him back at night, you are making him spend too much time in a space that is both small and confined. You should make arrangements that will tend to his physical and emotional needs. Also, remember that you shouldn’t put your pet in the crate for more than three to four hours at a time if he’s under six months of age. This is because puppies around that age have tiny bladders that are harder to control. 

Leaving your pooch in the crate for too long, with no one at home can make him develop separation anxiety. Funnily enough, some dog parents attempt to use crating to treat separation anxiety in their dogs. A crate may stop your pet from being destructive, but he sure can injure himself if he attempts to escape from the crate because you kept him in it for too long. If your pet develops separation anxiety, you should try to resolve it with counter-conditioning and desensitization as these are the only procedures that are effective for treating separation anxiety in dogs. You should also consider speaking to a professional vet or animal behaviorist. 

Here are some do’s and don’ts of crate training to keep in mind while you go through each step gradually:

            Do not, for any reason, use crating as punishment or reprimand for your furry companion. Otherwise, your puppy will start associating the crate with negative experiences making the training process much harder for you and him.

            Do not leave him alone in the crate all day. If you are going to be away for a while, then find a pet-sitter or walker so your pooch can get his physical, mental, and emotional needs met every day. 

            Make your training sessions short every day and advance at a slow and steady pace. 

            Use lots of treats, praise, and patience to encourage your dog.

            Before each training session, let your pup play and have some fun to keep him in a happy state of mind. 

As with all other types of dog training, dogs learn crate training at varying paces. The key is to remain patient and consistent as you help your dog learn to accept his crate as a haven. Follow the steps with the keys, and you will groom a dog that loves his crate in no time – which means you will have a safer home and more happiness in your home, as well. Crate training requires having a lot of treats at hand as rewards for your dog; so, make sure you get some healthy ones ready before you start training. 

Chapter Seven:
House Training Your Dog

Housetraining, potty training, or whatever you choose to call it is an integral part of training and is the first training step you can take to build a long, healthy, and happy life with your puppy. Housetraining, like all dog training, is all about consistency, patience, and positive motivation and reinforcement. The goal of housetraining is to instill positive housebreaking habits in your pet to build a loving bond. Typically, it will take between four and six months to fully house-train a puppy, but some dogs require up to a year. Size is sometimes a determinant when it comes to house training a puppy. For example, – smaller dogs have smaller bladders as well as higher metabolism, which makes them require more trips outside than larger dogs. Another determinant is the previous living conditions of the dog you are housetraining. Sometimes, you need to break old habits to establish desirable ones. 

Housetraining a puppy has to do with learning the right time and place for learning. One of the top reasons why dogs end up in shelters is house soiling due to not being taught to potty the right way. Understandably, only a handful of people are willing to put up with a dog who soils the flooring and the rug at will, or one who leaves a mess that you come home to meet after having a long day at work. No matter how much you love dogs, it is just so hard to put up with a dog that ruins the house with his business. 

According to experts, you should start housetraining a puppy once he is 12 weeks old. At this age, he already has enough control over his bladder and bowel movements to learn how to hold it in. If you bring a puppy that is already over 12 weeks home and he has been relieving himself in a cage, house training may be harder. You will have to retrain his behavior with positive and negative motivation, depending on which is appropriate. Furthermore, experts recommend restricting the dog to a specific area in the house, whether that is a crate, a part of your room, or on a leash. As the animal learns that outside is where he should get his business done, you can ease up and gradually give him the freedom to roam the house as he wants. 

There are two tried-and-tested methods for potty training a puppy. These are:

            Crate training

            Paper training

Apart from these, frequent walks outside the house also help with training. 

Crate training and paper training can both be successful with your dog even though they have their pros and cons. As long as you control your dog’s diet, stay consistent with the routine, provide regular exercise, and reinforce his need to do his business outside, you can teach your dog to housebreak with either the crate training or the paper-training method. But make sure to stay consistent with either of the techniques instead of alternating between both. 

Crate Training

A crate is a highly efficient tool for house training dogs, but most dog owners shudder at the thought of confining their pets in a crate. If you are also like this, that reluctance should evaporate after a few days of living with your new dog. The crate is designed to make your life as a pet owner easier. As I stated in a previous chapter, dogs are inherently den animals, and a crate is the closest thing to a den that you can provide for your new pet. Your dog will naturally seek out its little canine cave, whether you provide for him or not. Providing a crate makes training a whole lot easier because the dog will come to like his crate. 

The idea behind using a crate for potty training is that dogs are naturally clean creatures, and they don’t like soiling their living space any more than we do. You must get a crate that is the right size for your puppy – large enough for him to lie down comfortably, stand, or turn around. If the crate you get is too large, your puppy may feel like it’s okay to use a corner of the space for relieving himself and the settle away in another corner of the crate. The best thing is to get a crate that comes with partitions; this allows you to make adjustments as the size of your pet grows. Using a crate will enable you to monitor your dog for signs when he needs to “go” and also lets you teach him to hold it in until someone opens the crate so he can go outside. When he wants to go, your dog will generally let you know by scratching and whining. That is all the signal you need to know he has to go outside. Do not delay opening the crate because letting the pup lose control in the crate will make him believe that there is nothing wrong with messing up his living area. Then, he will get the idea that it is okay to mess up other parts of the house as a whole, too. 

Some of the guidelines to follow when using a crate for housetraining include:

            Make it large enough for the dog to stand, lie down, and turn around, but not spacious enough for him to dedicate a corner as his bathroom.

            Ensure you keep fresh water in a dispenser that is attached to the crate, especially if you are using the crate for training for more than two to three hours at a time. 

            If you have to be away during the scheduled housetraining time, make sure another person is around to help him take a break. This is particularly important in the first eight months. 

            Don’t use a crate for training if you find your puppy is comfortable with eliminating inside it. There are several reasons why a dog could be “going” in his crate; regardless, you will need to retrain him to stop doing that. 

Paper Training

Paper training is also a highly effective method for housetraining a puppy. When you do it correctly, it will teach your puppy to eliminate on small papers or pads until he is mature enough to learn to use specific spots for his business. Paper training is excellent when your pup is still very young or finds it difficult to go outside. To paper train your puppy:

            Create a confined space where your puppy can do his business unsupervised. This area can be puppy-proofed to keep him restricted, or you can just use his pen for that business.

            Line the entire space with old newspapers or training pads. In the beginning, your puppy will go all over the space, but it will always be on the papers or pads. 

            Change the papers once they become soiled. Make it frequent.

            Reduce the number of papers or pads that you keep in the confined area, so much so that there is a small area without any paper or pad. Because your pup has developed a habit of toileting on the areas with paper, he should subconsciously move to the areas where there are still papers over the floor, leaving the uncovered part clean.

            By instinct, your puppy won’t like relieving himself near his eating or sleeping area; so, ensure that you remove the pads closest to his bed and bowls first. 

            Over the next couple of weeks, continue to remove the papers until there is only one left. Make sure the remaining paper is as far as possible from the bed and bowl, and change the paper frequently. 

            Use a specific word or phrase for cueing your puppy whenever he has to toilet or is toileting. Let him learn to associate the word with toileting. You can use something like “go potty.” 

            When you want to transition from paper to going outside, leave a partially soiled paper in an appropriate place outside. This will convince him to go outside. 

            Once he is completely okay with going outside, get rid of the papers and pads.

Creating a housetraining schedule is crucial for success. I mentioned that puppies have small bladders, which is true. Creating a schedule is a way to ensure you are giving him ample time to do the right thing, i.e., do his business outside. Your dog can only control his bladder for the number of hours that correspond to his age in months. So, if you have a five months old puppy, he will be able to hold it in for about 5 hours. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that puppies have individual differences, which means timing will differ from puppy to puppy. To create a schedule that suits your pup, take note of his daily events and habits. With a young puppy, you should take him out:

            Early in the morning

            Late at night

            After a playful session indoors

            After spending some hours in his crate

            Once he wakes from a nap

            After chewing through his toy or a bone

            After mealtime

            After drinking

This could mean that you have to run to and around the house a dozen times every day. If you have to work, make an arrangement that can help you stick to the schedule. For instance, you can take him with you to the office or hire a dog walker to take him out. The quicker you let your dog understand that there are appropriate and approved places to potty and there are off-limit places, the faster you will be able to put housetraining behind you. Like I mentioned, you should observe and supervise your puppy for individual signals that might show he has the urge to go. Controlling your puppy’s diet while housetraining is very important. Puppies are immature, and so are their digestive systems. This immaturity means that your puppy can’t handle too much food. Due to this, I recommend breaking up his food into three tiny meals. Also, the food you offer should be of the highest quality. Whatever brand you purchase, ensure it agrees with your pet’s system. 

