Puppies are eager and willing to do the right thing. They love your happy face and the squealy noises you make when they have done something great. They will do ANYthing to please you because of the loving rewards they get from being a Good Dog. They just cannot get enough of your praises and cuddles.

Moving towards "What a good dog!" from "Bad Puppy!" is based on one thing. Your puppy does not know the English language, and the faster he learns it, the better for all, because the minute he knows what you want he will DO it. Make it faster and easier for him to learn by keeping these tips in mind:

1. Be consistent in the words you choose to teach him commands. If you say, "Wanna go potty?" in the morning, and "Have to go out?" two hours later, and "Wanna go pee?" two hours later, etc., then that is THREE phrases you have asked him to learn in one day instead of only one. Decide which words to use, and make sure everyone in your family uses the same ones.

2. If you want to restrict your dog's action in some way, do not use his name in the command. Use his name only if some action is required on his part. This is very important. By a dog's very nature, hearing his own name with an upward lilt at the end of the command makes him leap into action, he cannot help himself. When you want your puppy to come, say, "Puppy, Come!" [insert his name instead of the word Puppy, of course] When you want him to lie down, simply say, "Down". When you use stop-action commands such as "Down", "Stay" or "Off", make your voice drop steeply at the end of the word. It stresses the stop-action nature of the command and helps your dog understand what you want more quickly.

3. Do not confuse your puppy with the same words for different commands. In the world of basic obedience training, using the word, "Down" means "LIE down", usually followed by the word, "Stay." If you don't want him on the couch, do not say "Down", say, "Off." This word can be used to keep him from jumping up into your lap, onto the couch, chair or bed because it is the ACTION of jumping up you are trying to restrict. Saying "Down" when he jumps onto the couch will just make him lie down on the couch! See the difference?

Do not ever hit your puppy, you dont need to. The worst punishment he ever needs to learn a lesson is your sad frown and walking away from him. One or two minutes is the limit though, do not overdo this. After a minute of ignoring him, give a command he knows well and praise praise praise, with a big smile. Make sure every work session ends in success and much praise. This is crucial. It makes your dog associate his leash and the words, "Wanna work?" with a fun and exciting thing to do.

If you use these three tips in a gentle and consistent manner, within days your puppy will learn all the words he needs to be your happy and obedient companion.