Reviewed by Dr. Fiona Lee
Every dog needs obedience training and socialization. Not only does this build a meaningful bond between you and your furry best friend, but it also helps your dog feel more confident and self-assured. Basic commands like "come," "stay" and "sit," along with more advanced dog training, can improve your pup's quality of life.
A well-trained dog has fewer issues with anxiety, destructive behavior and aggression. They feel more secure because they're both mentally and physically stimulated. They're also safer and less likely to get into accidents. You'll find that the time you invest in training reaps many benefits in the end.1
This ultimate guide to dog training will help you get started on your training journey, so you and your dog can enjoy an adventurous life together.
Dog training basics: Top tips to get started
When you're getting started training your dog, it's natural to feel a little overwhelmed. Your pup has never done this before, and it might be new to you too! Just take everything step-by-step and celebrate small victories. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Patience and consistency are key.1 For example, when teaching "sit," don't say "sit," "Rover, sit" and "sit down." Use the same cue and keep it simple.2
- Consistency also means training every day around the same time.3
- Use positive reinforcement and rewards, not punishment.2 This makes your dog want to repeat desired behaviors. Punishment just leads to issues like fear.1
- Find what motivates your dog. Is it treats, pets, praise or toys?1
- Training sessions should be short and fun, with lots of breaks for play. Dogs (especially puppies) have short attention spans.1 So keep sessions at 10 to 15 minutes, especially at first.2
- Set realistic and achievable goals.1
- Understand your dog's individual needs and temperament, and cater accordingly.1
Basic dog training and techniques
Start with the basic commands: sit, stay, come, lie down and leave it. Once your pup has learned these, many other tricks and commands build from them.
House/crate training
House and crate training are vital for having a well-behaved, happy dog and a pleasant home life. Crate training can help with potty training, too.
Crate training basics
Many dogs can easily learn to love their crates, since the crates remind them of dark, quiet dens. They'll see crates as a safe, soothing place to be.3 In fact, crate training can be a big help for pups with separation anxiety.
Try these steps for crate training:4
- Put a chew toy, a comfy bed and other enticing items in your dog's crate.
- Then, put a treat inside to lure your pup in.
- Once your dog is comfy with that, feed a meal inside and close the door while your pup is eating. Open the door when she's done.
- Start increasing the time with the door closed.
- Then, start stepping away for longer periods of time.
A good rule of thumb for how long it's safe to be in a crate is the puppy's age in months, plus one or two. So a 2-month-old puppy can stay in a crate for three to four hours, and a 6-month-old puppy can be in there for seven to eight hours without soiling themselves. You may need to hire someone for potty breaks if you're at work.
If your dog sleeps through the night, it's fine to keep them in the crate overnight.
House training basics
House training puppies involves patience and a little trial and error. Potty training in an apartment might require a few alterations due to having less square footage.
Remember: Puppies can't "hold it" as long as adult dogs, so they may have accidents they can't control if they have to wait too long.3 Just redirect your pup to the right behavior and keep moving forward.
Leash training
A properly leash-trained dog can go on more outings and generally feels more confident. Like any type of training, you have to start slowly.3 And when you're training, keep the leash loose. This gives your dog a chance to make mistakes, like trying to pull ahead or drag behind, and lets you correct them.5 A tight leash discourages learning.
Socializing dogs
Early socialization is vital for dogs. Although they can sometimes still learn socialization when they're older, it tends to be far more successful when they're puppies and their brains are still developing.1 This is one thing you shouldn't skip when training your dog. A well-socialized dog is secure and well-adjusted.3
Keep in mind that socialization doesn't just involve playing nicely with other dogs. Socialization involves exposing puppies to all the things they may encounter in life (in a positive way), like bicycles, cars, other dogs, children, and people with hats, beards, glasses and masks. So you'll want to take your dog to different locations and hang out around different people, animals, sights, scents and sounds. Slowly incorporate more over time. With each new experience, watch for body language. If you notice signs of stress, take a step back to a calmer situation before trying again.3
Fun tricks
Once your dog has the fundamentals down, you can add fun tricks and nonessential commands. Your pup will love this and find it mentally stimulating. Try tricks like:6
- Shake hands
- Roll over
- Speak
- Give a kiss
- Wave
- Bow
- High five
- Hug
Be creative! Look for things you and your pup both think are fun.