Praising your puppy while housetraining also helps with the process. Scolding him for messing up the flooring will do nothing except make him look at you weirdly. But praising him when he goes in the right place will undoubtedly make her understand that you like that particular behavior. This approach works best for everything you do together in life as he gets older. Be enthusiastic when you praise him – clap, cheer, throw treats at him. Let him understand that there is no accomplishment more important than that one right at that moment. Accidents are inevitable. If your puppy accidentally messes the floor up, clean it up without making a fuss or making him feel bad. If you catch him trying to do it in the crate or the house, pick him up and rush outside immediately. If he goes outside, remember to praise and pet him. 

Here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind while housetraining your pup:

            Do not punish him for having an accident as this will only teach him to be afraid of you.

            If you catch him in the act, make a loud noise with your hands, so he understands he has misbehaved. Then, take him outside gently. Once he finishes, give him a treat or praise him with a pat on the head. 

            If you meet a mess without catching him in the act, do not rub his nose in it. He won’t be able to make the connection between his accident and your anger.

            Walk him outside longer to prevent any accidents. The extra time can be used to explore.

            Use an enzymatic cleaner to clean up accidents and get rid of any odor that could attract your puppy back to that same area. 

The length of housetraining will vary from dog to dog based on factors such as age, breed, learning history, training method, and consistency. But, never forget to be patient with your dog no matter how long housetraining takes. 

Chapter Eight:
Teaching Your Dog The Basic Obedience Commands

Obedience training can be an undertaking when you decide to do it yourself. However, it can be just as easy. Obedience training is all about teaching your dog to obey certain commands from you – the alpha in the pack. The foundation of any training should be premised on positive reinforcement – the act of giving your dog rewards to encourage desirable behaviors. The key is to train your animal using something he values very much, such as his treats and his favorite toys. You can begin obedience training with your puppy as soon as you bring him home, usually when he is eight weeks old. Make sure the training sessions are no more than 5 to 10 minutes every day – and they should always end on a good note for both of you. If your dog is having difficulty with learning a new command or behavior, complete the training session with something he has already learned so that you can praise and reward him for it. 

Obedience training, or any type of training, should never involve punishing or harming your animal. Positive reinforcement is the only training method that should be mixed up with the reward technique. For instance, if you are teaching your dog a command like “come,” and he actually comes, you should reward him with a treat and also praise him. As soon as he realizes that performing your command will win him goodies, then he would be more than willing to execute any desired command. There are five basic obedience commands, and there are more advanced commands that you may choose to train your dog or not. Firstly, I will be discussing and giving the best methods for teaching your dog the basic obedience command; then, we will move on to the more advanced commands for readers who are interested in raising a well-trained and advanced pet. 

The basic obedience commands are:

            Sit

            Stay

            Come

            Lay down

            Heel

Command 1: Training your Dog to “Sit”

“Sit” is one of the basic and most important commands to teach a dog. I also believe it is the first command to introduce to your dog because of how easy it is compared to other obedience commands. Puppies generally find the “sit” command easier to learn, and it also proves effective when you need to stop your doggy from jumping on your guests. An expert dog trainer knows that once you teach a dog to sit on command, learning other commands will no longer be a problem. Before you start training your dog to “sit,” ensure you put him in an at-ease state of mind. It also helps to let him go outside before you start each lesson. Always have your training sessions a few hours after your friend has fed. This will ensure that he is neither too full nor too heavy or tired for the training. If you provide him once in the morning and once again in the evening, then he should be more than willing to gain treats in return for learning during the afternoon. “Sit” can be taught using two different methods: capturing and luring.

To train your dog using the luring method:

            Kneel or sit in front of your pup with a treat in your hand as a lure.

            With the treat in hand, put your hand directly in front of his nose so he can smell it.

            Then, slowly raise your hand (with the treat) above his head and say the “sit” command in a firm but gentle tone. 

            The dog will likely sit as he tries to lift his head to sniff, nibble, and possibly snatch the treat from your hand. 

            He may attempt to move backward or jump to snatch the treat. If he does this, gently place your palm on his rear end and push him into a sitting position as you repeat the “sit” command. 

            Once he achieves the sitting position, give him the treat. It shouldn’t matter whether you guide him through it or not. 

            Repeat these steps with treats as a lure.

            Next, use your empty palm and only reward him when he sits again. 

            Continue to repeat the steps without using a lure until he learns to sit without assistance once you say the command. 

The capturing method, on the other hand, can be employed with these steps:

            Stand in front of your dog with his treats in your hand.

            Naturally, he will sit so that you can feed him the treat. Wait till he sits – say “yes” and then feed him the treat. 

            Step backward to push him to stand and wait till he sits again. As soon as his bottom touches the ground, give him another treat.

            Repeat these steps a few times before you start using the “sit” command immediately he begins to sit. 

Apart from the luring and capturing method that is suggested and approved by the American Kennel Club, there is another method you can use if those two do not work for your pup. 

            Gently sit or kneel next to your dog.

            Place a palm on his chest, with the side of the palm against his fur.

            Place the other palm on his rear end, with the side of the palm against his fur.

            Softly press the palm into his chest in an upward motion while you press the one on his rear end in a downward motion. At the same time, instruct him to sit with the command, “sit.” 

            Once he reaches a sitting position, offer him a treat as a reward and praise/pet him. 

            Repeat these instructions for a couple of minutes during your training sessions until he learns to sit on hearing the command. 

Once you have successfully trained your pup to “sit,” and he has mastered it, then you can move to the next command, which is “stay.” 

Command 2: Training your Dog to “Stay”

Many trainers regard this as the toughest command to teach and for good reasons. As the social animals that dogs are, they always want to stay wherever their owners or familiar human companions are. It is born out of the instinct to follow the pack. “Stay” is hard to teach because of this, and also because puppies are full of energy and willing to be on the move at all times. Yet, this command is one of the most useful commands you can teach your pet. It comes in handy when you need your pet to stay in one place while you quickly enter the mall or wherever you want to. A puppy that has learned the “stay” command will know to remain sitting until you tell him otherwise. Staying can be considered a duration behavior. The goal of teaching your pet this command is to get him to stay seated in one spot until you utter a release word or give a clue. To teach your dog to “stay,” you can usually begin by training him with the release word first. Choose the word or phrase you want to adopt as your release clue, something like, “OK” or “Free.” 

To teach the release word:

            Get your puppy to sit while you remain in a standing position.

            Throw him a treat on the floor, and say the release word as he moves to get the treat.

            Do this again for a couple of minutes until you can give the release world first and then throw the treat after he takes his steps. 

When you train him like this, he comes to associate the word with moving his feet away from the spot he is standing or seated. When your dog has mastered the release cue, you can start teaching him to stay. To do that, follow the tips below:

            Use the “sit” command to instruct him to sit down.

            Once he sits, offer him a treat and praise him – this is for remembering the command.

            Next, tell him to “stay” in a firm but gentle voice and stretch your hand out in front of him to demonstrate that.

            If he remains seated, offer him another treat. If he doesn’t, try the first three steps again. 

            Repeat the steps until he learns to stay. But remember not to persist for more than ten minutes at a time.

            If he masters the sit and stay without a problem, proceed to increase the distance between him and you.

            Tell him to “stay” and the move one steps back at a time. Make it slow. When you take like two backward steps successfully without him changing his position, toss him a treat. 

            With every distance, he “stays,” make sure you praise and reward him with a treat. You can also slowly approach him and repeat the “stay” command until you can feed him the treat. If he passes at that moment, you can take it up a notch by petting him and letting him know he has done something good. 

            If he stands from his sitting position as you approach with the treat, start the steps over again. 

            Repeat the method until he masters “sit” and “stay” to the point where he can remain seated while you live the room.

The more your dog learns, the longer he can learn to sit and stay. Training goals are achieved in measures and increments; hence, you mustn’t expect too much of your pup while he is still undergoing training. Slow down and take the steps one at a time. To ensure he does not forget his training, make sure your sessions are short, simple, and successful. Never make the mistake of telling him to “sit” or “stay” before you leave the house for anywhere though, as this may make him remain in that exact spot until you come back home. That would make for a very terrible experience; so, don’t let it happen.

Command 3: Training your Dog to “Come”

“Come” is a very instrumental command in keeping a dog safe. If your dog were to break off after seeing another dog on the streets, the command would be very effective for calling him back, so he doesn’t get hit by a car. If you don’t teach him to “come,” incidents like this could result in an accident. This particular command is best taught in a quiet space where there is nothing to distract your pet. 

