How to train your dogs

Dog Training 101: How to Completely Train Your Dog

The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight

Are you ready to start training your dog or puppy? Proper training and socialization are among your dog’s basic needs. It’s important to start training your dog as soon as possible to sit, stay, come, go to their crate, and to go potty outside. And believe it or not, it’s something you can do yourself as a beginner.

At first, dog training can seem pretty overwhelming, especially if this is your first dog. The truth is that training your dog is a very big project. If you take it step by step, you will find the task to be far less daunting. Here is some information to help get you started:

Watch Now: How to Train Your Dog With Positive Reinforcement

Need help with dog training? Consider getting assistance from a dog trainer. Try group classes and/or private lessons, and check here for tips on affordable dog training.

House Training and Crate Training

Unless you plan to keep your dog outdoors—and few of us do because it’s not recommended—you’ll need to teach your dog where to eliminate. Therefore, house training (also called housebreaking or potty training) is one of the first things you need to work on with your dog. Crate training can be a very helpful part of the training process. This includes house training as well as many other areas of training:

Leash Training Dogs and Puppies

Every dog needs to learn to walk on a leash. Besides the fact that most areas have leash laws, there will be times when keeping your dog on a leash is for his own safety. Learn how to introduce your dog or puppy to the leash, then teach him how to walk properly on the leash, even beside you on a bike. A loose leash walk teaches your dog not to pull or lunge when on ​the leash, making the experience more enjoyable for both you and your dog.

How To Socialize Dogs and Puppies

Socialization means training your puppy or adult dog to accept new people, animals, and various places by exposing him to these things. Socialized dogs are less likely to develop behavior problems and are generally more welcomed by others. Socialization can also help prevent the development of fears and phobias.

The bottom line is that socializing your dog or puppy will make him a happier, more well-behaved dog.

Clicker Training for Dogs

Clicker training, a common form of positive reinforcement, is a simple and effective dog training method. Although it is still fine to train your dog without clicker training, many people find it helpful. With clicker training, you can easily and effectively teach your dog all kinds of basic and advanced commands and tricks. It’s fast and easy to learn how to clicker train your dog

Basic Commands and Fun Tricks

There are some basic dog training commands and dog tricks that every dog should know like come, speak, drop it, stay, back up, etc. Basic commands give your dog structure. In addition, they can help you overcome common dog behavior problems and will help keep your dog safe.

How to Train Your Dog to Stay

What’s more fun than showing off your dog’s cool tricks?! Dog tricks are a great way to take your dog training to the next level and give your dog some mental stimulation.

Proofing Behaviors and Troubleshooting

Proofing is the last step in training your dog to do any new behavior. Learn how to proof behaviors so your dog will be as obedient at the park or a friend’s house is he is in your own living room.

Remember, just because you have reached the final stages of training, it doesn’t mean that behavior problems won’t crop up. Learn about the most common dog behavior problems and how to deal with them. These guides will help you navigate this part of the training process:

Advanced Dog Training

Once your dog has mastered all the basics, you can consider moving on to more advanced tricks. These activities will help keep your dog active, fit and mentally stimulated. Plus, they will help strengthen the bond you share with your canine companion.

Remember that training is an ongoing process. You will never be completely finished. It is important to keep working on obedience training throughout the life of your dog. People who learn a language at a young age but stop speaking that language may forget much of it as they grow older. The same goes for your dog: use it or lose it. Running through even the most basic tricks and commands will help them stay fresh in your dog’s mind. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with your dog.

While your dog should always be leashed when out, there are other ways to train them to be unbothered by other dogs while on walks. Keep a distance from other dogs while out and call your dog’s name whenever they notice another dog, rewarding them with a treat. You can continue this process, gradually getting a little closer to dogs while encouraging your pup to ignore them and rewarding them with a treat.

Many experts believe that chasing a dog that is running away will only encourage it to run further because the dog thinks this is a game. Start training your dog to stay with you by slowly walking away from it, then calling its name and rewarding it with a treat when it comes to you. You can even add to this training by spending time with friends, having them call your dog, and giving it a treat when it comes to them.

Start by asking your dog to «sit,» and asking people not to approach. If your dog is approached and obeys this command, offer it a treat. Reinforcement is key!

