So what is the key to preventing a poorly trained dog?



Simple, just start training them as puppies. Puppies don't know the difference and if you make the training fun they will be more responsive as well. Conversely, if you start them when they are older they have grown into bad habits and the training will stress both you and the dog out. Not to mention the fact that the dog will be a lot more difficult to control.

If you start your dog late (particularly with leash training), they will control you. You often see people being taken for a walk by their dog as they are pulling their owners around the block. And what inevitably happens is that the owner will reprimand the dog by shouting and yanking at the leash. This isn't fair to the dog since the reason they behave this way is because you allowed them to pull on the leash as puppies (or because of no leash training whatsoever...)

When leash training your dog, be sure to never allow for them to pull on the leash. Gently tug the leash if they start to pull and get eye contact with the puppy while you repeat their name. Also be sure to give them positive reinforcements.

The best thing to do when starting out with leash training is to allow the dog to get used to the feeling of having a collar and a leash attached. Another thing to keep in mind is to initially do the training in a familiar environment.

This reduces stress on the puppy and allows for minimum distractions. Puppies are quick to learn and you can introduce them to new lessons relatively quickly.

Once your puppy has become comfortable with the basics of leash training and knows some of the basic cues and commands like sit and heel, start taking them to the park and different areas to practice. Again, start by introducing them to a little bit of distraction, then increase the amount of distractions present while going over the same training that you exposed them to with no distractions.

Just remember that it is very important that you socialize your dog. This is often a neglected part of a dog's training and causes dogs to become shy and/or fear aggressive. So, be sure to take your puppy to the park and other busy areas to interact with other people and dogs too!

Although this may seem like a lot of work, it is well worth the effort, as you will have a very well trained dog at the end of it all.