To train him to come:

            Command him to sit and stay in one spot.

            Then, attach his leash to his collar. Make sure you keep his collar on at all times for his safety. 

            Grab the leash and command him to “come.” 

            As you call out the command, move some steps back each time.

            Pat your leg to show him you want him to move towards you as you say “come.”

            If your pup comes towards you, reward him with a treat, and praise him. If he doesn’t comply, repeat each step above until he does. 

            Widen the distance between you both the more he comes closer after the command.

            Every time he reaches you, praise him, and offer him a treat as positive reinforcement.

If that method doesn’t work, try the second method below:

            Sit somewhere near your puppy in a quiet area inside the house. 

            Call out his name or the command “word.”

            Every time you call his name or “come,” give him a treat. You don’t have to wait till he responds to the command as you want. Just call out his name or the world repeatedly and give him a treat each time.

            Next, toss a treat on the floor near him. As soon as he eats the treat on the ground, call out his name or the command word again. If he looks up at you, give him another treat. 

            Do this again and again for a couple of times until you can toss the treat a little farther away from the pup, and he can turn to look at you when you say his name or the command. 

            Be careful not to repeat his name too often, especially if he doesn’t respond. It will make your order easier to ignore. Instead, move towards him and take a step back to the spot where he can successfully react to his name or the command at the first time.

Once your puppy starts turning around to look at you, start adding movement to make the training more fun for you and him. Throw a treat to the floor and move a few steps away immediately while calling out the command or his name. He should instinctively run after you because dogs find chasing fun. When he catches up to you, reward him with lots of treats and praises. Continue playing games like this while gradually increasing the distance. Take the game outside your house to some other locations, such as the dog park. Remember to use a long leash on your dog while training outside. 

Note: Do not reach out or grab your puppy when he comes to meet you. This might confuse or frighten him. If he is a shy, little furry guy, kneel in front of him and gently grab his collar as you offer him treats. Also, do not at any time use the “come” command to punish your dog. It might make him see you as unpredictable and possibly someone to avoid. Always give him lots of rewards and positive reinforcement any time he responds to his name or the command. 

Command 4: Training your dog to “Lay down.”

 “Down" usually is easy to learn if you have already taught your dog to respond to the “sit” command. This is because both commands are trained in similar ways. So, for your dog to grasp the idea of laying down much faster, make sure you teach him to “sit” and “stay” first. If he has mastered both commands, then he is ready to learn “down” much quicker than you realize. You can start teaching your dog to lay down in an empty, small room such as your bathroom and capture the response with positive reinforcement until he masters the command. 

            Get a treat or good and have it ready in your hand when you need to give your dog. 

            Tell him to sit, and when he does, offer him a treat and praise as his reward for obedience.

            Next, tell him to “stay” with the command word. When he complies, offer him more treats and praise as his reward for compliance.

            Then, hold out a treat in your hand slightly above his head, but close enough for him to sniff with his nose if he were to raise his head towards the treat.

            Once he raises his head at the treat, give him more treats and praises as rewards.

            Now, place your hand with another treat slightly above his head so he can touch it with his nose. Only, don’t give him the treat this time around. Instead, move your hand away and towards the ground slowly. If he follows your movement to the ground with his nose, give him the treat and praise him some more. If he doesn’t, tell him “no” in a firm voice and repeat the steps all over. 

            Once he voluntarily starts to follow your hand and the treat to the floor, move on to the next step of the training. 

            This time, as soon as the treat touches the ground, move it around and gesture to him to lie down as you do. If he lies down, reward him as usual. 

            Eventually, introduce the command “down” or “lay down” so that he can associate it with following the treat to the floor. Once he starts responding to the command and following the movement, shower him with lots of treats and praises.

            If he has learned to associate the hand movement towards the floor with his action, you can start practicing the movement with just your empty hand. Then, give him his treat after he successfully lies down. 

Just as it is with teaching the “sit” command, never use force to put your pup in the position you want. And as usual, make training fun so he can learn faster. End every training session on a light and positive note. If you observe that your doggie is having a hard time getting the command or simply being stubborn, reevaluate the value of your reinforcement and rewards. More importantly, review the speed of training. See if there is a need to slow down with the lessons to make them easier, or if your pooch simply wants a bigger reward for labor. 

Command 5: Training your Dog the “Heel” Command

The heel command is used in obedience training to teach a dog to walk on the side of its human while the leash is loose. Advanced puppy training is even easier when your puppy is relaxed and can work on a loose leash politely, without pulling, tugging, or trying to get away. If “heel” sounds a little dated or obsolete for you, then you can use other commands such as “let’s go” or “forward.” Anything that spells “walk beside me gently even though I have your leash on loose.” Teaching yourself the “heel” makes walking to the park or anywhere else much easier for both of you. Once your pup has mastered this command, you can worry less about him pulling ahead of you or lagging way behind; you will be on an even walking speed.  

            Wear your dog’s leash on him and hold the leash away from your dog.

            Hold your dog’s favorite treat in the hand near your dog; hold it between the thumb and your index finger. Make sure your dog can see the treat in your hand.

            As you start walking, give the “heel” command. S

            Try to keep the leash loose without pulling at it repeatedly. If you don’t, your dog will create a negative association with the leash.

            Walk some distance from your home and give your dog the treat you are holding if he successfully remains close to you while you are both walking.

            Make the distance longer when he masters staying by your side for shorter distances.

            If he tries to lag or pull away during the training, encourage him to stay by your side using his favorite treats.

Before you start training, you should ensure that your dog is comfortable putting on a leash. Wearing a leash might feel strange at first, and he might even bite the leash. Give him some treats whenever you have to put the leash on. 

It helps to note that your dog might have some difficulty learning the “heel” command if he is a hunting dog or breed. Usually, hunting dogs find it hard to resist following scent or sight. If your dog is finding it hard to learn the command, try using another tool such as a harness with a front lead to training him. Train him to “heel” with the harness and then repeat the lessons over and over with a leash once he has learned the command in the harness. Do not use prong collars or choke chains for training while teaching your pooch this command. 

As I said, these five commands are a usual beginner training for little pups. They serve as the foundation for the puppies’ everyday lives. As your pup masters each command, he becomes more loyal and more accommodating towards its humans, but mainly you, the trainer. Respect and bond are formed during the essential training carry on when you want to begin advanced training sessions with your puppy. Advanced training should start when you are confident your dog has mastered the basic commands. This should be around when he is a year old and no longer a puppy. Advanced commands include “quiet,” “leave it,” “speak,” and many others you will find out about in the next chapter. 

Chapter Nine:
Advanced Obedience Commands Training

As I said, you should only start advanced training when you are confident that your dog has mastered the Basic Obedience Training. When you finish the basic training, you might find yourself being surprised at the number of things your dog doesn’t even know. Fortunately, with his basic skills already groomed, you can start training him with the more advanced commands at home. Many dog parents believe that you have to go to a professional dog trainer to teach your pet advanced skills. This is not true. You can train your dog advanced skills yourself, and the best thing is you can also teach him anywhere. With the right motivation, you can teach your pooch just about anything you want him to master. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go for professional training classes if it is what you think your dog needs. Still, equip yourself with the knowledge to help your dog repeat his training at home with you. Please, do not attempt to push into the advanced training if your dog hasn’t even understood the basics. Trying this will be frustrating for both you and the dog, and may even deter him from wanting to continue his obedience skills acquisition. 

Advanced obedience skills are any commands that rank above the basic skills we talked about in the last chapter. You should know that advanced obedience commands are different from specialized commands, but specialized training is explicitly named based on their field of specialization. For example, we have gun dog training. There is a chapter on specialized training for dogs, even though it isn’t something you want to try all by yourself. Environment plays an important role when you are working on advanced obedience with your dog. However, this does not mean you can’t use any place for training, as I said. The point is to make sure that any environment you use is conducive for your pooch to learn. For instance, do not try to teach advanced obedience in a park full of dogs or distractions. There are other don’ts that should keep in mind as you train your pet. They include:

            Do not train in noisy places. Your animal will find it harder to filter out background noise and hear and respond to your command. 

            Do not train him in an unfamiliar area. Strange scents, sounds, and sights can distract or frighten him, making training almost impossible.

            Do not train in a place where your dog can be exposed to fear-inducing stimuli. He wouldn’t be able to focus on his training if he is too nervous or frightened. 

Generally, there is no defined set of advanced obedience training commands. But some commands fall into the advanced category because you can’t teach them until you have taught your dog the five basic obedience commands. The advanced commands include, but are not limited to:

“Look”

Use the “look” command to tell your dog to pay attention to you.

