Puppies are delightful bundles of energy and curiosity. We always anticipate the joys that come with owning a dog. But sometimes, it doesn’t work out as well as we’d hoped. You need to teach your pup some important skills to make the most of your relationship.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of things you need to know when training your dog. Keep these tips in mind for fun, positive and successful dog training.

Make learning fun for both you and your dog

Training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. If the training session is not going as well as you prefer, then end the session with an easy command. Don’t forget to praise and reward her when she does it correctly. Remember, every training session should end on a positive note.

Keep training sessions short

Dogs, particularly puppies, do not possess long attention spans. Most successful training sessions do not last for more than 15 minutes.

Reinforce good behavior

It is human tendency to focus on what we don’t like, but when it comes to training your dog, you need to focus on the good behavior. Always reward your dog when you catch her doing something right.

Always be consistent

If you want the training to go as rapidly and easily as possible, you should always be consistent with your words and actions. If you are going to teach your pup the command “come”, you need to be certain that every member of the household uses the same word or phrase as part of a command. Otherwise, the dog will end up confused.

Punishment does not work

If the dog does not respond appropriately to a command after several attempts, should you punish him? Of course not! Punishment may frighten your dog; hence, reducing his ability to learn.

Discouraging unwanted behavior doesn’t have to involve intimidation or pain. Ignore the behavior and hold off the reward. Then, concentrate on teaching the dog what you want her to do. Remember, the opposite of reward is no reward, not punishment.