How to Train Your Service Dog Without a Professional Trainer

This article was co-authored by Beverly Ulbrich and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Beverly Ulbrich is a Dog Behaviorist and Trainer and the Founder of The Pooch Coach, a private dog training business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Certified CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator by the American Kennel Club and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Humane Association and Rocket Dog Rescue. She has been voted the best private dog trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area 4 times by SF Chronicle and by Bay Woof, and she has won 4 «Top Dog Blog» awards. She has also been featured on TV as a dog behavior expert. Beverly has over 18 years of dog behavior training experience and specializes in dog aggression and anxiety training. She has a Master of Business Administration from Santa Clara University and a BS from Rutgers University.

There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

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If you have a mental or physical disability, a service dog can help you better navigate and participate in the world around you. A professionally trained service dog is typically the best way to go, but it isn’t a requirement! You can absolutely train a dog to be your service dog as long as you have the time and patience for it. Here, we’ve gathered some of your most common questions about how to train your service dog on your own without a professional trainer.

How to Train a Dog the Right Way

Are you wondering how to train a dog? There is a lot of contradictory information on the web and sometimes it can get very confusing. As a general rule, always follow positive methods and do not apply anything that makes you uncomfortable.

Whether it is potty training, leash training or manners, I will tell you what the key concepts you need to know are to overcome most dog behavior problems.

The information is simple, the hard part is to follow through with dog training! As a general rule, if a dog is not doing something right…it’s most likely the human’s fault.

If something is not working,

try a different way of training it.

To learn how to train a dog find out how animals learn.

Dogs and all animals learn through the principles known as Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning and Extinction.

When you read about these principles you will notice that animals learn with both rewards and punishment. So, how to train a dog? with punishment or with rewards?

Rewards, of course! Forget about electronic collars, choke chains or any other form of punishment.

Why punishment is NOT the best option?

It’s inefficient:

When you use rewards, you are telling the animal exactly what it is that they did correctly and they will repeat that behavior to get more rewards!

When you use rewards you are creating a positive association with the correct behavior. You canine friend will want to do it even off-leash…and even without food! (Learn here how to use food treats the correct way).

When you use rewards the right way, you will also be reinforced when you see the behavior you want happening more often!

If you use rewards the exact opposite happens, your pet will feel joy during training sessions! He will actually feel joy in every aspect of his life. Positive reinforcement makes us and the animals feel good and learn at the same time!

That said I would like to make a clarification. You will be using punishment, mostly inadvertently. Punishment is defined as something that when given reduces the likelihood that the behavior will happen again. There are some things your dog might not like, for example, when you hug him or when you completely ignore him.

Focus on the positive way, rewarding good behavior. And as for punishment, yes. ignore your dog when he does something bad.

To learn how to train a dog discover different training methods.

How to train a dog the right way? With positive training methods!

You can use them all! Each one will be good for each different situation.

To learn how to train a dog understand dog body language.

I always say that dog training is a little bit of teaching and a little bit of understanding. You are teaching your pet some English, but in return you need to learn how to speak dog!

Do you think barking is the way dogs communicate? Before any sound comes out of their mouth, they have a full set of body postures that can communicate many things. You can learn about them to understand your dog and anticipate his needs. This can be extremely useful to prevent dog fights or attacks from your dog or directed at your hound.

Now that you know how to train your dog try a few different commands:

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How to Train a Dog

Dogs are probably the most «verbally» expressive of all domesticated animals, and this only adds to their charm. From the whine of a puppy to the angry growl of an adult, dogs mean what they say. The more you understand these signals, the happier you and your dog will be. At the same time, it’s important to know which noises constitute an annoyance, and how to train your dog to stop making them. We’ll offer suggestions on teaching a dog to stop barking in this section.

Understanding a Dog’s Body Language

The position of a dog’s tail tells a lot about her, too. A dog with her tail erect is confident and in control. The exact opposite is the dog with her tail tucked between her legs. Whether she’s talking to you or to another dog, the message is the same: «I give up!» Just because a dog’s tail is down doesn’t mean she’s frightened, though. A relaxed dog may keep her tail lowered, although not between her legs.