            Hold out a treat between two fingers, preferably your thumb and index. 

            Bring the treat up towards your face till it reaches the front of your nose. Then, hold still.

            Give the “look” command.

            Hold still for some seconds if he looks up at you, then give him the treat and praise him. 

            Repeat the steps a number of times, but make sure you only give him the rewards when he pays attention and “looks” at you. 

“Go”

Use the “Go” command to teach your canine to leave the room or the crate whenever you need him to.

            Attach your dog’s leash to his collar.

            Hold out a treat between the thumb and index of the hand nearer to him and hold the leash in the second hand, specifically the one furthest from him.

            Ask him to “sit” beside you.

            Give the “go” command and use the leash to lead him out of the room you are in.

            Feed him his treat and praise him if he follows.

            Repeat the training on a leash a couple of times and then remove the leash.

            This time, practice without the leash.

            After he seems to have mastered the command, try using the command without leading him out of the room. Point to the exit and tell him to “go.”

            Repeat practice until he can perform the command without being assisted. 

“Off”

Tell your canine to come off the furniture or anywhere he climbs with this command.

            When your pet is somewhere you don’t want him to be, such as the furniture, hold out a treat.

            Use the treat as a lure to make him get off the furniture while commanding him to “off.” 

            Give him the treat and pat him lovingly for getting off.

            Practice this command again till he learns to get off without a treat.

Do not try to teach him this command by intentionally putting him on the furniture or anywhere else. Teach him when you catch him on a place he shouldn’t be. You can also use these steps to teach the “on” command. Try pairing it with the “off” command, but this time, use the treat to lure him on to something instead of off it.

“No”

Train your dog to stop doing something with this command.

            Ask him to lay down with the “down” command.

            Hold out a treat and put it on the ground out of his reach.

            Give him the “no” command when he tries to take the treat. You can also try touching his nose with your hand in the form of a “stop” signal if he gets too close to the treat. Make sure you don’t hit or strike the dog; simply use your hand as a barrier to stop him.

            If your dog sneaks the treat a number of times before he learns the command, be patient with him.

            Continue the training until you can get your dog to look at you when you give the command. The goal is to get him to seek your permission before taking the treat. 

            When he looks up to you, then you can give him the go-ahead to take the treat. 

            Gradually increase the minutes you make your dig wait before he is allowed to take the treat. 

“Place”

This command can be used to teach your dog to go to a designated area, such as his crate or bed. You can only use one location to practice the “place” command, so choose the specific place you want to use. The right option is either your dog’s crate or his bed. When teaching him this command, you can swap out “place” for “crate” or “bed.” You can also use anything else you like. Just make sure the command is consistent with the place you choose. Do not change the word or command.

            Ask your canine to “sit” in one room.

            Hold out a treat in your hand so that he can see it.

            Give the “place” command and use the treat to lure your dog to the designated area.

            When you get to the area, ask him to lay down with the usual command. When he complies, give him the treat and praise.

            Practice repeatedly until he can perform the command without effort. 

“Leave it.”

“Leave it” is used interchangeably with “no” most times, but you should first use “leave it” to check a behavior instead of stopping it completely. For example, you can use “leave it” if you and your dog are approaching roadkill and use “no” if your dog shows interest in the roadkill. To teach your dog “leave it:”

            Put your dog on his leash.

            Drop a treat on the floor a few steps away from where you stand.

            Approach the treat with your dog.

            If he shows interest or draws near the treat, command him to “leave it” and gently draw him closer to you to widen the distance between him and the treat. 

            When you have moved a few steps away successfully from the treat, and he is no longer interested in the treat, bring out a fresh treat and give it to him as a reward.

            If he needs an extra push to learn this command, keep the second treat in your hand to draw his attention when you give the “leave it” command.

            Keep practicing this command until he masters it.

“Quiet”

The “speak” and “quiet” commands are two commands that will prove very helpful in you and your dog’s daily life. It helps to start with the quiet command before moving on to the speak cue. You can even teach both together, just like the “on” and “off” cues. It all determines on you; your confidence, comfort level, and your dog’s ability to learn. If you think your dog tends to become an excessive barker, you should probably train him with the quiet command first. You can trade the word for “hush” or “enough.” 

            Create a scene that will trigger your dog to bark naturally. For instance, you can have someone knock your door or ring the doorbell. Or, you can try getting him very excited to trigger barking. Sometimes, showing him another dog can cause him to bark as well.

            When he barks, briefly react to his barking by checking out the source. Then, return to your dog and get his attention with a treat or toy.

            After he stops barking, give him the treat or toy.

            Repeat the steps and slowly extend the period of silence before you give him the treat at each training session. 

            Once he starts remaining quiet after a few times, start using the command word you choose. While he is barking, say the command in a firm and audible voice. Make sure you are holding up his reward for him to see. Give your animal the reward when he stops barking. 

            Train him frequently, but keep the sessions brief and fun. You can also give him the cue anytime you catch him barking.

“Speak”

The “speak” command is the same as “bark,” and it is one fun command to teach your canine. Not only that, but it is also beneficial when you need to chase off intruders. Although excessive barking is a behavioral problem in dogs, teaching the “speak” and “quiet” commands will allow you to get him to bark and stop him from barking when needed. Train your dog to “quiet” before moving on to the “speak” or “bark” command. Also, make sure you choose a specific command that represents the action you want. Another command you can use is “talk.” 

            Do something to make your dog bark naturally.

            As he barks, say the command “speak” in a clear and firm voice.

            Reward him with a treat and praise him. 

            Repeat the command several times until you are sure the dog understands. 

            Once your canine successfully learns both speak and quiet command individually, start using them together for training. Ask him to speak or bark a few times, then tell him to be quiet. 

“Wait”

Dogs can be very impulsive and spontaneous, which is why you must teach yours to have self-control. The “wait” command is used to train your pet to focus on you, stay where he is, and not move from the spot he is until you release him. It is particularly helpful to keep your dog from running out of your door or his crate. This command does not necessarily have to be taught with treats or toys. Instead of rewarding him with treats, you can just associate responding to the cue with being allowed to do some things he might want. One thing about the “wait” command is that you don’t necessarily have to use regular training sessions. To practice wait:

            Give the “wait” cue whenever you let your pet leave his crate or go outside. 

            When you start working on “wait,” don’t allow your dog to bolt out of his crate. This will help him master the command faster. 

            Whenever he is ready to leave the crate, give him the “wait” command. Then, open the crate a bit and see if he tries to bolt outside. If he tries this, close the door back immediately.

            Repeat the command and the steps. Each time you use the command, open the crate slightly and close it back until he learns not to bolt out.

            During training, if your pet hesitates when you give the “wait” command, reward him for the hesitation. 

            Once he starts to respond to the cue to wait truly, make him wait some seconds before you release him to go outside the crate. 

            When he starts to wait for more extended periods, leave the door open a little wider. 

After a few practice sessions, your canine should be able to wait while the door remains open until you tell him to “go.” Be sure to practice regularly, and don’t forget to reward him for complying. “Wait” can also be used to teach your dog to wait for his food. Self-control is difficult for dogs to master, but with patience, you will get him to learn in no time. You can also use “wait” before you leave the house for a walk on his leash. 

“Okay”

The “okay” command should be taught after “wait” because it is used to release your dog from the latter command. Okay shows that your pup can now proceed with whatever he wanted to before you told him to “wait.” Okay shouldn’t be hard to learn as long as you use the right tone and facial expression. Teach the “okay” command with “wait” just as you would the “on” and “off” commands. 

Even though this is advanced training, you still have to keep the sessions as simple as possible. One of the best tips to keep in mind while working on advanced obedience training is to always have fun. If you don’t make training fun, then you and your dog will both have a hard time. If you both have fun during your sessions, training would be something to look forward to. 

Chapter Ten:
Advanced Techniques: Clicker Training Your Dog

Clicker training is another method to train your dog using positive reinforcement. Also referred to as mark and reward training, this training method involves using a clicker to condition your pooch to act in the ways that you want. After you associate it with a treat or reward repeatedly, the clicker becomes a conditioned reinforcer for your dog. Clicker training is similar to the positive reinforcement method, which we just discussed in the last chapter. A clicker is just an effective noisemaker that makes training more seamless for your dog. Clicker training tends to work more effectively with dogs because it tells them the exact behavior or action you are rewarding. It works more precisely. When you click at the right time, it marks the precise moment your dog responded to your command. So, rather than having your dog guess if he got it right or not, the noise from the clicker tells your pet precisely what he did right. This makes it easier for him to master and repeat the behavior. For example, if you are teaching your dog to sit, you click at the time his butt hits the ground. This way, he understands that you are rewarding him for that specific action. 

