A happy dog is a well trained dog and just choosing to make this happen is a step in the right direction! Too many dogs are left untrained and jump on everyone, chew end tables and bark all night! Your dog will be better off once trained and of course, so will you. So read on for some fabulous ideas on how to make the job of training your dog a little less hectic!

If your crate training your new dog or puppy make sure that they understand the crate is their own personal space. Never use the crate as a punishment otherwise they will start to look at it as a bad place and will try to start resisting going inside of it.

Most of the time children and dogs get along wonderfully. Children, however, often tend to mimic what they hear adults doing. Don’t let your young child repetitively give commands to your dog. The dog will learn to disregard the command because they know there will be no repercussions for doing so.

Always keep fresh water available to your dog when he is being trained using a crate. One way to do this without making a mess is to furnish the crate with a rabbit water bottle. Just attach it to the outside of the crate with the tip sticking inside. Your dog will quickly learn to drink from it.

Before crating your dog always allow them the opportunity to eliminate. Young dogs, in particular, have to relieve themselves quite frequently. You can’t expect them to not urinate or even defecate in the crate if they haven’t been given the opportunity to do so before they are crated.

Next time your dog jumps up on you in excitement, tell them “Off” in a firm (but not angry) voice, gently push them off, and turn your back. The verbal command and action of moving them reinforces what the command means, and turning restricts their access to you. This accomplishes two things: a) your dog can’t jump on you anymore, b) your dog feels he loses your attention, which is the exact opposite of what he wants. This teaches him quickly not to jump on you.

Teaching a new puppy to “leave it” is very important and one of the first commands that you should work on. This little command will save your furniture and possessions from getting chewed up, plus it keeps your dog away from dangerous or unclean items outside.

Pay attention to the length of your dog training sessions. If you spend too much time doing one training exercise, your dog will become bored. Keep sessions to a minimum at first. Target 10 minute sessions for increased success.

Always get your dog’s attention the same way. Start all commands with the dog’s name. Use his name to get his attention then follow up with a command. Dogs will respond instantly when their name is called if they know they are going to be rewarded.

Never yell at a barking dog. While a barking dog is sure to raise your frustration level, resist the urge to yell at them. Dogs do not understand that you are yelling at them, and often associate your raised voice as you joining in the fun of barking. If your dog is barking, calmly distract them with a toy or treat, and when the barking stops, give them their prize.

Consider the advice you have read in this article very thoroughly and write it down if necessary. A training manual would be a good aid to working with your dog, and this article would make a great beginning for it. Hopefully you have learned a lot and are now prepared to produce a smarter, well behaved dog you will not only be very proud of, but have a lot more fun with!