As most pet parents can attest, dogs are both amiable and feisty. These two seemingly incompatible traits are what dog training so difficult, especially in the early years. Luckily, experts abound that can give us helpful hints on how to get our treasures pooches to mind their manners and behave in public and in the home.

Below are the things you should know to train a puppy and a full grown canine. You can modify these approaches to fit the personality of your dog as these are guidelines, not hard and fast rules.

Puppies can be a lot of fun, they're cute and cuddly and positively adorable. However, a new puppy can also require a lot of work, particularly if you are keeping it in the house. House training a puppy requires patience and consistency, much like toilet training a toddler does. The end result, a dog that is free to enjoy life as a house pet and one that will let you know when he or she needs to go outside, is well worth the initial effort.

Socializing puppies at an early age can prevent many adult dog behavior problems. Enrolling a puppy in a training school can prevent such future problems as constantly barking, running away, biting, fear of children, destroying items such as furniture, and much more. The best age to enroll your puppy in a training school is eight weeks. By participating in a training school, your puppy will have the best chance to live a happy and secure life.

Many people become frustrated with a dog that just won't listen. They want to understand their dog and develop communication methods that the dog will understand. Fortunately, there are a number 'friendly' training methods that you can use to help you communicate with your dog, which will help eliminate behavior problems.

Most behavior problems like biting, jumping on strangers, urinating on the floor, and barking, result from a failure to communicate properly with your dog. Basically, the dog does not understand what you are trying teach him. 'Dog-Friendly' methods of training means you can communicate and dog training without inflicting pain or anger. They are positive reinforcement techniques that are fun for both you and your dog.

Getting a puppy is an exciting time for both the family and the puppy. When a puppy comes into a home, it will be exposed to a variety of new sights, sounds, and places to explore. This can be a very overwhelming and stressful time for the little critter. It is important for the owner to help the puppy adjust and become a well-behaved adult dog. This will involve teaching it to listen to your commands and desensitizing it to new stimuli.

Most puppy behavior experts say the critical learning period for a puppy is up to the age of sixteen weeks. The following are a few simple obedience techniques for training your puppy during this period:

Just like people, dogs have separation anxiety. As for what causes it, there are many. As a result, the dog and the owner can have quite the difficult experience. Overcoming the separation anxiety can be work, but it pays off for both the dog and the owner in the end because it is healthier and makes the overall environment more bearable.

However, you have to determine that what your dog is suffering from is really separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can mimic a number of other issues. Just because your dog may chew things, tear things up, and have accidents in your house when you're gone, that doesn't mean your dog has separation anxiety. These are non-anxiety issues that need to be addressed. Excessive barking does not indicate separation anxiety because barking can sometimes mean the dog is just bored and requires some dog obedience training. Sometimes the way to remedy this is by incorporating more exercise.