Think of the clicker as a tool for marking a moment, because that is precisely what it is. However, the clicker isn’t effective in itself because it is meaningless unless you pair it with a reward. The click is simply an indicator that a reward is coming. In clicker training, rewards can be edible treats or basically anything the canine values. So, if you think your pup would prefer a game with his toy than a chunk of meaty stuff, then that should be your reward to him. The key is to time yourself correctly and be consistent. The click should mark the exact moment your pup does what you want and should always be followed with a reward. 

You might be wondering how exactly clicker training works. In positive reinforcement, you reward a dog after he performs a desired action or behavior. Without the use of a clicker, your dog might not know what he is being rewarded for. Clicker training helps with timing, and that is why it sometimes works more effectively than regular training with word of mouth. For example, when you are training your pooch to sit, you have to make it clear that you are rewarding his butt on the ground. Therefore, you have to make sure you give the reward while he is sitting down rather than when he stands up back. Clicker training is even more helpful if your pup is the type that stands back up as soon as his butt touches the ground. You can’t get the reward to him fast enough, but he will be able to tell that the click is because of him sitting down. And then, you can give him the treat as a reward. The click marks the precise moment you are rewarding, bridges the gap until the reward gets to your dog, and helps ensure that your dog understands the action was done correctly. 

Of course, you can use praise the same way, but it’s usually not as clear to the dog. Most times, we communicate to our dogs all the time using praise as an indicator. That is an incredible way of rewarding your canine companion. But praise is not usually specific to training, and that is why it may confuse. Using a clicker or another training-specific instrument helps eradicate any confusion that might occur about the reward to come. Apart from the clarity it offers, clicker-trained dogs tend to learn faster. They are genuinely interested in training and are willing to work hard to get a click. From your pet’s perspective, mark and reward make training seem like a game, a fun game. It also takes the pressure off you – looking for moments to mark means you can focus on good choices made by your animal, instead of the mistakes. Mark and reward training enhance communication and makes training as lively as it can get.

How do you use a clicker for training? 

To use a clicker for training, you must first teach your pooch what the marker represents. Do this by pairing the clicker with a reward. So, click, and then reward your pet immediately. After 10 to 20 practices, your dog will come to understand that the click sound indicates that a reward is on the way. After this, you can start using the clicker for your dog training. 

Clicker training can be combined with the lure-and-reward training where you use a treat to lure your dog to perform the action you want. But you can also use it to shape your dog’s behavior. Shaping a dog’s behavior is more difficult because it is like building something complex with gradual steps. It requires more time, effort, and patience on your part. The clicker also helps with capturing great behavior outside of training sessions. So, if you catch your dog “going” outside instead of soiling his bed, click and then reward that behavior. Or, if the doorbell rings, you can click before you open the door. This will tell your pet to remain in one place instead of jumping in guests. Click training can also be used for teaching your dog new tricks. Eventually, when your pet has learned a new behavior with the use of a clicker, you won’t need it anymore. It is merely a training tool. 

I recommend using the clicker training technique if you have never trained a dog. Below is an example of how to get your pet to start associating the sound of the clicker with an on-the-way reward. 

         Fill a bowl with an assortment of treats. Make sure they all smell pleasant and appealing to your dog. They should be stuff that he likes. 

         Sit comfortably on the floor with the bowl within your reach, but out of your dog’s reach. Hold one of the treats in your hand and the clicker in the other.

         Click the clicker, and when your dog comes closer to investigate or his ears twitch, reward him with the treat. At first, he won’t understand the reason or even care about it – it will be all about getting another treat from the bowl. 

         Repeat step 3 over and over. Click first, then treat. Click, treat. Click, treat. Always ensure he swallows one treat before you repeat the click-treat. 

         Soon, he will come to look at your treat hand whenever the click sounds. Good. That means he has realized that there is a connection between the click and the treat. 

         Once he understands that the click means a treat is coming, you can start using the click to point out the action you want him to perform and then reward him. For instance, you tell him to sit, wait till his butt plops on the ground, and click-treat immediately. 

         Don’t worry if your pup looks confused. He simply wants to figure out where the click is coming from. When he sits again, click-treat, after 4 to 5 repeats, he will figure out that his behavior is what will get him the treat. 

You may not know it, but dogs understand cause and effect. He will come to realize that his action is what is making you click-treat. Before long, your furry friend will start doing all you want to get you to make a click and give him a treat. He will believe that he can make you into his treat dispenser by doing the things you want. A puppy trained with clicker spends his time trying to please his master so he can be rewarded for his behavior. Be careful not to use the clicker when there is no reward at hand for your pup.

Chapter Eleven:
Advanced Training With Hand Signals

Do you know that dogs can be trained with hand signals? Yes, you can train your dog using hand signals – whether he is deaf or not. Hand signals are just as easy for training as verbal commands. It is like using sign language with your dog. You use your hands to signal the action you want your dog to perform, such as “down,” “sit,” or “come.” Dogs are amazingly good at reading body language and cue. Some of them even find it easier to understand what is being communicated with the body rather than with the mouth. Hand signals are helpful in many situations. They are easier to use when your dog is performing in an obedience competition or a dog sport. They also help you communicate with deaf dogs since they can’t respond to spoken commands. If you have a deaf dog, you can train him using hand signals. And, if you are the type that enjoys training sessions with your dog, consider hand signal instructing another thing to add into your pup’s glowing skills repertoire. Just imagine the look of surprise and adoration on your friends’ faces when you have your dog show them all sorts of tricks with only a few movements of the hand. Imagine. 

Get your Dog’s Attention

The first step to training your pup using hand signals is to get his attention. He has to see your hand movements, so make sure he is fixated on you before you start training. Make sure the training space is without distractions. The quieter it is, the better for your dog and his learning abilities. To get his attention, call his name, snap your fingers, use the clicker, or tell him to “look.” As soon as he looks up at you, start with the training. 

Do the Hand Signal

Many dog trainers find it easier to start basic obedience command with hand signals instead of verbal commands. If you already trained your dog verbally, avoid saying the cue or command word while training him with hand signals. This is usually very difficult, but make sure you do it the right way. Some standard hand signals are recognized and acknowledged by professional dog trainers. You should follow them. However, if you are feeling creative, feel free to teach him with your personalized hand signals. Once you get his attention, do the hand signal. For instance, if you are telling him to “sit,” hold out your palm next to your body and then raise it till it is parallel to the ground. 

When training, follow the standard training steps for each specific command you are working on. For instance, if you are teaching him to “come,” follow the same steps I highlighted under that same command. That is, you use one hand to hold the reward (treat) and lure your dog towards you while using the other hand to give the hand signal. Reward him when he performs what you want or when he successfully attempts to follow the command. 

Mistakes to Avoid

Trainers make some prevalent mistakes when they train their dogs using hand signals. It is vital to avoid these mistakes to ensure that your training lessons with your pooch are productive. 

Firstly, do not train hand signals with spoken commands. You will only confuse your dog when you switch between signal and verbal commands during one training session. You either train him with verbal commands first or do hand signals first. Stick to your preferred one until he can do both separately without hesitation. 

If you decide to train your dog with the verbal commands first, do the hand signals first when you start training. Doing the spoken command first will make training tough for your dog. Even after your dog has mastered both successfully, keep up with the visual commands, so he doesn’t forget them. Even if you use them interchangeably, make sure there are times when you use just the hand signals to reinforce his memory. 

Here are some hand signals for basic obedience commands:

Watch Me – Point One Finger to your Eye

In the eventuality that you may switch entirely to nonverbal commands, this is the first hand signal to teach your dog. Teaching this first allows your dog to understand he has to look at you first before he can watch what you want him to do. When you do this signal, and he looks attentively at you, give him a treat. Keep a treat in one hand when you start teaching so that the reward can motivate your dog. 

Sit – Open Palm Up

Sit is the most popular command for dogs, so it makes sense to teach it next. The nonverbal cue is simple and straight to the point. Hold your palm out in front of your chest; let it face up and then raise it slowly in an upward motion. When he masters the gesture, start pairing it with the verbal command. Doing this will teach him there is a connection between the hand signal and the verbal command. 

Lie Down – Point a Finger Downward

Teach your dog to lay down with hand signals by holding a pointed finger up at your chest and then sweep it diagonally downwards. Keep a treat on the same hand to help your dog concentrate better.  

