Even if you thought the dog you brought home was a perfect angel, it’s not uncommon to find some disastrous behavioral problems with a new puppy. Don’t worry, with proper techniques even the worst dog can learn to be well behaved.

You need to reward your dog to be successful. Knowing when to give him a treat, and how much, is paramount. Unless you administer praise and treats as soon as the dog exhibits the desired behavior, he will not be able to connect the behavior to the treat.

Establish feeding habits for your dog. If your dog has a schedule for his feeding, he will learn when to expect his meals. Before long, your dog will learn to eat more quickly and efficiently.

Make sure that you set a calm tone whenever you set foot in a room where your dog is. Play time is great, but your dog needs to learn to stay calm as his master enters the room. To help your dog learn this behavior, ignore him when you enter the room. after you have been in there a few minutes, acknowledge him.

Do not use shock collars. They almost never work as advertised and they are expensive to boot. They can cause your dog to be confused about all their behaviors. These methods of training generally fail.

As you encounter unfamiliar dogs, make certain to advance with care and let the dog smell your hand. Dogs need to familiarize themselves with the smell before they can trust you. After he knows you and your scent, it is easier to command him.

Pay attention to how much time you spend training in one session. If you try to focus for a long period of time on one command, your dog will show signs of boredom and begin to get antsy. Aim for less than 10 minutes per session.

An effective training tool is to use different tones of voice for various commands or purposes. Use a clearly defined tone for different commands, encouragement or directives. This makes it easier for the dog to link your expectations with different behaviors. You should use a firm tone of voice for your commands, a loud tone for your scoldings, and a natural, pleasant tone for your praise.

A loose leash is important for training. Dogs become excited when they are exploring a new area. Their eagerness and energy may cause them to pull on the leash. Informed owners avoid this behavior by leaving a bit of slack when walking.

The first step in leash training your new puppy is by putting a collar on him while you play with him. Helping your dog feel comfortable with a collar on is critical because it helps ease the adjustment to a leash, and it also facilitates identification of the dog should he become lost.

Be aware of special grooming requirements your dog might need. Dogs coats vary from very short to coats that have to be regularly groomed. This will keep your dog fresh and reduce the chance of illness.

Stay as consistent as possible if you want your dog to learn how to delay going to the bathroom. Pay attention to your dog when you are home, and take it out regularly. If he goes outside to the toilet, praise him. When he goes inside, don’t punish him. He is unaware of the problem, and shouting will be ineffective. Always take the dog out about 15 minutes after he eats or drinks anything, as well as every time he comes out of his crate.

Teach your dog to lay down on command. This is useful on its own, but also opens up other tricks. If your dog responds promptly to the DOWN command, it will serve you well. It could save his life in potentially dangerous encounters.

When training your dog, never punish him. Try to stop your dog from performing unwanted behaviors, but if he does, redirect him by demonstrating the correct behavior. You should teach your dog and talk to him during training sessions. Training is the time to build your relationship in a positive way.

While it is definitely possible to teach an older dog new tricks, you want to be mindful of medical issues or conditions that may limit his ability to engage in some behaviors. For instance, it may be impractical to ask your dog to crawl for long distances if he has arthritis. You can keep your senior dog sharp and alert by providing regular training. But do not overdo it and make them work to hard!

Many dog owners are surprised to find that training your dog is a much easier and faster process than they had expected. If your dog is exhibiting signs of bad behavior, use some of these training tips.