After the pup has a good idea of what you want him to do, begin to ease off using tidbits every time. Do not let yourself use tidbits as a bribe. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you give a puppy a treat he will be good. But from the dog’s viewpoint, it looks like you are treating him as top dog and whatever he wants to do is okay with you. So only use tidbits when you are teaching a specific thing and only long enough to be sure he has learned it and associates the act with the word for it. Then ease off to the point of stopping the use.

Do not expect overnight results: Puppies learn in spurts and starts. One day he may know absolutely everything and perform to perfection. The next day it is as though he never…

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A dog or a puppy absolutely thrives on consistency. This is true all the way from finding and sticking to the right kibble to deciding what is and what isn’t acceptable behavior. Consistency makes a pup very, very much happier and more secure than the bouncy kind of life many of us humans prefer.

Maybe you’ll have to have periodic family councils to hammer out just what kinds of canine behavior are and are not acceptable to various members of the clan. By all means get it straight among the human members of the family; otherwise, if you are unpredictable and all pulling in different directions, the puppy will end up a confused mess, and it will be your fault. Once you have agreed on what goes, enforce the rules. “Oh, let her do it just this once,” is a sure way to wreck the training program and confuse the pup.

Your…

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Puppies and dogs learn new things or change their behavior only if the undesirable behavior is punished or the desirable behavior rewarded. We can reward a dog for performing certain tasks on command, such as sitting, lying down, or coming, with simple petting, affection, and praise. You can also use rewards for coming when called, for sitting when strangers arrive at the door rather than jumping up on them, or for going to rest on his bed when people are visiting.

For rewards you can use reinforcement such as petting or verbal reassurance like saying “good dog.” Another reward is food treats, if given judiciously, especially foods the puppy really enjoys such as a piece of meat. It is not our position that using food treats to train puppies “spoils” them, because the treat may simply be phased out by giving it less and less frequently, while retaining the praise…

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Clickers are a fun and fast way to speed up your puppy’s learning process. Clicker training relies on behavior shaping principles that mark desired behavior.

To begin, get ten treats. Click and treat; before you are finished, your puppy will be happily alert to the sound. Now use the clicker for training and to encourage good habits.

1. House-training: When your puppy eliminates in the right area, say “get busy.” Click the instant he finishes; then treat and praise warmly.

2. Jumping: When your puppy jumps, look away, Click, treat, and pet him after all four paws are on the ground.

3. Chewing: Anytime your dog is chewing an appropriate object, click, treat, and praise.

You can iron out everyday frustrations with the clicker. Use it to encourage silence, to train him to ask to be let out, to create a positive association to kids, and more. Also use a clicker to teach basic commands…

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Many dog owners make the mistake of giving commands in long sentences that only another
human being would understand. You get certain inflections in the dog’s bark or whine, but only another dog understands “dog talk.” Why should you expect your dog to understand all the words you use? True, your pet will love to hear you talk. Still, it is your tone that reaches and pleases him.

In his lifetime a dog comes to recognize many words, but he can be a well-trained, obedient pet by knowing just a few. He must know: “Come!,” “Out!,” “Stop it!,” “No!,” and “Down!” To them, add “Walk?,” or “Want to go for a walk?,” “Get in your chair!,” “Go to bed!,” or some such command to direct action, usually taught with a gesture or by actually lifting the dog to the indicated spot. Of course, he soon knows “Good dog!” or “Bad boy.” If…

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The “Sit” command is an easy way to have your puppy show off his good manners. He can sit
when visitor comes, when you meet a friend out walking, when you are preparing his dinner, or when he has to wait for just about anything. It is also one of the easiest exercises to practice because you can ask him to sit whenever and wherever you like. A Sit is especially good for little everyday things, like having his leash attached.

The command is to say his name and then “Sit!” All commands should be preceded by the dog’s name; that is to get his attention so he knows you are not talking to anyone else. Puppies are proud to have a name. It is when they reach adolescence that they, like other teenagers, pretend they do not hear you. Any time you see the puppy about to sit, quickly say, “Sit,…

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