Dogs communicate with both ends of their bodies. A cock of the head or twitch of the ears indicates interest or alertness but sometimes fear. When a dog hears or sees something new or exciting, her ears will go up or forward. Because the canine sense of hearing is so sharp, your dog often knows about the approach of a person or car long before you do. That’s what makes her such a great alarm system. Her ears are built in such a way that they can be pointed in different directions, allowing the dog to quickly figure out where a sound is coming from.

Is a dog’s head down and her ears back? She’s scared or submissive. Sometimes, the fur along the neck and back of a frightened or submissive dog will bristle, too. Be especially careful approaching a dog in this mood. She might be timid or shy, but if she feels cornered, she’s capable of launching an attack in self-defense.

A dog’s pack instinct makes her a good observer who pays close attention to everybody and everything around her. You might not realize it, but your dog watches and listens to you all the time and learns your patterns of behavior. Sometimes it seems as if she can read your mind, but her ability to predict your every move is really just good observation skills at work.

Sometimes a dog uses her entire body to deliver her message. Rolling belly-up, exposing her neck and genitals, means «You’re the boss!» An especially submissive dog may also urinate to express her deference to you or to another dog. The play bow is the classic canine invitation to fun and games: down on the front paws, rear end in the air, tail wagging. She may even paw the ground or bark in the attempt to lure you or another dog into play. The best response is to play bow back and then pull out her favorite toy or ball.

Interpreting Dog Barks and Noise

Body language is generally a silent method of communication (with the exception of the play bow), but dogs use their voices, too. They bark, whine, growl, and howl to get their point across. Barking is probably the most familiar sound dogs make. In the wild, only young wolves, coyotes, and foxes bark, but when dogs were domesticated, barking was one of the puppylike characteristics people liked and looked for when they were choosing which dogs to keep.

Whining is cute when a puppy does it, but sometimes it gets to be too much. If your dog’s whining becomes annoying, remember what you learned about how to stop barking. Instead of petting or comforting a whining dog, ignore her until she’s quiet. Then reward her silence with praise or petting.

A growl is probably the easiest canine sound to understand. Growling dogs are giving notice that their ready to attack if you don’t back off. Growling is a serious sign of aggression that shouldn’t be ignored or laughed off. Don’t let your dog get away with growling at you or anyone else, such as your veterinarian or groomer. Call in a professional trainer or behaviorist to help you evaluate the situation and get things under control.

There are as many reasons for a dog to bark as there are things for her to bark at. To correct unwanted barking, first you have to find out why she’s barking. For some dogs, barking is triggered by the doorbell, a passing car, or other common sound. Often this behavior can go on for quite a while. Try a simple little homemade device called a shake can to curb your dog’s barking. It’s safe for the dog, easy to make, and often works like a charm.

If your dog is barking for attention, you can handle the situation two ways. The first is to ignore her until she stops barking. Don’t pet her or yell at her. When she finally stops, praise her for being quiet. The alternative is to give the dog more attention than she wanted. As soon as your dog starts barking, put a leash on her and take her through a routine of sits, downs, comes, and stays. Continue this for a couple of minutes, then just walk away. Your dog will soon learn the sound of silence gets her the attention she wants.

A puppy’s mother and litter mates taught her basic social skills. Now, it’s your turn to further her education with the fine points, including housetraining, household manners, basic obedience, travel etiquette, and even a few fun tricks.

Everything your puppy does is an opportunity to teach her. Praise her when she eliminates outside; that’s the only way she’ll learn the outside is the proper place. Praise her when she chews on a toy; that’s the only way she’ll learn to chew on toys, not shoes. If you find her chewing on your shoe, don’t yell at her. Take the shoe away and immediately replace it with an appropriate toy, then praise her for being such a good dog and chewing on the toy. Instead of trying to catch your puppy doing something wrong, make every effort to catch her doing something right. It doesn’t take a puppy long to catch on that she gets attention from you for doing certain things and that you ignore her when she does other things. A dog will do anything for attention, so your goal is to teach her which actions are socially acceptable and rewarded with your attention and which ones get her ignored.

Too often, dog owners fall into the trap of thinking dogs know exactly what’s expected of them. The fact is dogs don’t know the rules of your household, but they’re eager to learn. Imagine it from the dog’s perspective: You’ve just been picked for a team for an exciting new sport; however, nobody explains the rules to you. Of course, you have one major advantage over your dog: You can ask for clarification. Dogs can’t, so it’s up to you to make sure you’re communicating all the rules to her consistently and in a way she’ll be sure to understand. So instead of tossing your puppy into a situation where she doesn’t know the rules, create an environment in which she can’t help but succeed.

