Training your dog is the most important part of owning your lovable pet. There is nothing worse than an untrained dog, it will cause disharmony in any household. Do not tolerate a dog that digs up the yard chews up your couch or rips the washing from the clothesline. Your dog needs obedience training to correct these bad habits. Money spent on dog training is a good investment for your children.

When you first bring your little puppy or adult dog home you need to bond with him/her. This is a learning period for both the owner and the dog. No training is ever straightforward; the same applies when teaching your own children and nothing will always go to plan. Be prepared for the unexpected, distraction. Where possible try to start his training without distractions

Training your puppy

Do it in simple easy steps, for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. Keep the lessons interesting, and never lose your temper when encouraging your dog to carry out a command. If the dog becomes bored, play with him, he will lose interest and not learn anything otherwise. It is important to be consistent when training your dog. If you let him jump up one day, never growl at him the next day for jumping up. He will not understand what he has done wrong. Please do not let your dog sit under the table, begging for food, his watching every mouthful of food you consume. It is best to leave your dog outside while eating.

He needs to sit on command, before you cross the road, and before he gets a treat or gets into the car. When a dog is sitting and under control, he cannot cause any trouble to anyone. He needs to learn how to walk on a leash on your left side without pulling on the lead. Another important part of his training is to teach him to come when you call him not at his leisure. It could save his life one day.

Equipment Required

You will need a choker chain, or collar and a leash. A normal leash may be leather or a chain with leather handle. The personal choice or preference is yours. For treats, I prefer to use small pieces of dog food cut up into very small pieces, plus some small biscuits that do not require much chewing, and little digestion. I use these as rewards when he has done well.

The "look at me" or "watch me" command

The first thing he needs to learn is to "look at me" which is very hard for a puppy to learn. He needs to learn this before anything else. If I do not have his attention, how is he going to learn?

If you play with him and make it a game then you will keep his interest. Offer him a treat, by holding it close to your face and say, "look at me". When he looks up at you, give him the treat and praise him. The tone of your voice is very important while doing this. Keep it light and happy when you praise him. When he has been naughty then lower it and be stern. He will soon learn by the tone of your voice if you are pleased with him.

When he learns this, gradually wean him off the treats and only praise him when he obeys the command. All dogs learn at different rates some learn quicker than others do. Just like children. Keep it like a game so that you both enjoy the lesson.

The "sit" command

The sit command is easier for him to learn. Again, with the use of the choker chain on and his leash clipped to this. Try walking him beside you on your left then stop and with a slight pressure on his rear back with your left hand give the command "sit". At the same time, place your right hand under his chin and lift to look at you.

Praise him and give him a treat saying good boy. Give a little pull on the lead and walk a short distance. Repeat the process a couple of times then say," let's play". Undo his leash and have a game with him.

It is important not to let him become bored, as he will lose interest and not enjoy his lesson. Both should enjoy all lessons.

"heel" command

A dog of any age needs to learn to walk beside its owner. How often do you see a dog darting up the street dragging his owner after him? We need to avoid that, as depending on the size of the dog you could hurt yourself.

The best place to start this training is in familiar surroundings; your own back yard is ideal where there are fewer distractions for the dog than in your Local Street or park.

Personally, I prefer to use what we call a choker chain for his training. This is a small length of chain that one end slips through the other and is then attached to the dog lead.

When the owner pulls on the lead, it tightens on the dog's neck, which causes him to hesitate for a moment. At this moment, you need to give the command, "heel" and position your dog close to your left leg. Praise him and offer him a treat. Repeat several times. At the same time, remember to keep the walk enjoyable and fun.

If you are walking, your dog on the local streets be aware of the occasional dog dashing out to greet your dog. Keep a firm hold on his lead.

"drop" command

Stand beside your dog. Give him the "sit" command, and then reward him. With your left hand push down on his upper back gently and give the command "drop" at the same time make a drop motion with your right hand in front of him by moving your hand palm down to the ground in front of him. Repeat this action a few times. Rewarding and praising him.

"stay" command

This time sit your dog beside you. Give him the "drop" command by saying it as well as lowering your hand in front of him as before. When he achieves this, slowly walk in front of him hold your hand up, palm facing him. Now say the command "stay". Gradually walk right around him to your original position with him on your left side. If he stays, reward and praise him. Repeat this process until he does.

If he improves, try moving further away. Gradually increase the distance as long as he still stays. Keep praising and rewarding him with treats. It is ideal at this stage to use a longer leash if you have one.

"come" command

To achieve this, it is best to sit your dog in front of you. Take two or three steps back and bend down. Hold the treat out to the dog and give the command "Come". No dog can resist coming to get a treat. Praise him giving him his treat. Again, sit the dog down and repeat the action. This time move back an extra step. Do not do this too long. Try it again later. You can add his name and say, "Come Spotty". Each time you do these exercises; try to get your dog to look directly at you while he waits for your command.

Eventually do this from 20 feet away. I suggest you do most of these exercises in the beginning in your own home, as there will be fewer distractions. As he improves, take him to your local park and see just how well you have trained him.

"fetch" command

Make this lesson fun for both of you, by making it into a game. Run with him for a moment. Then stop and throw the ball, saying, "fetch". If he runs after it and picks, it up call "come" and hold out your open hand. If he gives it to you give him a treat. Repeat actions until he understands.

If your dog refuses to do your command, walk away, and then try again several minutes later. If he still refuses, leave it until he does obey the command, he will respond, if he wants his treat.

Punishment

Yes, he has to learn that too. It can be verbal, by the tone of your voice; he will know he has done something wrong.

To be effective this punishment needs doing when "caught in the act of doing something wrong". Do not wait until a few minutes have passed before you punish him or he will not understand why he's been reprimanded.

Avoid using physical punishment as your dog will cow down and become fearful. He may even become aggressive to the handler or perhaps to a child.

Your dog and his Safety

No one expects to have his or her dog hurt in their own back yard. However, accidents can and do happen.

Beware of the puppy chewing on an electrical cable.

A Venetian blind or curtain cords can be the cause of your dog entangling himself, and result in strangulation.

The playful puppy or exuberant dog may injure himself/herself by knocking top-heavy items like pot plants or similar down onto them. Do not leave dogs in cars especially in the summer without water. Even with windows down a bit, they can become dehydrated and die.

If you follow these simple commands, both you and your dog should have a long, healthy, and happy life.