Troubleshooting behaviors
Dog training is also about troubleshooting undesirable behaviors and nipping them in the bud. Understanding the root cause of these behaviors can help you address them better. Here are some tips for a few common issues.
- Separation anxiety: Find the cues that cause your pup distress and change them up (like getting your keys early rather than right before you leave). Use music or TV to relax your dog while you're gone. Take baby steps when working to treat your dog's separation anxiety by slowly leaving them alone for longer periods, and try crate training.
- Excessive barking: Alleviate underlying causes, like boredom or fear. Try teaching your dog a "quiet" command.7 If nothing else works, anti-bark collars, especially those that emit a sound or vibration, can distract your dog and help cut down on barking.8
- Begging for food: Never give your dog table scraps or feed them from your table, as this can immediately cause bad begging habits. Teach your dog "place," and use the command when you sit down to eat. Give treats when you're done and away from the table.7
- Jumping on you or guests: Lift your knee or grab those paws and push away when they jump up—unless the behavior is attention-seeking, which makes this technique backfire. In that case, try ignoring them, and then reward them when they relax. If this behavior is just when guests first come over, try teaching "place."7
- Excessive chewing: Alleviate underlying causes like boredom, excess energy from not getting enough exercise, teething or anxiety. Provide chew toy alternatives and redirect the behavior.7
Addressing behavioral changes can be challenging, so you'll need a lot of patience and consistency. If you're having trouble, there's no shame in getting help from a professional dog trainer or behaviorist.2
Dog sport and other training activities
Once you have the basics down, along with some fun tricks, what's next? If your dog loves being trained, you can move on to more mentally stimulating activities, like dog sports. Here are some fun American Kennel Club (AKC) sports you might try training for:9
- AKC Rally® for course navigation obstacles
- Fast CAT® for dogs who love to run fast
- AKC Scent Work for tracking hidden items
- Farm Dog certification
- AKC Trick Dog titlesPets Best can help keep your dog healthy
Dog training isn't a "one-and-done" process. It's an ongoing relationship between you and your pup. You may sometimes need to reinforce commands already learned, and at other times, you'll enjoy more advanced tricks together. A well-trained dog is confident, can exercise with you and can go on lots of fun adventures right by your side.
Focus on enjoying the journey, rather than just thinking about the destination. Celebrate each success and enjoy the time you get to spend building your bond with your sweet pup.
Investing in pet insurance is a great way to help protect your dogs and keep them healthy as you learn new tricks together. At Pets Best, our dog insurance plans can be customized for your pet's unique needs. In addition, Pets Best policyholders can speak to a veterinary expert anytime through a 24/7 Pet Helpline.
Sources/Citations
1 "5 tips for successful dog training," (1/2023), Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, https://vetmed.vt.edu/news/2023/dog-training-tips.html, accessed December 15, 2023.
2 "Dog training tips: Do's & don'ts," (5/2020), Best Friends Animal Society, https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/dog-training-tips-dos-and-donts, accessed December 15, 2023.
3 "How to train your puppy—and what to teach them," (11/2021), Bond Vet, https://bondvet.com/b/first-things-to-teach-your-puppy, accessed December 15, 2023.
4 "Crate training your puppy? Try our 7 simple steps," Shoshi Parks and Liz Coleman (9/2023), Rover, https://www.rover.com/blog/how-to-crate-train-a-puppy/, accessed December 15, 2023.
5 "The basics of training your dog," (5/2021), University of Wisconsin-Extension, https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/files/2021/05/The-Basics-of-Training-Your-Dog.pdf, accessed December 15, 2023.
6 "21 fun and popular dog tricks any dog can learn," Amy Bender (12/2023), The Spruce Pets, https://www.thesprucepets.com/fun-and-easy-dog-tricks-1117309, accessed December 15, 2023.
7 "10 common dog behavior problems and solutions," Jenna Stregowski (2/2022), The Spruce Pets, https://www.thesprucepets.com/common-dog-behavior-problems-1118278, accessed December 15, 2023.
8 "Are anti bark collars harmful to dogs?" Erin Downes (6/2022), Paoli Vetcare, https://www.paolivet.com/general/are-anti-bark-collars-harmful-to-dogs/, accessed December 15, 2023.
9 "Five popular dog sports that anyone & any breed can try," Stephanie Gibeault (6/2021), American Kennel Club, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/dog-sports-that-anyone-can-try/, accessed December 15, 2023.