If you want to be happy with your dog and you want it to be happy, training is essential. A dog who is well-trained will know how to behave. Training your dog makes life less stressful as you will be able to leave him alone and know he will behave well with visitors or in public. Although it may not be easy, the time you devote to teaching your dog manners, tricks, and the proper way to do things will be well spent.

Take small steps when crate training your dog. Once he is comfortable walking in and out of the crate, try quietly closing the door and offering him a biscuit through the wires. Start off only putting them inside for 10 seconds, and when they seem okay with that, slowly increase the time they are inside. If they start to fuss, you are going too fast.

You need to adhere to a specific feeding routine for your dog. Your dog should be fed at the same time everyday and they should only have a certain amount of time to eat. Soon your dog will be finished with the meal before you are ready to remove the dish.

Keep your dog active. Boredom often befalls an inactive dog, or he may find himself in a “mutt rut” with a dull and listless routine. Not to mention that a bored dog is going to be more stubborn during training. Keeping your dog exercised and happy will help them pay attention more due to releasing all excess energy that often distracts them from your commands. Regularly take a walk or run with your dog.

Do not tie up several dogs in close proximity to each other. The chain from one dog could wrap around the second and the dogs could get hurt trying to get free. If dogs get tangled up too severely, one can get wrapped up so badly it could close off the airway, and he could die.

In order to have a great dog, you need to learn control and firmness. Don’t just yell at your pooch. Learn how to balance compassion with strictness. This will help improve the relationship between you and your dog.

To reduce the barking of your dog, try getting them used to what causes the barking in the first place. For example, many dogs bark because of a sound, other animals or people. Your dog should realize barking in such situations is needless.

Ground Rules

Every relationship has ground rules, and the act of puppy training establishes those ground rules with your dog. This makes it less likely that you and your dog will have issues later. Continue to reinforce all learned behaviors. Be consistent when disciplining him and monitoring his behavior. As soon as your dog gets used to training, there’s no end to what you can accomplish.