If your dog is having trouble learning a command, try breaking the action down into smaller steps and reward your dog for each small success. For example, if your dog is having difficulty with the Down command, use a treat to lure your dog’s head toward the ground and reward that action. You can then work on luring his head and shoulders to the ground for a reward.

Continue gradually progressing until your dog is able to move into the Down position.

How will I know when I can move forward in my training?

As general rule, when your dog consistently responds to a command, you can move forward a step in your training. For example, when your dog responds without hesitation each time you lure him into position using a treat, you can begin training using only the voice command and hand signal for the action. If your dog is unsuccessful at the new step after three attempts, you have moved forward too quickly and you should go back to the previous step in your training.

• After your dog responds reliably when lured with a treat, you can stop using the treat to guide your dog. You use a treat only as a reward after your dog performs the command.

• For most commands, you can teach your dog a voice command and a hand signal. When you start training a hand signal, the signal is often a large movement.

• As your dog becomes accustomed to a command and hand signal, you can begin to reduce the hand signal movement until it is as subtle as you would like.

Note: You can use the voice command and hand signal together or use only one or the other.

If you have a young puppy that is alone all day, you should choose a dog walker that will come several times a day. Some dog walkers also feed and provide water for dogs, play with them and give them medications when necessary.

When hiring a dog walker, you should make sure that the training method the dog walker uses is consistent with your own. You should also find out how many dogs the dog walker exercises at once.

Dogs that are walked in a large group will not be as safe as dogs walked individually or in small groups.

A good dog walker will know canine first aid and will not allow your dog off his leash unless he is in a safely fenced area. A dog walker should also leave you a note after each walk, informing you about the dog’s behavior and any issues that need your attention, such as signs of illness.

• A dog walker will come to your home and take your dog for a walk. The dog walker may also provide your dog with food, water and medications when needed.

• Before hiring a dog walker, check the dog walker’s references and talk to the dog walker’s other clients.

• Try to find a dog walker who walks three or fewer dogs at one time. If the dog walker has a large group of dogs, managing all the dogs may be difficult.

• You should also go on a trial walk with the dog walker and your dog to ensure the dog walker’s training methods are similar to your own.

If your schedule prevents you from attending a training class on a regular schedule, you can find and hire a private dog trainer to give you and your dog one-on-one lessons. You often have the choice between hosting these individual lessons at your home or taking your dog to a training location. Private training is also a good choice if your dog has specific behavioral challenges, such as aggression toward other dogs, that can be better addressed one on one.

I have tried both group training and individual training, but neither works with my dog. What else can I try?

If your dog has some serious behavioral problems and training is not helping, consider working with a certified animal behaviorist. A board certified animal behaviorist specializes in helping pets and their owners tackle the most severe behavioral challenges. Ask a veterinarian in your area for recommendations.

Questions to ask Yourself

Is this obedience training designed to help my dog fit into my life so my dog becomes a well behaved, well-loved member of my family?

Does the instructor teach positive, dog-friendly training techniques?

Is the instructor an experienced professional who has experience with my breed?

Are the demonstrations clear and the instructions easy to follow?

Are the owners having success with the training techniques?

Is it fun? Will we enjoy doing our homework as we strive to succeed?

• To find a training class, ask your friends or veterinarian for referrals.

• You should look for a trainer who is a member of a professional dog trainers association or a trainer who has taken the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers competency exam.

• Note: Dog training is not regulated by the government. Be sure to check the certification and references of any prospective trainer.

• Before deciding on a training class, you should observe at least one class.

• While observing a training class, ask yourself the questions listed above to determine if the class will be a good fit for you and your dog.

You should never punish your dog after he has misbehaved, since he will not know what he has done wrong if you do not stop him in the act of misbehaving.

For example, if you come home and find that your dog has chewed on your favorite book, do not punish him. Instead, you should take steps to prevent it from happening again, such as making sure your books are out of his reach or placing him in a confined area when you leave the house.

Can I prevent my dog from misbehaving?