Puppy Kindergarten

Talk to your veterinarian, breeder, or local humane society about puppy kindergarten classes in your area, or ask friends or neighbors with well-trained dogs for their recommendations. As in any obedience training program, the first session of puppy kindergarten is usually held without dogs. This gives the trainer a chance to explain the methods to be used and answer any questions you might have. Expect the trainer to use positive methods, and avoid one who is harsh toward canine students.

Socialization is also an important part of puppy kindergarten. You’ll play games like «Pass the Puppy,» where everyone passes her dog to the next person. This teaches puppies to accept attention and handling from lots of different people, something your veterinarian and groomer will be grateful for! And always be sure to practice what you learn at home. Repetition is the key to learning in dogs.

Basic Obedience for Puppies and Adult Dogs

A basic obedience course should cover walking on a leash, sitting, lying down, and coming when called. The trainer may also include at-home care, such as brushing and nail trimming; practice exams to accustom the pups to having their mouths, ears, and feet handled; and advice on housetraining. It is also helpful to learn the psychology behind dog training, including timing, rewards, and corrections.

On the Road

Start off by taking her on brief errands, particularly ones that do not require you to get out of the car: the curbside drop-off box at the post office, drive-up bank teller, or the drive-through window at a fast-food restaurant. The bumps, turns, and sudden shifts of weight from a car ride are confusing to dogs, so keep your dog safe by keeping her in her crate or anchored to the seatbelt with a specially designed pet harness. Running errands with your dog in the car is also a good way to teach her every car ride doesn’t have to end up at the veterinarian, groomer, or boarding kennel.

Stop every couple of hours so the two of you can stretch, take a potty break, and get a drink. Having a dog along is a good excuse to take a break and reduces the monotony of the drive, which can cause you to become sleepy or less alert.

Two Easy Dog-Training Tricks

Crawl across enemy lines. All the famous TV and movie dogs know this trick. They use it when they have to sneak up on the bad guys, get messages past enemy sentries, or heroically drag themselves back to their beloved masters, despite their injuries. The only props you need are some bite-size treats such as kibble, bits of hot dog, or cheese cubes. This trick will link a command your dog knows (come) with a new one (crawl).

Roll over, Ginger. Once your dog knows this trick, you can build on it to create more elaborate tricks, such as playing dead. As with the crawl trick, you need a supply of treats to teach your dog to roll over. Your dog will learn two new words for this trick: side and roll.

To start, your dog should be in the down position. Kneel in front of her with a treat in your hand. With an open palm moving in the direction you want your dog to lie (choose either left or right), encourage her to lie on her side. (If you want the dog to lie on her left side, use your right hand and vice versa.) As she moves into position, say, «Side.» Practice this step several times until your dog has it down pat, rewarding her with a treat when she’s successful.

The next step is to teach the dog to roll. With a treat in your hand, make a slow, complete circle as you say, «Roll.» As your dog follows the motion of your hand, help her roll over, and give her the treat. Repeat this step until your dog can roll over without help. The roll should bring her back to the down position. When you are sure your dog knows the routine by heart, you can teach her to roll in the opposite direction.

We’ve covered the basics of how to train your dog. If you work on them consistently, you should have a charming, well-behaved pet.

How to Litter Train a Dog

This article was co-authored by Colleen Demling-Riley, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBC. Colleen Demling-Riley (CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CDBC) is a Canine Behavior Consultant and the Founder of Pawtopia Dog Training. With more than 20 years of experience, she specializes in creating and customizing dog management programs for dog owners. She is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. Colleen is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and has been a featured expert in national media including the New York Times, Woman’s Day, Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan, and Yahoo.com.

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Litter training a dog may sound a bit odd, but it’s really not that much different from training your dog to eliminate outside. Imagine working late and not having to worry about letting your dog out. Or living in an apartment building and not having to take the trek outside every time your dog needs to pee. Training your dog to eliminate in a litter box can be convenient for both you and your pet. To do so, you’ll need to get the right equipment, to familiarize your dog with the box, and to teach him to use it.