Puppies are teachable.

1. Its name.

This is the easiest thing to teach a dog. Why? Because human beings are so consistent in calling a dog by its name that the dog picks up on it in a relatively short amount of time. This illustrates the power of persistence and consistency when teaching a dog, and if you plan on teaching it anything else, think back to how it learned its name: from your consistent use of the word.

2. Basic words.

Words like "sit," "stay," and "down" will be crucial for your dog because it will help you exercise a degree of control over its behavior, protecting both the puppy and your family. When you set out to teach your dog a few words, make sure that you start with the simple, basic ones that your dog will use the most.

3. Socialization.

Even if your dog is living with you out in the country, you need to properly socialize it. That means exposing it to safe conditions in which other dogs and humans will be around. Don't throw your dog "to the wolves," so to speak, simply start your puppy off with incremental situations like walks, then parks, and then more crowded public gatherings. The more a puppy sees how normal it is to have other people and dogs around, the better socialized it will be later in life.

4. Boundaries.

Your puppy can absolutely not get away with aggression toward members of your household, particularly scratching or using teeth. Make sure to instantly correct this behavior every single time by saying a command like "Down!" and using a calm but firm tone of voice. If you don't enforce these boundaries on your dog from its age as a puppy, how do you expect it will learn them?

5. Housebreaking.

Lastly, you'll want to start a relatively young dog off on a housebreaking program. This can be as simple as taking notice of when your puppy uses the bathroom and bringing it outside for these times, and then rewarding the dog once it's done it outside, not inside.

Photo Credits: Brian Hathcock

With that in mind, here are three phases to dog training that will help you understand how to give your dog a new habit and a new pattern of behavior that's more conducive to living in your household and in the world at large.

1. The Communication Phase.

Communication doesn't necessarily refer to you "teaching" or "telling" your dog to do something - they won't understand you anyway. Rather, you have to think about communication from the dog's perspective. Dogs learn by association. If they produce a behavior that they discover seems to consistently win them a reward like a treat, then they're going to start associating that behavior with a reward.

This phase is crucial, and you'll have to know how to do it properly. You have to remember that you can't bribe a dog into taking a positive action - you can only produce a reward once the dog takes the action already. Don't give your dog affection when it is tense, anxious, or aggressive - it will learn that it gets rewards when it is calm and submissive.

2. The Regression Phase.

Regression in this case doesn't refer to the lack of progress, but rather how you "scale back" your rewards over time. While at the beginning, you rewarded your dog every time for a new behavior, once the behavior becomes more habitual, you hold back on the rewards. This lets the dog know that the reward won't come every single time, which gives them incentive to make sure that it performs the desired behavior correctly. The dog shouldn't know that it can half-heartedly attempt to "fool" you into giving it a reward.

3. The Consistency Phase.

After you attempt the above phases, you'll have to make sure you enforce these habits consistently. This means you keep aware of the dog's behavior and know when you're rewarding it. For example, don't give a dog affection every time he/she is calm and submissive if the dog is doing well with that behavior. If you can remain consistent, you can help your dog develop lifelong habits and adjust well to its environment.

Make sure you understand how dogs develop habits and you can help your dog life a healthy, happy life in your household.

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Create and enforce hierarchy.

One thing you'll want to do as an effective trainer of your dog is avoid the temptation to elevate your dog to "friendship" status. Yes, your dog can be a friend, but if you treat them like a fellow human being, a dog's behavior will be incongruent with the way it should be as a healthy member of your household's pack. What does this mean? Quite simply, it means that you should let your dog simply be a dog. If you want to establish a hierarchy that your dog will understand, follow the tips and rules in this article.

First, make it clear that all humans are higher ranking in your pack than the dog. This means humans eat first and always take priority over the dog. If you want to enjoy some time with your children but your dog is begging to play with you, ignore the dog until it's his time. If you allow your dog to assert itself as another member of your family, it could grow an overinflated sense of self and start to walk all over you.

