Introduction to Puppy Training
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A properly trained dog is a joy to have as part of your life - an untrained dog is a nightmare.

Don’t wait to start training your puppy, begin the day she comes home.

Treats Aren't Bribes
Don’t look at giving her a treat for performing her command as bribery. It’s not. You need to be able to get her attention and give her an incentive to complete the task. Instead look at it as payment for performing her job. After all, if you went to work and did the tasks you were instructed to perform and didn’t receive your reward - your pay - you’d find little reason to keep working too.

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition!
Again, repetition is the key to properly training your dog. Even after puppy has mastered her commands, keep up daily training sessions to reinforce your commands. As your pup gets older, you will need to do training sessions less frequently, but still have them periodically as a refresher, so your pup doesn’t lose everything she’s worked so hard to learn. After all, even we forget how to do things or don’t do them well, if we don’t do them on a regular basis.

A Professional Trainer Can Help
It is absolutely possible to train your dog on your own. As a first time puppy owner, I successfully trained my dog on my own, but if you find you are having difficulties, it is a good idea to enroll your dog in obedience lessons with a professional trainer. Trainers will actually train you to train your dog.

Remember, there are very few bad dogs in this world, just uneducated owners. If your dog is not performing the she should, it’s not the dog, it’s you. Harsh words, I know, but it's true.Don’t get frustrated or discouraged. Enlist the help of a professional.

Learn How to Think Like a Dog
Training can be frustrating, but go easy on yourself and your pup. We aren’t born understanding dog behavior - it’s something we have to learn too. Dogs are not little furry humans on four legs. They think and behave completely differently from humans. Having a good understanding of dog behavior will help you to train your dog better. See our Introduction to Dog Behavior.

Remember to keep your training sessions light, short and fun. Don't get discouraged or frustrated - training doesn't happen instantly. Small steps every day will produce a well-trained dog over time.