You can make sure your dog does not have the opportunity to misbehave by carefully supervising and managing your dog’s environment. Supervising your dog will allow you to redirect him before he has a chance to make a mistake. For example, if your dog often jumps up on you when you come home, you can quickly say the Sit command as your dog approaches you so he does not have the chance to jump up.

Give a Command

• If your dog is doing something you do not want him to, give him a command that prevents him from continuing.

• For example, if your dog is digging in your garbage, say the command “Off” and then the command “Come.” Your dog cannot come to you and dig at the same time.

• Reward your dog for obeying your command.

Remove Your Dog from the Situation

• If your dog is over-excited, such as playing too roughly with children in the yard, you can place him in his crate for some quiet time.

• Removing your dog from the situation that is causing him to misbehave and placing him in his crate allows him to settle down and keeps him, and others, safe.

When you train your dog using positive reinforcement, your dog learns to associate specific behaviors with receiving a reward. For example, when you say the Sit command and the dog sits, praise him and give him a food treat. With practice, when your dog hears the Sit command, he will be more likely to sit again since he expects food treats and praise.

You can use positive training methods even when your dog is behaving inappropriately. For example, if your dog jumps up on you for attention, give a command that causes your dog to stop what he is doing, such as the Sit command. When your dog obeys your command, praise him for the appropriate behaviour.

You can also ignore your dog until he stops jumping up and then give him the attention he wants when he is behaving appropriately. In situations where your dog is over-excited, you can positively deal with the behavior by temporarily removing him from the situation.

• When your dog performs an action and is rewarded for performing the action, he will perform that action again. This is the basis of positive reinforcement in dog training.

• For example, when you say the command “Sit” and your dog sits, you praise him and give him a treat. With practice, when your dog hears the Sit command, he will sit so he can receive the praise and treat again.

Ignore Your Dog

• If your dog is misbehaving to get your attention, the best way to deal with the behavior is to take your attention away from him, or ignore him.

• For example, if your dog jumps up at you when you walk in the door, turn your back on him.

• When your dog stops the inappropriate behavior, give your dog your attention again.

As your dog becomes comfortable with a command, you should begin giving the command in a variety of situations.

For example, practice the command in different rooms in the house. You can also vary how you give the command, such as saying the command while sitting or standing and giving the command when the dog is to your left and to your right.

This will help your dog learn that the command means the same thing no matter where you are or what you are doing.

I have an older dog. Will his age affect how I should train him?

Training your dog will require time and patience, no matter how old he is. An older dog may have a better attention span than a puppy, allowing him to learn faster. When training a re-homed dog, keep in mind that the dog’s previous training may cause him to misunderstand some of your commands. For example, if your dog has difficulty with the Come command, you may have to choose a different command word for that action.

• When you begin training your dog, you and your dog should be alone in a quiet room.

• You should train in a room that has as few distractions as possible.

• Removing distractions from your training area makes you the most interesting item in the room so your dog’s attention will be on you.

• As your dog becomes more comfortable with commands, start adding distractions.

• With time, you can move your training to other rooms in your house and outdoors with your dog on a leash. When you change the training location, your dog learns that a command means the same thing no matter where he is.

Note: Each time you move to a new location, you may need to go back a few steps in your training.

Everyone who lives with your dog should be involved in his training, though a responsible person should be in charge. When children are involved in training, ensure they are supervised at all times.

Training sessions should be short and occur frequently throughout the day. Try to incorporate training into your dog’s daily routine. For example, practice the Wait command before letting your dog outside. If you use treats as lures or rewards, time your training sessions to occur just before your dog’s mealtimes, to ensure he will be hungry.

Training sessions should begin in an environment with few distractions, such as a quiet room in your house. As your dog becomes comfortable with the commands, begin adding distractions, such as having other people in the room.

Avoid training your dog when you have had a bad day or are feeling impatient. You may unintentionally take it out on your dog and make the training session unproductive.

• Everyone who lives with your dog should be involved in the dog’s training, but a responsible person should be in charge.

Note: The person in charge of training must be willing to commit the time required to train your dog.

• Children should be supervised by an adult at all times when working with your dog.

