1) Call for your dog in a real nice sweet voice, but then when he comes to you, you punish him for something he did a while ago.
2) Not stick to your training schedule for your dog. A couple of days your follow a schedule with your training. Your faithful with your training, then the next day there is something on TV so you skip training all together. Then days go by and finally you find some time and you don’t understand why he is not progressing.
3) You don’t give attention to your dog’s emotions. Okay here is an example your back on track and starting to train your puppy. You notice that he is yawning and it could be around his naptime but you ignore this and just keep on training anyway. Then you get frustrated and mad because he is not responding on the training. You need to stop and think that since he is tired he can’t concentrate and all he really wants to do is take a nap. Let him take a nap and then try again, I’m sure it will work out much better.
Do you hate when you go to a friends or family’s house and they have a dog that is roaming around the dinner table? Do you wish that they would take the dog to another area so you can eat in peace and not have the family dog begging you for food? Okay so it may not bother you if your dog does that to you, but it could bother your guest. So the best way to avoid this is to teach your puppy how to “Settle Down” This could be when you send your puppy to his special area in the room. This is his own space where he feels safe and secure. This area should have a bed and toys for him. Ideally you want to be able to send him to his area on command. So your question in your mind now is how right?
1) With your puppy on a leash say “Settle Down” and point to the area with your free hand.
2) Walk your puppy over to the area (If he is unsure stay with him over there for a few moments, once he starts to play with toys or curls up on his bed you can leave).
3) Repeat this step several times. Depending on the age of your puppy it may take a while for him to get it. Usually older than 12 weeks of age works best for this step.
Is your puppy getting in the way when you walk? Does he keep moving to the wrong side when you walk him on the leash? Did you know that blocking you is his way of getting your attention? It can be cute at first, but it could be hazardous too. What if you trip on him or step on him, you would feel terrible and he could be hurt. So what you need to do is teach him what “Excuse Me” means. So when ever your puppy trips you or gets in your way say “Excuse Me” and move him out of your way with a little shuffling of your feet under his body. Remember don’t yell this or it will frighten him and you can’t train him that way. If you use your hands he will think that it’s play- time. Once you get him moved over don’t forget to praise him. Soon you will see that little face looking up at you with his tail wagging.
Is your puppy going to be around little kids? If so you need to teach him how to handle their touching and pulling. The best way is for you to act like a child and gently pull on his coat, make loud sharp sudden noises and sudden movements. At the same time make sure you handle your puppy frequently, touch his paws, ears, belly and tail as if you were grooming him. Keep in mind that little kids are curious and want to explore this fur ball, so make sure he can handle it. Praise your puppy and give him treats during this time.
Does your puppy have play dates? Do you take toys with you? If so, you should definitely teach your dog how to “Give/ Share”. Keep in mind that puppies are like little children when playing with toys. At first they don’t get the concept of sharing so it is our job to teach them so they will have good manners around other people and dogs. (You wouldn’t want your puppy to be on a play date and then labeled a toy hog.
So with treats ready here are the steps:
1) Kneel on the floor and praise your puppy for a couple of minutes before you bring out the toys.
2) First start with you tossing a toy in the air and catching it, this will spark his interest. Once you have that give the toy a short toss.
3) When he takes the toy let him keep it for a while so that he does not feel there is a challenge for it.
4) Now take the treats and offer him one, before he abandons the toy say “Give”, as he give you the toy praise him and give him a treat.
5) Then give the toy back right away. This will teach him that you want to play and not steal the toy.
6) Repeat steps 2 & 3 until he looks to you each time he picks up the toy.
7) Encourage him to come towards you with the toy as you start to run away at the same time say “Bring”
Now you just got a two for one training, how to Give and Bring. Way to go.
First remember your puppy is still young so don’t get frustrated or impatient with him. It will not help him learn. So now that we are going to stay calm lets teach him the “Down” command. This is especially important for his socialization. There is nothing more disturbing when you go to someone’s home and their dog jumps all over you and their owner can’t control him or her. So here’s what you need to do:
1) Have treats with you (This is very important)
2) Place a treat between your fingers and say “sit”, but before you let go of the treat drop you hand between your puppy’s paws and then say “Down”
3) Since this is new to your puppy he will not know what to do, so when he looks down gently press between his shoulder blades with your thumb and gently press him into position.
4) When his elbows hit the floor let go of the treat and say “Good Boy/Girl” (Or what ever phrase you use for positive reinforcement).
Repeat this several times until you are confident he understands.
There are several pressure points on your pup’s body that when gently pressed will guide him to the position you want.
Sit- With your index finger and thumb, press your puppy’s waist muscles (his back side),
this is located just behind the last rib.
Down- Located between the shoulder blades, use your thumb and gently press while
lifting out one of his paws.
Stand- Slide your hand between his thigh and belly. Give his belly a little tickle and he
Should come up.
Side- Take the side of your hand and gently press his side ad you guide him to the left or right
Teaching your puppy the “Sit” command is very easy as long as you keep your patients, take the time, and praise him for a good job. If you practice this command twice a day for 4 days your pup should have this one down with no problem. Here is your two-step process:
1) With a handful of treats. Place a treat between your index finger and thumb and say the command “Sit” as you bring the treat slightly above your puppy’s nose.
2) When he sits give him the treat and say “Good girl or boy”
If he does not sit when you raise the treat slightly above his nose, use your opposite hand and give him a gentle push on his back side so he gets the understanding of what you want. 
After a while you can begin using hand signals like lifting your index finger above your puppy’s nose and he will know this means SIT. Gradually decrease the treats so that he will get the understanding that he needs to sit when you command it at any time. This command will help out a lot when your pup is in a social situation, it will show you have a well-trained and socialized puppy.
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