Stay – Open Palm Forward

“Stay” is another command that is essential in obedience training. The nonverbal cue helps when you are in busy streets, and your dog can’t possibly hear the verbal command. Train him with the hand signal by walking backward with your hand out and your palm outward at the same level with your chest. Make sure your pet obeys the command before you reward him with a treat. 

Come – Hold Hand Across Chest

Tell your dog to come by holding your palm open at your side and then bring it to the opposite shoulder diagonally. This hand signal will help when you are in areas where your canine friend is off his leash. 

During hand signals training, you should use praise and treats as positive reinforcement. 

Chapter Twelve:
Specialized Training For Dogs

Beginners in dog training usually don’t realize that their canine friends have many options in terms of training and education. You can train your dog basic obedience skills to build him into a well-behaved animal around friends and family. However, if you wish to take it up a notch, you can train your dog to perform more complex and skill-specific actions. Depending on your dog’s breed and your own needs, there are different specialized training programs you can enroll your dog in. A professional and experienced dog trainer should usually teach specialized training; so, you probably shouldn’t attempt training your dog on your own. Let’s look at some of the available specialized training programs for your pup to enroll. 

Behavioral training

Any training that involves teaching your dog to behave appropriately around humans and other pets are referred to as behavioral training. Behavioral training is quite similar to obedience training, but it focuses more on solving undesired behaviors and teaching basic dog behavior. The training will focus on commands that will make your dog a great companion and friend. It can be used to manage problems such as chewing, aggressiveness, excessive barking, and others in dogs. If your dog is having a hard time being the well-mannered friend you desire, enrolling him in a behavioral program can prove helpful. Use the Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC) developed by the American Kennel Club to evaluate how well-behaved your dog is by standards. 

Agility training

If your dog is an energetic breed, agility training is perfect for him. This training involves teaching your dog to race, jump, and run an obstacle course. Some fundamental agility obstacles include tunnel, hurdle, seesaw, and weave poles. It is a more advanced form of training and should only be taught to dogs with high activity levels and strong stamina. As a handler, you have to lead your dog through obstacles with just your voice and body language. You cannot lure him with treats or touch him. Before you teach your dog agility training, make sure he already knows and understands basic commands. Any dog can enroll in an agility training program, but it is better to train your dog only if he is suited to the tasks in the program. Start the training when your dog clocks a year in order not to overstrain his developing joints. During the final assessment, you cannot touch or reward your dog for his performance, as this is strictly business. If you want your dog to participate in competitions and dog sports, you should enroll him for agility training with a professional handler. But check out the class first to see if it is training you want for your dog. Training varies based on the size and temperament of dogs. 

Vocational training

Want a dog with diverse skills? You can train your dog to herd, work with the law enforcement departments, assist the elderly and differently-abled people, and do search and rescue. With this array of skills, your dog can make his career. Vocational training involves teaching dogs specific techniques to shape their senses and enhance their ability to communicate with people around them. It is usually a rigorous and lengthy training. 

Service training

This is similar to vocational training. It has to do with training a dog to offer a specific service, such as be a hearing guide. The training you give your dog will depend on the service you want him to offer. You can train your pooch to be a service dog privately; however, the training isn’t something you can do unless you have the knowledge, ability, and time to devote. Make sure your dog is a common breed for service training, though. Examples of regular service dogs include the German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and American Staffordshire Terrier. 

Therapy training

A therapy dog provides affection and comfort towards people in hospitals, hospices, schools, and other facilities. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs do not have special access to certain places because they are not protected under the law. To receive certification as a therapy dog, your canine friend will have to pass the therapy dog test by the AKC. Any dog can train to become a therapy dog, but the more common breeds are the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever. 

Protection Training

This is a kind of committed obedience training. Not every dog qualifies for the training as a protection dog has to have specific traits that are unique to some breeds. A protection dog is used as a guard and is trained to be fearless, controlled, confident, and naturally wary of strange and unfamiliar faces. The Rottweiler and German Shepherds are two breeds that make great protection dogs. Protection training classes have requirements of basic obedience skills, such as sit, come, stay, and heel. 

Before you start specialized training for your dog, make sure you understand him deeply. He should be ready to explore his skills and abilities at a suited pace. That way, he doesn’t get bored or frustrated with the training. Not every dog is fit for certain tasks. Even if your dog is from a breed that is good at a task, he might be different from the rest. Do not be frustrated if your pooch does not meet your expectations. Make his wellbeing the priority instead of the training. He will thank you for it. 

Chapter Thirteen:
Teaching Your Dog Positive Food Behavior

A lot of dog owners feel pretty embarrassed when their dog displays undesirable food behavior, especially in public. As humans, when you walk into your friend’s house, and the delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies hit your nose, your first instinct will probably be to move towards the kitchen – mainly if you are hungry. Since dogs enjoy most of the foods that humans enjoy, too, you shouldn’t be surprised that your pup is also drawn towards delicious smells. However, this does not mean you should like or accept it when you sit at the table to eat, and you find your dog intensely scrutinizing you and pleading with his eyes for some crumbs. You can’t exactly blame your dog for drooling and begging at your table. But you can change that behavior. What if the same thing happens when you take your pet out to a friend’s? Right – you would feel embarrassed like a parent would when their child does something similar. 

Teaching your dog to quit begging at your table is an integral part of the training, but most dog parents, unfortunately, overlook the importance and necessity. You can teach your dog good food behavior using either or both of the tactics below:

         Prevent lousy behavior by limiting his access to your table

         Train him to do something different whenever it is your mealtime.

Sometimes, the easiest way to teach your dog positive food behavior is to prevent him from begging or developing other negative behaviors associated with feeding. If you want your dog to stay away while you eat, you can install a puppy gate to restrict him to another room while you eat your food. Or, if you have crate trained him, you can tell him to stay in his crate when it’s time to sit down for your meal. To keep him busy or entertained while you eat, give him a chew bone, his meal, or a treat dispenser filled with something delightful. 

If you would prefer him to stay in the same room while you have your meal but keep him from loitering near the table, you can tether him to an item of furniture to keep him in one space. Attach a leash or tether to an eye-hook or a large piece of furniture. Place his bed next to the leash or tether. Before you sit to eat, take him to the prepared spot and attach the leash to his collar. Then, give him a chew bone or something to play with while you eat. When you are done with your meal, release him from the tether. As long as you keep your pup engaged with his favorite treat while you have your meal, he will be more than content to leave you alone during mealtimes. 

Note: Pay attention to your canine friend while he is tethered so that he doesn’t hurt or get himself tangled as he waits for you to end your meal and release her. 

There is probably a no better time to use the “stay” or “wait” command than mealtimes. If you don’t want to keep your dog restricted by confining him to an area or tethering him to the furniture, you can use the “stay” or “wait” obedience command to tell him to remain in a specific spot, usually his crate or bed. You can also use the “place” command, which we discussed under advanced obedience training. 

Ensuring Good Manners During Mealtime

Teaching your dog to remain calm and well-behaved during his mealtimes is part of positive food behavior. One of the best ways to ensure this is to have a set routine for mealtimes. Families vary, but it always helps to have a routine for feeding your dog. Remember what I said about routine and structure for dogs? A routine allows your dog to become accustomed to a set feeding time and location, which makes him more likely to show good behaviors during feeding. As the parent, you should make sure that your dog sits and stays away at a respectable distance whenever you are preparing his meal. If he doesn’t, then you need to retrain him. Whenever it is time to feed your dog, you can ask him to sit and wait for some minutes before you drop the food on the floor, wait more seconds, and then “okay” him to have his meal. Some parents feel like this is harsh, but it is also necessary. 

Here are some tips to help you prevent bad feeding behavior in your puppy:

            Do not feed him tidbits from your plate if you don’t want him to drool and beg at your table. If you occasionally drop him a delicious morsel when he whines, barks, or glare at you, she will make it a habit to use these tactics whenever it is your mealtime. 

            Even when you do want to feed your pet from your food, do not feed him at the table. This will make it clear to him that begging or getting food at the table is not an option at any time.

            If your dog starts whining or barking when you sit down to eat, check the next chapter to find out how to manage that problem. 

            Never yell at your pooch when he begs at the table or whines for some of your food. Do not even pay mind to him at all. Attention of any kind will make him believe it is a habit he can keep. Instead, offer him a time-out while you eat. 

Good manners during mealtime is a must for any dog, and that is why you must make teaching positive food behavior a core part of your training. Plus, good behavior helps keep your dog from becoming obese and becoming sick. 

