There is a wide range of professional dog training schools throughout the USA and there are many which have unique or customized training methods. This diversity is confusing for any individual trying to establish the correct way to handle their dog Nevertheless, there are some certain abilities which you will need to acquire if you are to become a successful dog handler.

To be able to handle your dog correctly you will need a strong commitment to your final goal and a lot of patience for the hard work involved in achieving it. It may look very simple when you see professional dog handlers out in the field or on the TV but this illusion will rapidly disappear when you commence the training. Dog handling involves encouragement and persuasion rather than castigation. Be prepared for disappointment and frustration before you even think about reward.

The body language you project and that of your dog is an integral part of the way you interact with your dog during training. It is also part of the judging process in obedience trials, so observe the signals your dog sends to you and know the signals you are sending to him. Keep uppermost in your mind the following three instructions which will be vital to your success:-

1) Before you start training your dog, you need to ascertain his capabilities. Of the various training techniques available, you will need to decide which is best for your dog. You are the person who knows your dog better than anyone else, so if your dog has a timid nature do not chose a training technique based on tough and inflexible handling. You want the dog to perform his training because he enjoys and understands it. If he is terrified he will do neither.

2) Before teaching your dog hand signals he must learn vocal commands. When you are confident that your dog has learned your vocal commands you can then incorporate hand signals. ? Initially you might have to exaggerate the hand signals in order to alert your dog to them. As time progresses your dog will link your hand signals to your vocal commands and then you will be able to tone down the strength of the hand signals. At obedience trials a judge would not expect to notice your hand signals so spend time working on subtle movements as soon as your dog shows signs of behaving the way you want him to.

3) All dogs have their idiosyncrasies but usually it will take time for a dog to become proficient in training. Don't spend hours in one session trying to teach your dog his lessons because he will lose interest. If the lessons are of between 10 to 15 minutes duration and often, this is much better than trying to fit everything in over a prolonged time span. Your dog instinctively will want to make you happy with his performance, so if you ensure that the lessons are entertaining and consistent it will be much better for him and for you. Whatever you set out to do follow through to the end; if the training is not consistent the learning process will be much longer and the dog will become confused. If your dog is not responsive to parts of the training immediately don't be disappointed, be persistent. In this way, he will eagerly anticipate his training sessions and the final result will be a well trained, obedient and contented dog.