Training a well-mannered dog is about leadership (yours) and respect (his). If you want your dog to behave perfectly for someone else, have someone else train him. If you want him to respond obediently to you, YOU need to learn to manage his behaviour yourself. Earn your dog's respect by being a confident, competent leader that he can look up to. He will automatically be more attentive and obedient. A strong leader is exactly what a dog is looking for - someone to trust and follow. While obedience training and specific commands can be useful in creating your leadership image, they are not critical. Even if you don't have time to go to classes or practice, you can still develop leadership skills and control your dog's behaviour.
Consider these tips when you are training your dog:
Determine What You Want
Which of your dog's behaviours are
acceptable, which unacceptable? Bring the family into the discussion, but don't
be afraid to set high standards.
Communicate the Rules
When your dog breaks one of your rules, give
a loud, stern "NO!" and let him know what he did was unacceptable. When he stops
the bad behaviour, immediately reward him with a happy "YES!" and plenty of
additional praise. By discouraging bad behaviour and rewarding good behaviour,
you communicate your rules and mould your dog into what you want him to be. This
is how wild dogs learn the rules of their pack.
Be Consistent
Don't change the rules. If Dad doesn't allow
Spike on the sofa, there's no reason Rover should be allowed to. Don't change
the definitions. If your command for lie down is "Down", don't use that command
when your dog jumps up on you. Use another word, like "Off".
Follow Through
Enforce the rules - always. If you tell your
dog to do something and he walks away instead, go get him and insist that he
comply. If you don't follow through, your leadership will be fatally undermined.
Don't Get Angry, Stay In Control
When your dog disobeys, don't get angry.
Anger is a loss of your own emotional control, and a true leader never loses
control. At best, anger will confuse your dog; at worst, it may result in
confrontation. Calmly take control of yourself and your dog, correct your dog's
behaviour, then praise him for getting it right