It's crucial that you set boundaries for acceptable and unacceptable behavior for your dog. Reward acceptable behavior (such as calmly sitting with your family) with quick rewards: affection and treats. Correct unacceptable behavior without getting angry; it's a good idea to disrupt the dog's mood by strongly stating a consistent order like "no." When your dog realizes that its boundaries are tighter than the boundaries for the rest of your family, it will learn its place in the pack.

Remember that your dog wants to be a dog, just like you want to be a human in your household. It wants to play with you when you're ready, be your companion when you bring him with you, and will happily engage in tricks and behaviors it needs to produce in order to get access to food.

It's when you're too charitable to your dog and too relenting in your standards that the dog realizes it can walk all over you and manipulate you into getting what it wants.

Never bribe a dog, and be sure that you place you and your family members first. Then you can take care of your dog. Don't worry - it won't wither away if you don't play with it every time it wants your attention. Don't let a dog command your attention; instead, decide when you'll give attention as a reward - when the dog behaves calmly.

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Learning new tricks.

This article will address exactly that, teaching you about the five fundamentals of dog training.

Principle #1: Don't use punishment.

Punishing a dog can have disastrous consequences on its future behavior, so don't use punishment as a way of deterring negative behaviors. Instead, you'll want to get a dog to use healthy, natural behaviors by simply rewarding the right kind of behaviors. This means that you don't abuse your dogs, even if you feel that it is somehow "justified."

At the same time, you can't be afraid to enforce rules and standards on dogs, or even physically move or "nip" them in order to establish clear boundaries.

Principle #2: Consistency.

If you aren't consistent in the treatment of your dog, your lack of clarity will translate over to the dog's behavior. It has to know exactly how to behave, and it has to know that if it tries a certain type of behavior, that that behavior will produce a certain result every time. That's how you'll want to introduce a dog to learning how to "sit," for example - by making the "sit" behavior consistent with the dog getting a treat.

Principle #3: Let the dog do it.

As tempting it is to "force" a dog into a trick so that they will understand what it is they're supposed to do, the only real way that a dog can learn anything is by trying it for themselves. In this way, they're much like your children: you won't be able to take care of everything for them, so your best bet is to reward them when they accomplish something on their own. You can make conditions favorable to a dog's trick at first, but don't force them.

Principle #4: Repetition.

A dog won't learn anything if you try it for a few days and then give up. Just like you learned your new tricks, repetition will be the key here. Don't worry about getting repetitions on a certain day - instead, keep doing an activity every day to help the dog learn it. Puppies have short attention spans, anyway.

Principle #5: Don't throw too much at once.

A puppy or dog will be far more scared to try something totally new than trying something that pushes their boundaries only a little. You can't expect a dog to follow principle #3 unless they feel they can realistically handle it. Work in progressive increments instead of throwing the entire kitchen sink at your dog.

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Start young!

The answer to these questions is a little surprising. While some experts might differ in opinion, some believe that beginning training should happy very early on in a dog's life; not too much for a young puppy to handle, but enough to establish a standard of behavior from the start.

One issue many people struggle with is when a puppy breaks a rule for the first time. Many people are still in a relaxed mode and the novelty of owning a dog has perhaps not worn off - this is a fine way to feel, but it shouldn't determine the way you interact with your dog. If a puppy starts breaking the rules, you'll have to stop and correct the behavior - not punish it - from the outset.

Why is this? It's because puppies are exploratory and curious, and are actually searching for behavioral boundaries. What you accept early on in a puppy's life can have ramifications for what it views as acceptable behavior later on in its life. If a puppy has learned to accept its role in your family, how can it know where its status exactly is unless you provide feedback?

It's tempting to allow your puppy its freedom, but consistency will ultimately be the tool that shapes your dog's life. And while you certainly should let a puppy explore and make its own mistakes, you should also correct a behavior that will never be tolerated. Doing so only communicates that this behavior might be under the realm of "acceptable."

How do you correct a puppy's bad behavior? First, you'll want to firmly but calmly coax it out of the mindset that created the behavior. A slight nudge or firm "no" is acceptable. You should never verbally or physically abuse your dog, but you also have to understand the role voice and touch can have in shaping its behavior. Don't punish the dog because it might not know what it's being punished for. Simply give a negative response and remove the dog from the situation. This will help demonstrate that the behavior is unacceptable. Remain consistent, and the dog will learn its boundaries, helping it to lead a happy and healthy life.

