Dog Training

Woman trains chocolate Labrador Retriever. Image for Dog Training Category page.
Keep your dog safe by teaching leave it, preventing dog fights, protecting your dog from heatstroke, and feeding a healthy diet.

Training your dog takes time and effort. And it needs to start the day you bring your puppy or dog home.

Dog training should be a lifelong project for you and your dog. Make it fun and mix playtime with dog training.

To be successful, use these dog training tips: Be a leader, be firm, humane, and praise.

Be a leader

Dogs are social, pack-oriented animals who respond best to a leader figure, whether dog or human. The best pack leaders are the ones who are the most consistent. Dogs react to consistency because they know they can trust the consistent leader. Consistent leaders don’t invite the dog onto the couch one day and punish him the next when he jumps on the couch without permission.

Be firm

Good leaders are firm without being harsh. A good leader tells the dog to do something. He or she doesn’t shout at the dog, plead with the dog or scream at the dog to obey. The punctuation at the end of a good leader’s command is merely a period.

Be humane

Third, a good leader is compassionate. He or she doesn’t punish the dog for mistakes made by the leader.

Give praise

When the dog does something praiseworthy, deliver approval immediately. A good leader does not praise unwanted behaviors, no matter how unintentional the recognition may be.

If the dog shows fear, aggressiveness, or timidity, the good leader either ignores the behavior or tells the dog to knock it off. The good leader doesn’t praise and, therefore, encourage the response by stroking the dog, telling him it’s OK, you’re a good boy, etc., while the dog is acting out.