Most people want their dogs to behave when walking on a leash. It is essential that your dog come when called. Staying when told is also very helpful. But how do you teach your dog to do these things?

The key to success is understand how your dogs mind works, and then incorporate that with proven training techniques, a few training aids, and consistency. Dogs do not understand every word in the human language. Instead, they learn a few words that they are told repeatedly and associate with a specific activity or task. For example, your dog may recognize the word “out” and associate it with going outside. However, if you change the word you use, he will no longer understand what you are saying or what you mean. It is important that whatever word you choose to give as a command, you stick with that same word each and every time.

A word that often confuses dogs is ‘down’ because people use it to mean ‘lie down’ which is the correct usage. However, the dog also often hears it with the meaning of “get off the couch” or “don’t jump at people”. When the word is used to command all three things, your dog will remain unknowingly clueless. Persistent training in this situation means that you would use “down” to mean only “lie down” and nothing else. If you want your dog to get off the couch, you would use the command ‘off’ rather than ‘down’ and if you want your dog to quit jumping on people, you would use a command like “floor” or “no jump” instead of “down”.

Pack Leader:

Before you begin training your dog, you must set the ground rules that you are the master and he is the follower. In some breeds you will need to work 24/7 to remind your dog that you are the pack leader for example a Doberman, while in other breeds for example, a Golden Retriever will only need to establish your “leader-follower” relationship at the very beginning.

Find the key to being your new pack’s leader. Encourage and help all your family members to become pack leaders for your dog. If you are not the pack leader, your dog is. The pack leader trains the pack members. Become the pack leader. Turn your out of control dog into an obedient pet.