• Every time you are with your dog, it is a potential time to train. You should try to incorporate training into your dog’s daily routine. For example, have your dog practice the Sit command before you put down his food bowl.

• You should train your dog for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes in the evening, for a total of 30 minutes of training sessions per day.

For safety, your dog should either be restrained in a seatbelt harness or confined to his crate while you drive. Properly restraining your dog will help keep him settled and help prevent you from becoming distracted by your dog.

To help your dog become comfortable riding in your car, you should take him for short car rides on a regular basis, starting when he is a puppy. Make sure you take car rides to places your dog enjoys, such as the park or a friend’s house. If you only take your dog for a car ride when he needs to go to the veterinarian, he will begin to associate the car with negative experiences.

To help prevent your dog from suffering from car sickness, avoid feeding him for several hours before a trip. Make sure that you always monitor your dog closely for signs of distress while on a car ride.

Dog Safety in the Car

• Keeping your dog properly restrained in your car is safest for your dog, yourself and other passengers in the car.

• Many pet supply stores sell seatbelt harnesses that are specially made to keep dogs properly restrained while riding in a car.

• Make sure that the seatbelt harness you choose fits your dog and has a wide chest strap.

• Note: You should not use a seatbelt harness to restrain a young puppy in a car.

• You can train your dog to sit quietly in his crate when in your car.

• Being in a crate or travel carrier is the safest option for a young puppy when in a car.

• Your dog’s crate should be secured inside the car to ensure that the crate will not move in the car.

To avoid confusing your dog, make sure you use each command consistently. For example, you should use the Down command only when you want your dog to lie down. If your dog is lying on the couch and you use the Down command to instruct him to get off, he will not understand what you want and will not be able to obey you.

You should use only one command for each action you want your dog to perform. For example, when you want your dog to sit, say the Sit command. If you tell your dog to “Sit Down” he will not know whether to sit or lie down. Make sure you say each command only once.

Saying “sit sit sit” will confuse your dog.

Your tone of voice is also important when giving a command. You should use a calm and confident tone, without changing the pitch or volume of your normal speaking voice. Make sure you do not use a questioning tone or the excited tone that you would use for praise.

• Use one command consistently for each action you want your dog to perform. For example, say the “Down” command only when you want your dog to lie down.

• Say the command only once when instructing your dog to perform an action.

• When giving your dog a command, use a calm and confident tone of voice.

• Try to keep the pitch and volume of your voice within your normal speaking range.

• Do not confuse your dog by using the same command for several actions. For example, if you want your dog to lie down when you say the command “Down,” do not use the Down command when you want him to get off the furniture.

• Do not repeat the command when instructing your dog to perform an action. For example, do not say “Down down down.”

• Do not use a high-pitched or low-pitched voice when giving commands.

No. Allowing your dog to put his head out of the window while you are driving is dangerous, since debris from the road may strike your dog or get in his eyes. The danger also exists that your dog could be hit by a vehicle that passes too closely to your car. In addition, your dog’s eyes can become dry and irritated due to the wind.

When is it safe to leave my dog in my car?

It is never safe to leave your dog in a parked car. Temperatures inside a parked car can rise rapidly, even with the windows down.

While the temperature outside the car may feel cool and the day may be overcast, your car can still become hot enough to harm your dog. Your dog will not be able to cool himself enough by panting in the car and he could even die as a result of overheating.

• Start training your dog to be comfortable in the car as early as possible.

• Have your dog sit in a parked car with you.

• Allow him to explore the car, giving him lots of praise and treats.
• When you begin taking your dog in a moving car, start with short trips and gradually work up to longer drives.

Note: Make sure your dog is properly restrained in the car before the car moves.

• A dog who drools excessively, vomits or has diarrhea during car rides may be experiencing car sickness caused by the movement of the vehicle or by the dog’s fear of riding in the vehicle.

• Avoid feeding your dog for several hours before a trip.

• You may want to place old towels in the area where your dog rides.

Note: Check with your veterinarian for more information on how to deal with your dog’s car sickness.