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New puppy.

Establish the boundaries.

Puppies, like young people, will search for their boundaries. They won't know where the boundaries are if you don't proactively set them, so whenever you see your puppy in a place it shouldn't be, correct the puppy, telling it "No!" (an almost universal command that works) and move it out of the area. If the puppy doesn't feel punished for crossing the line, it will believe it can keep crossing that line, plain and simple.

Train your puppy to come when called.

If you want to find your dog easily throughout its life, start training it to come when called at a young age. Don't use the dog's name; instead, use a firm order like "Come!" Using the dog's name will be more confusing, since people will use that word in other situations. A firm "Come!" will be more distinguishable. To start training your dog to understand this order, use the word when the dog does come to you. Reward the dog frequently at first, and less frequently as it gets used to the order - unpredictability helps the dog learn on a long-term basis.

Establish relationships.

The second your puppy reveals hostility for anyone in your home is the second you need to correct the behavior immediately. This means removing the dog from the situation if need be. It's a good idea to utilize a leash frequently so that it's easier to get control of your puppy if you need to. When a dog sees that it can't be hostile to any person, and that doing so will result in quick punishment, it will learn the lesson very quickly.

Remember that dogs learn by association, so what you do to give affection to your dog often gives positive feedback. Don't pet your puppy all the time because it's so cute - use rewards to establish the behavior you like. If your dog is calm, reward it.

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Pack Mentality

Dogs do have a particular history that's tied with our own. Throughout the centuries, humans have been breeding dogs for specific purposes, such as becoming good companions for hunting trips. With a title like "man's best friend," the traditional view of the dog as a companion also bears itself out in reality. Dogs make very good companions, which is why they are such popular pets in the first place.

The "pack" mindset is good for humans as well as dogs. Pet owners sometimes allow behavior from their dog that they wouldn't allow from their own children, essentially letting the dog set its own boundaries and its own rules. A dog will try to assert any role you give it - if you're following the dog, the dog will try to adopt its own little "pack leader" role. If you act like the pack leader, the dog will understand that and accept a follower role.

Some have criticized this philosophy for placing too much emphasis on dominating dogs mentally, but in reality the "pack" mindset can be a very healthy way to interact with your dog. A solid, confident pack leader will both set boundaries for the dog while still allowing them freedom to exercise, roam, and express itself.

Viewing a human as part of a dog's training is a proactive approach that understands that a dog's behaviors aren't only affected by the dog, but by its environment. A bad owner can make for a poorly behaving dog, and a good owner can help steer a dog's behaviors in healthier directions. For many people who don't seem to understand how their dog behaves, this shift alone can help them understand where they have gone wrong in training their dog.

There is more to training dogs than simply understanding the "pack" structure, but this principle serves as a great blueprint for interacting with your dogs. Make yourself a priority and allow the dog to follow you - set boundaries for the dog and enforce them consistently. You'll find that viewing yourself as the pack leader will make you more assertive and effective when interacting with your dog.

Photo Credits: Elsie esq.

Dog Walking.

1. Don't let your dog control you.

If you're going to enforce any rules of etiquette with your dog, you have to get used to managing your dog's boundaries; not the other way around. This means that you should be used to correcting a dog if it makes a mistake like veering off into a neighbor's yard and going to the bathroom. Be quick to gently poke or prod your dog into walking in line with you; this will have enormous benefits when you try any of the other rules of dog etiquette. It will also help your dog to socialize with people and other dogs without getting aggressive, as you'll want to reinforce a happy, relaxed mood in your dog.

2. Clean up after your dog.

This isn't the prettiest rule of thumb, but it's something you should do out of respect for your neighbors. Follow the golden rule here: if someone let their dog excrete waste in your yard, you'd want them to pick it up. Do the same for your neighbors - they'll be less likely to complain about your dog and will feel that you've got things under control.

Also, you can help avoid this problem by housebreaking your dog and training it so that it knows to only go in your yard. Make sure that you watch your dog use the bathroom in your yard and reinforce this behavior through a positive reward like a treat or some affection.

