Before you start any dog or puppy training program, think only of what you’re hoping to gain, and not the actions you want to steer away from. As you get ready for each new class or training day, create a picture in your minds eye of the goal you’re aiming for, and concentrate on that. Keep your mind away from the negative behavior you’re trying to avoid.

If you don’t have a destination in mind, how are you ever going to arrive there? That’s true of most things in life, and it applies to basic dog house training as well

Sometimes we fall into the habit of thinking mostly about what we don’t want. And it seems to be a wide spread phenomenon with dog training too. We sure don’t want the dog to urinate on the furniture, or start chewing slippers, or disobey our commands, or bark like maniacs when we have friends come into the house.

But think about it. Lets imagine you’re about to pick up a new puppy. Would you actually relish the thought of relinquishing the next ten to fourteen years of your life chasing your dog around saying, “No no no”? Wouldn’t it be better to guide your dog into behaviors that you want?

For example, instead of thinking, “The dog had better not chew my shoes, or furniture,” try, “My dog will chew and play with his own squeezy toys.” Rather than, “I don’t want the dog to embarrass me when I have guests,” change it to, “It would be nice for the dog to sit nicely and welcome visitors.”

Simply by wording your aims in a positive manner, you’ll know exactly what is you are aiming for. What better way to start your training program.

Use Rewards

Probably the best thing that has happened in puppy house training over the last few years is a move in focus from highlighting corrective action, or penalizing mistakes, to rewarding obedience and favorable actions.

The practice of rewarding your dog’s good behavior is a smart one, especially for potty training tricks. One of the critical reasons for this is that when you punish your dog, for whatever reason, the results are likely to be quite disheartening for your pet. If your dog is of a particular temperament, he might respond with aggression to being overly punished. Some dogs, especially timid breeds, may close off completely. They seem to lose their sense of adventure. They may seem broken-spirited.

You also get a better sense of accomplishment and enlightenment when using reward training techniques. Heaping praise and treats on your dog gives a powerful sense of achievement.

And best of all, reward-based training really works. That’s because rewards help to nurture and strengthen behaviors we want in our dogs. If a behavior is rewarding, your dog will associate one with the other and learn to repeat the behavior when called upon. By learning how to apply that simple rule, you will be able to use this method for pretty much any training goal you want to achieve.