by Eileen Hughes

Created on: April 07, 2008

Training your dog is the most important part of owning your lovable pet. There is nothing worse than an untrained dog and it can cause disharmony in any household. You do not need to tolerate a dog that digs up the yard, chews up your couch, or rips the washing from the clothesline. Your dog just needs some obedience training to correct these bad habits.

When you first bring your little puppy or adult dog home, you need to bond with him or her. This is a learning period for both the owner and the dog. No training is ever straightforward and not everything will go as planned. Be prepared for the unexpected and try to avoid distractions.

Equipment Required

You will need a choke chain, or a regular collar, and a leash. A leash can be leather or a chain with a leather handle. Which one you use is up to you. A choke chain is a small length of chain where one end slips through the other and then attached to the dog lead (or leash).

For treats, I prefer to use dog food that has been cut up into very small pieces as well as some small biscuits that do not require much chewing and little digestion. I use these as rewards when he has done well.

Training your puppy

Do it in simple easy steps and for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. Keep the lessons interesting and never lose your temper when encouraging your dog to carry out a command. If the dog becomes bored, it is a good idea to stop and play with him. Otherwise, he will lose interest and not learn anything.

It is important to be consistent when training your dog. If you let him jump up one day, don't growl at him for jumping up the next day. He will not understand what he has done wrong.

Please do not let your dog sit under the table watching every mouthful of food you consume. He is likely to beg for human food and it is not a good idea to give in to him. It is best to leave your dog outside while eating. If you live in an upstairs unit, then shut him in the laundry while eating.

Some commands that your dog needs to learn include sitting on command. He also needs to learn to sit before you cross the road, before he gets a treat or gets into the car. When a dog is sitting and under control, he cannot cause any trouble to anyone.

Dogs also need to learn how to walk on a leash on your left side without pulling on the lead. Another important part of his training is to teach him to come when you call him and not at his leisure. It could save his life one day.

The "look at me" or "watch me" command

The first thing he needs

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