3. Help your dog socialize and immediately correct aggressive behavior.

The reason it's so crucial to have good control of your dog is that an encounter between two dogs can turn bad quickly - even if your dog is well-trained. You'll want to make sure you've trained your dog to respond to social situations by being relaxed and deferring to you. If your dog starts to growl, don't just admonish it; get its attention through a quick tug on the leash and let it know that you won't put up with that mood. If your dog is having too much trouble, remove it from the situation as quickly as possible. Remember, you set the rules.

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Get morning exercise!

When it comes to training your dog, we sometimes have to remember that also have to train ourselves. A dog that has a good "pack leader" living with him or her will need to know that you are consistent in the boundaries you set, as well as consistent with the habits you establish. That's why it's so important to have a real, written action plan so that you - and your dog - never get knocked off course.

Morning - Exercise (typically at least a 30 minute walk).

Exercise is crucial for your dog - not only will your dog shed fat and gain lean muscle, but your dog also needs the mental boost that exercise gives. Exercise helps to stave off depression, anxiety, and even aggression. If you keep your exercise habits consistent, both you and your dog can add years to your life.

Why exercise in the morning? Because as soon as you skip a walk or two, the procrastination bug sets in. You don't want to add "walk the dog" to your list of chores to do later that day or evening, so get it out of the way. If you don't want to put off breakfast, simply grab a banana and head out there.

Afternoon - Training.

If you're new to the world of dog training, you might want to start with the small things, like learning how to sit on command. Training your dog doesn't have to be a highly involved process - simply take five or ten minutes after you come home from work and start implementing a new command. If the dog does what you ask, then you can present it with a treat - but make sure not to try and "bribe" your dog. Making this part of your daily routine will teach your dog that if it presents the desired behavior on a consistent basis, it will earn a reward.

Evening - Relaxation or play time.

Again, just a brief span of time - say fifteen minutes - can help your dog feel loved and appreciated with some quality playing time. If you have children, involve them in this time, as well. Shut off the tube, head outside, and play a little fetch. while you toss your kids the pigskin.

A dog shouldn't feel like it's "his" playtime. Instead, he should feel happy to be part of what you or your family is doing. It's a subtle distinction, but an important one that will help you raise a healthy and happy dog.

Photo Credits: Emery_Way

Dog jumping up for a hug.

When you first get a new dog, one of the charming things it can do is jump up to greet you. But after a while, this behavior can seem a bit pointless and even annoying. Your dog should show you affection, and you should show your dog affection, but you want it to happen on your terms. That's why this article will address this specific issue and help you to get your dog to stop jumping up on you.

In order to tackle this question, you'll have to learn a few new concepts. First, you'll want to be as patient as possible with dogs, because they don't understand what you're saying or what you're trying to do. It may seem like they know what you're saying because they're eager to communicate with you, but this doesn't mean that the message is registering.

Instead, you'll want to learn a language that dogs do understand: boundaries and rewards.

First, let's take a look at why a dog might try to jump up to you. Remember that in the dog world, dogs often greet each other with their noses: a dog may simply be trying to reach your nose level in order to greet you. Put in that perspective, it seems natural that a dog would want to jump up to you in order to say "hello." When you also take into account that a dog might be excited to see you, this can make a dog very jumpy once you enter a room.

Next, look at how you react when your dog jumps up. Do you get apprehensive, and allow the dog to assert its own territory? This can be a bad move. Remember that dogs will feed off of your energy, and the more you retreat from it, the more it will want to chase you. When you walk into a room, you want to signal to the dog that the room is your territory, so you don't let the dog walk all over you.

In order to reward the dog into taking on a good behavior, basically ignore the dog until he or she becomes relaxed and stops jumping on you. When you give a dog affection while he's apprehensive, then you're reinforcing that behavior. Wait until the dog acts the way you want him or her to before you reward the dog with a treat or with affection.

If you want to start using a quick command, try the word "off." It's quick and recognizable, and you can start saying it whenever you want the dog to be off of you. After you consistently wait until the dog is calm, the dog will eventually get the hint that it should remain calm in order to greet you.

Photo Credits: Sugar Pond