Dogs make great pets and tremendous companions. They have always been recognized as "man's best friend". But in order to be a good household pet and a pleasant doggy resident they need to be trained. They also need to be trained to be safe and contented members of your family unit.

You ought to commence training your puppy for obedience as soon as he arrives at your dwelling. The training will be ongoing until he is about a year old and then while he may be considered "fully trained", you will still want to work with him to keep his skills sharp for the rest of his years. A well-trained dog is a joy to own and a pleasure to be around.

The number one directive of dog training is that you must be the "alpha dog". Some people may not like that phrase but the reality is that dogs are pack animals and they expect to have a leader. You must be the leader and all of the human being members of your family unit must outrank your dog in the pack order. Dogs will do everything for the leader of the pack so that must be you.

You must not ever permit your dog to show dominance. Teach him to wait for his food until you are ready to give it to him. Do not ever let him eat before you do. This is a subtle thing that is essential when establishing dominance.

Never permit your puppy to do stuff that would not be tolerable for an grown-up dog. This includes nipping and jumping at you and others. Consistency is one of the most crucial things when it comes to training your dog. A dog does not reason like a human and if you don't want your dog to jump on you when you are dressed in your business suit then don't let him jump on your when you are wearing your play clothes. Consistency is vital.

If you get a crate all of your instruction will be easier. Dogs in reality feel protected and secure in a comfortable and snug place that they feel is their own. Your puppy may complain when he goes into the crate at the start but you need to just leave him there. He will adjust and he will actually grow to like it very soon. A crate will make housetraining and obedience training easier.

Your dog's safety is dependent upon him being able to grasp and comply with the commands of "sit" and "stay". There will be times that you will need to be in charge of your dog in order to avoid the troubles of running off or jumping on the people that visit your home.

Walking on a leash and heeling are also part of the basic training that your dog needs. After that you can move on to fun stuff like fetching. Well-trained dogs are the most pleasurable to own and to be around so do not slack on your pet-owner responsibilities.