Chapter Fourteen:
Managing Behavioral Problems In Your Dog

Despite their owners’ training efforts, some dogs suddenly start exhibiting bad behaviors – even those that are known to be on their best behavior most of the time. Many dog parents usually find it difficult to realize or acknowledge that their erstwhile loving and well-behaved dogs now have major behavioral issues. Sometimes, they fail to recognize because of the stigma associated with having a badly behaved pooch. The popular misconception among dog owners and enthusiasts is that dogs misbehave to show who is the boss or to show spite. Neither of these is true. Dogs do not have a sense of morality; they don’t know what is wrong or right. They just do the things that they do. So, it is impossible for your dog to intentionally try to hurt or spite you by exhibiting naughty behaviors. In most cases, a dog’s behavioral problem is either fear or anxiety-related. As a dog parent, you must learn to understand your dog’s way of conveying his feelings and thoughts via body language and signaling. If you get to read your dog accurately, then you can prevent possible behavioral issues and learn to manage existing ones better. 

Some dogs also exhibit bad behaviors due to boredom. When your dog has nothing to keep him occupied, he might resort to chewing or digging. In a case like this, no other person than you should be held responsible. You are the one responsible for keeping your dog exercised and entertained. Only a lack of those two will make a dog turn towards bad behaviors to keep boredom at bay. In addition to ensuring you maintain your dog’s activity level and exercise him daily, you can equip yourself with knowledge on why and when a dog may become prone to a particular behavioral problem and then devise active ways of helping him overthrow the behavior. 

Once you find that your dog has behavioral issues, it can change your life in so many ways. You can either be the owner who adapts his or her lifestyle to meet your dog’s needs and help him overcome his issue. Or, you can be the owner who continually exposes your dog to stressful situations to “correct” his problem. As the latter, you will only compound your dog’s problem – especially if you are continually trying to get him to socialize as if that would make his behavior stop. Understandably, you might feel embarrassed when your dog acts up. But you don’t have to feel shame or make your dog feel the shame. The first and best thing you should do is take appropriate steps to help your pet manage his behaviors problem. If the problem seems more than you can handle, you can then take your dog to a licensed animal behaviorist, veterinary, or certified dog trainer for professional help. You may need to evaluate your dog’s mental and physical health to get to the root of his problem. 

One by one, let’s look at common behavioral issues in dogs and how you can manage or control them effectively. 

Aggression

Aggression can be passive or active. Most times, it is exhibited subtly, making it hard for you to pick up fast. Whether passive or active, aggression is very dangerous behavior in dogs. When not managed effectively, it leads to euthanasia for most aggressive dogs. If your dog glares and bares his teeth at you or any other person when you attempt to get him off the furniture, that is a telltale sign of aggression. If he stands guard over his food bowl protectively, it’s a sign. If you prefer not to walk him because you know he won’t be kind to dogs or animals he meets on the way, it is another sign. All these show that your dog has aggressive tendencies, which might lead to an actual accident someday. 

If you notice aggressive signs or tendencies in your dog, make your move immediately. Start setting limits with him, and only reward positive behavior at any time. Do not respond emotionally when he does something aggressive. Also, watch his diet. Sometimes, setting limits can make your pup’s lousy behavior escalate. It might seem like you have no way around it. At this point, call a professional that can help to prevent serious harm in or outside your household. You can find someone in your local area or get them to refer you to an expert if they can’t help.

Barking and Whining

The first thing to always keep in mind is that barking is natural for dogs, and some even find it enjoyable. Because it is part of who he is, it might be challenging to detect when barking becomes a behavioral problem in your pet. When you become aggravated or frustrated with constant barking or whining from your dog, try not to react in anger. Do not yell or pleat with him. If you bark back at him, he might take it as approval for him to continue his barking spree. Or, he sees it as a cue for him to repeatedly bark until you stop. To manage barking or whining in your dog, train him to bark on command using the technique we discussed in chapter nine and teach him to be quiet on command too. So, whenever he starts barking, just use the quiet command to get him to hush. 

Chewing

Like barking, it is natural for dogs to chew. All dogs chew because they need to. Once you accept this simple fact of life, you can take it upon yourself to purchase safe, acceptable, chew toys for your dog. Instead of working his teeth on your household items, he can practice chewing on the toys. If he is bent on chewing objects around the house, do not let him loose. Crate or confine him to an area with his chew toys. Buy an array of chews until you find his favorite. 

Digging

If your dog loves to dig – again, I need to mention that digging is natural for canines, and you can’t get your dog to stop. So, instead of fighting him, join him the next time he starts digging. Find a soft spot in your yard on the walk where he is likely to do less damage if he digs. Encourage him to dig in the spot. Get him to bury something that he can dig out back there. Praise him when he buries and digs back out. You can also set up a tiny sandbox for digging in the yard. If he takes his digging skills to an unacceptable part of the yard, it will be because you are not monitoring him or supervising him to an acceptable spot. This is also true for when he digs indoor. If your dog scratches out the floor, it is a sign that he is anxious or bored. Put him in a comfy and safe space, and let him play with his toys and chews. Or lead him outside to take a walk and guide him to his designated digging spot.

Jumping

If he is sitting, lying down, or confined, your pup can’t jump up at anybody. Get a friend, neighbor, or family member to help you retrain this habit. Use the sit or stay command to restrain him to a spot when you have a visitor. Practice the command with the help of someone else. Get the person to ring the doorbell, approach the door with your pet, and then ask him to sit right before you open. Wait until he complies. When the ‘visitor’ enters, give them some treats, and have them command your canine to sit. If he complies, they give him the treat. If he doesn’t, they turn away from him for some moments. Repeat until he starts to adhere to no hesitation. 

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is when your dog hates being left alone and goes berserk or sick because of it. If your pup becomes destructive, barks, whines, cries, and wreaks havoc when left alone, he is experiencing separation anxiety on an intense level. To fight separation anxiety in your puppy, get your dog accustomed to your comings and goings in the house. Make them a positive experience by keeping them as lowkey as possible. Do not make a big scene or fuss over your dog when you leave or return to your house. For example, make a decision to leave the house. Crate your dog with his favorite toy or chew, turn on some classical music, and without another word or gesture, pick your stuff and exit the house. Walk around the building quietly while spying on your dog to see his reaction. Don’t make him see you. Give it a few minutes, depending on his response. If he seems upset, wait till he calms down before you go back in. If he doesn’t, go back in and give a quiet cheer. When he remains quiet for more than 5 minutes after you have been out, come back in as if you aren’t aware of anything, put your stuff away, and calmly greet him. Do not rush to pet or smother him with hugs and kisses. Put him on his leash and bring him outside for a brief or long walk – that part depends on you and his exercise needs.

During training to correct behavioral problems, here are tips to keep in mind at all times:

            Do not use verbal or physical punishment on your pup. It will only heighten his fear and anxiety. 

            Use positive reinforcement every step of the way.

            Avoid getting your pet into situations that induce fear and anxiety. 

            Monitor and beware of your dog’s situational needs.

            Be his advocate instead of being embarrassed by his action or behavior. 

In every step of your training – whether it is to learn a new skill or change an existing behavior – always remember that your dog is also an individual. This means that you should work with your dog according to his individual needs and problems. Determine the trigger of his behavioral problems before you even attempt to correct them. This will help make the solution more specific. 

Chapter Fifteen:
Socializing Your Dog

Socialization is an essential part of training. It is the key to making sure you are well on the path to raising a happy, confident, and well-mannered dog that knows how to act around people and other dogs and pets. Socialization must be the right way and at the right time. During the first three months of your puppy’s life, he will go through a socialization phase that will permanently define his adult personality and how he will acclimate to his surroundings and environment when he is an older dog. Gradually exposing your canine companion to a wide berth of people, places, scenarios, and situations will make an enormous impact on his temperament. Usually, the socialization phase starts right before you even bring your pup home from the breeder. How the breeder handles your pup in the first many weeks of his life will go a long way in shaping him to become a friendly and confident dog. As early as three weeks, puppies can start approaching people who are passively observing them; so, buying from a responsible breeder ensures that your dog has positive experiences in his first weeks. As puppies develop, responsible breeders give them the chance to experience the indoors and the outdoors, sounds, smells, sights, crate, car rides, and gentle handling. ‘

The concept of socialization is to help your dog become accustomed to all kinds of sounds, smells, and sights with positive associations and experiences. Proper socialization will prevent your canine friend from becoming fearful or anxious in a room full of children or while riding in a car. Overall, it will build him into a well-behaved, happy, and healthy friend. Training your dog to be confident and well-adjusted might even save his life one day – you never know. Failure to properly socialize your dog can make him develop behavioral issues later in life. Behavioral problem is one of the top causes of death for dogs, particularly those below three years of age. 

