Jenny Brown

When you bring a puppy or an older dog into your home, you know that training your new pet is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. An untrained dog, with her lack of social skills and etiquette, can be an embarrassment for you in your neighborhood. On the other hand, if she is well-behaved, she can be a joy to have in the home. The added bonus is that dog training can be fun!

Training your dog requires your patience and your full attention. Approaching this task in a sober and determined manner, with the end objective of an obedient and disciplined pet, may seem to be the correct approach. However, if you take this path the result may be a dog who is unruly and unmanageable. Your training sessions would be stressful for you and your pet and more importantly, would be unproductive. If your method of training includes shouting out commands repeatedly, getting angry when they are not obeyed, and generally having a heavy-handed approach, you can be sure that you will become frustrated with your lack of progress.

There is a better way to train your dog. In fact, it is the correct and time-tested approach and involves several components, all of which share a common thread – having fun and enjoying the training session with your pet. If your training session includes these ingredients, you know that you are on the right path:

• You should allot exclusive time for training your dog. There should not be any interruptions and the external environment should provide as little distraction as possible. You should be in a positive frame of mind. Your dog is extremely sensitive to your mood and body language. Keep these positive and upbeat. If you feel your enthusiasm waning, you should end the session immediately.

• The training that you conduct should be positive in every aspect. You should reward every good behavior in your pet with a small treat and with lavish praise. As the training progresses and the desirable behavior becomes ingrained in your dog, you should reduce the treats but keep up the praise. Ignore the undesirable conduct of your dog. When she sees that her inappropriate conduct does not elicit any response she will gradually cease exhibiting such behavior.

• End the training session on a positive note before either of you are tired. Ideally, the last command that you give your pet should have been successfully carried out and followed by a treat and an extra dose of praise. If you end the training on s