When teaching your dog a new behavior,  teach the actual behavior before you put a word, or name, to it.  This will help to put a clear connection between the behavior and the command.  Also, give your dog time to figure out what you want them to do.  If they do not perform the correct behavior immediately, give them a chance to try and figure it out.  After all, no matter how wonderful and smart they are, they cannot read our minds!

By using lure and reward techniques, you can teach your dog to do many different behaviors. This technique involves taking a treat in your fingers and having your dog follow the treat until they are in the appropriate position, then marking and rewarding them.

**For examples of this technique, see our videos on Sit and Lay Down**

Do not repeat your commands. If you do, you may be teaching your dog that there is no meaning to the word and they will begin to ignore the word all together.  If you give your dog a command and they do not perform the behavior, they most likely either haven’t completely learned exactly what you would like or they may lack the motivation. Either way, go back to the basics and practice, practice, practice!

Dogs communicate primarily through body language, so they will often understand hand signals better than verbal commands.  Think about how you can use your body to get your dog to understand what you are trying to communicate.

Focus on the good things your dog does, and reward them when they are behaving. If you only tell your dog what they aren’t supposed to do, but never show them a better alternative, they will continue to make inappropriate decisions.  Rewarding your dog for the appropriate behaviors will also encourage your dog to make good decisions about how to behave in the future.

A marker is a single word, or sound, that indicates to your dog that they correctly performed the behavior you asked them to do and that a reward will follow.  The mark should come the instant the dog performs the behavior.  Using a marker helps to communicate to your dog why they are receiving the reward.

• For example, When trying to get your dog to sit, you would use the marker word, or sound, as soon as your dogs rear end hits the ground and all four paws are on the ground.  Then follow up with that reward!

Use as many different types of rewards for your dog as you can think of. This will keep them interested in you because they will want to find out what great reward you have in store for them next. A reward can be anything your dog likes, such as treats, toys, games, going for a walk, getting a belly rub, playing fetch, swimming, going out into the yard, etc. The possibilities are endless!

If you use treats when you train, choose ones that are strong in flavor and small in size, around the size of a pea. This will give your dog just enough of the flavor of the treat to keep them motivated to work for more. It will also help to prevent them from filling up too fast and from putting on extra pounds.

Practice training all throughout the day, a few minutes here, a few there.  This helps your dog to understand that at any time, you could ask them to do something and it is an opportunity for them to earn a reward, so listen up! 

Keep your training sessions short and fun.  It is hard for dogs, especially puppies, to “study” for long periods of time, so have fun with it and keep it light!  If you or your dog make a mistake, don’t worry!  It is all part of the learning experience.  If you are not enjoying training, take a break and come back to it later.