How do you start socializing your dog? 

As I mentioned earlier, the breeder you get your pup from should have begun the socialization process from the pup’s first few days in life, by handling him gently and giving him the freedom to explore his environment. But when you bring the puppy home, he starts the crucial socialization stage, which is when your job begins for real. You have to keep the process ongoing. Below are some basic steps to take:

            Introduce the new pup to sounds, sights, and smells

To a puppy, the new environment is strange and new, unusual even. So, everything he encounters should be taken as an opportunity to create a new, positive experience and association. Create a list of the people, places, textures, and noises around you and expose your new pup to them. Make sure the list is exhaustive. That, for example, includes walking the dog on rug, carpet, tile, hardwood, and linoleum floors so he can feel the difference. You can bring him to meet children, someone with a beard, someone in a wheelchair, a person wearing sunglasses, or a person wearing a hood or veil. Consider it a scavenger hunt. 

            Create a positive experience and association with each meeting

When making your pet meet all these new people and animals or taking him to those new places, make sure you accompany it with lots of treats and rewards. Doing this allows him to associate the things he is being exposed to with a good and fun feeling – the new sensation. Ensure you break his treats into small pieces to make them easier to swallow and digest. While introducing your pup to these new experiences, remain lively and excited. Don’t act stressed because your dog can read your emotions. Therefore, if you introduce your canine friend to an older dog while you are feeling nervous, your pup will likely become anxious, too, causing him to become afraid of older dogs later in life.

            Involve family and friends

Your new friend has to get used to your loved ones too, so make them part of the training. By having different participants in the socialization training process, you are continually taking your dog out of his comfort zone, thereby teaching him that there is something new to learn or experience no matter who he is with or where he is at. You can even take it up a notch and find creative ways of making it a fun game for your pup and the kids. For example, you can have your kids write down a list of the things they experienced with the puppy while having their fun.

            Make it gradual

Do not rush your puppy or try to get him to accomplish too much too fast. For example, if you want him to become accustomed to being handled or carried by people he doesn’t know, start with your family and friends. Then, gradually integrate strangers into the process, one, then two, and multiple. Avoid starting this process by taking your pup along to a large party or a busy street or anywhere else that might trigger a fearful response to strangers in the future. Keep it small and gradually expand his circle. 

            Make it public

As I said, expand his circle progressively. Once your dog gets used to the little triggers and stimuli, take him out of his comfort zone to widen the number of experiences he is having. Take him to the pet store, to the neighbor’s, to a friend’s place for puppy date, and different streets in your neighborhood. Before you take him outside his comfort zone, though, make sure he has been fully vaccinated to keep him safe. After this, you can even take him to the dog park and start introducing him to strange dogs at the park. 

            Take socialization classes

You can start taking your dog to socialization classes held by professional trainers to help him meet other dogs and have the fun of his life. The classes will help him understand basic obedience commands, but the key advantage here is that they provide a window for exposing your pup to other people and dogs. Professional socialization classes are usually mediated by skilled dog trainers to make sure every dog and person remain happy during classes. Find a class in any dog training facility near you or ask the local training clubs in your community. 

If the dog you acquire is an older dog that has passed the standard age for socialization training, you can still help him associate his newer situations with positive experiences. However, the process may prove harder since an older dog will usually have passed the crucial socialization period. 

Chapter Sixteen:
Exercising Your Dog

Obesity is one of the problems affecting man’s best friend. Like humans, obese or overweight dogs are at significant risk for health problems, ranging from arthritis to heart disease. So, obesity is a likely challenge that your dog will face – if you do not exercise him. Exercise is a vital part of dogs’ everyday lives. If you need to keep fit, then regular exercising is one hurdle you and your dog can overcome together. Research shows that humans who exercise with their canine companions are more likely to commit to a fitness plan or program. Thus, if you have been having a hard time sticking to your workouts, it might be time to take on a partner to motivate you. Just find activities that are enjoyable and fun to you both. 

You might be wondering how many rounds or minutes of exercise does your puppy needs every day. Well, the amount of daily exercise required by your dog heavily depends on his breed. Generally, puppies are younger and therefore have more energy than older dogs, which makes them need more exercise in short sessions. Since puppies are undergoing growth and development, it is safer to make several short works or game sessions to their daily routine. This is better than going for long walks as this can put a strain on their developing joints and bodies. Ultimately, every puppy has individual needs because they are different – which means that your dog’s exercise needs may vary from that of the average dog from his breed. The more time you invest in being and bonding with your pup, the more you will find out about his exercise needs. In other words, you will learn just how much exercise he needs to stay always happy while you both live a sane and stress-free life. You may talk to your vet or breeder to know how much training the new pup requires.

The amount of exercise you give your dog as he matures and grows older will typically depend on the level of his need for physical activity and temperament. For example, high-energy dogs like the Border Collie usually need more amounts of daily exercise than low-energy dogs like the Basset Hound. Unless you live an active life and you are very much into exercise and keeping fit, I suggest you don’t choose a breed with colossal exercise requirements. Don’t buy an active dog if you aren’t active, and vice versa – don’t expect to take your chihuahua for marathon training sessions unless you plan to carry him in a puppy stroller. Also, consider your dog’s health and wellbeing. If he is an older dog and he has a medical condition, consult your vet for a proper exercise routine to help keep him healthy without discomfort. Exercising your puppy, adult dog, or senior dog provides them with the mental stimulation to stay sharp, alert, and active. But more importantly, exercise prolongs his life and keep him obesity free. 

How do you exercise your dog? Here are tips that can help:

            Take him for a short or long walk around the block and down the streets.

            Go hiking. Dogs love to hang out in the outdoors just as much as people do. Take your pup with you on new adventures or check out some new trails and parks around your area. 

            If you can, go cycling together. Although this isn’t suitable for all dogs, you can bring your pup the next time you have a ride. Cycling is, however, dangerous; so, follow bike paths that are safe and harmless for your dog. 

Brisk walking

This exercise is ideal for both you and your dog. It comes with an array of benefits, which include lower blood pressure, boosted energy levels, a stronger heart, fitter bones, and a reduced risk of depression. Brisk walks can also reduce behavioral problems in your pet – particularly those caused by insufficiency or lack of exercise. There is no stipulated rule for how far or how long you can walk your dog. Create a goal and start working towards it. Gradually increase the length and speed of your walks. I recommend visiting the vet and doing a checkup before you begin your exercise routine. 

Dance

Try picturing a happy and dancing dog in your mind – does it seem possible. If you have a problem keeping up with the long walks, practice dancing with your dog and see if it is something you can both achieve. You can make your dance sessions into aerobic workouts. Dancing will help your puppy burn calories, develop better stamina, greater balance, and improved bone density. 

Jogging

You can also take your dog jogging if he is suited to long-distance running, like a Labrador. Wait till he matures and gradually build up the jogging period to 3o minutes. Combine 5 minutes of warm-up with 20 minutes of jogging, and 5 minutes of cooldown to do the daily exercise. Once you see your dog lagging, it might mean that he is tired; so, take a break and call it a day. 

Apart from these exercises, you can try indoor ones such as racing up and down your stairs, hide-and-seek, tug of war, agility, and treadmill. 

Whatever activity choices you make, be sure to exercise your dog based on his breed requirements and individual needs every day. Exercise is crucial to raising a happy and healthy dog that obeys commands and acts appropriately in social gatherings. 

Conclusion

Dog training may be rigorous and long, but with the right guide, it becomes as easy as pie. This is one thing I hope you have learned throughout reading this guide. By the way, congratulations on making it to the end; you are amazing! As evident from the content, this book is meant to be a guide for both amateur and experienced dog trainers to manage their puppies’ behaviors and habits and build them into a responsible adult dog. Training a dog is the key to accomplishing the kind of life you want to live together. In this book, I have proven this over and over by touching on a variety of reasons why dog training is a must for every dog. We started from the very basic – what to do when you bring a new dog into your home. And we progressed to every crucial step you need to take to make sure your new pup grows up to become a well-mannered, well-adjusted, and well-groomed dog that has the right repertoire of skills to be your best friend and companion. As promised, this book has provided proven methods, techniques, and strategies that you can use to train your new puppy or dog from the very basic commands to the more advanced ones. Ultimately, this book delivers on its promise to be your dog training mastery guide, and I hope that it was an enjoyable read for you. Now, all that is left is for you to embark on your first training with a dog without having to look like a beginner. Let’s see how it goes! 