Patience and Understanding: Be patient during the training process. Dogs may not grasp what you are asking of them immediately. Imagine that your dog is learning to speak a foreign language. Which they are! Showing them patience and understanding while they are learning will improve communication between you.

Consistency is Key: It’s important to be consistent when training your dog. Make sure everyone in your family uses the same cues and hand signals. Also, set clear house rules, like “the dog should sit instead of jumping on people,” or “don’t feed the dog under the table to prevent begging,” so your dog learns what’s expected from everyone.

Keep Training Sessions Short: Dogs can’t pay attention for a long periods of time, so limit training sessions to 10-15 minutes to prevent frustration, both for you and your pet. Frequent, brief sessions are more effective than long, exhausting ones. When your dog is showing success at what you are training, that is when it’s time to end your training session.  

Early Socialization Matters: Expose puppies to various people, animals, and environments to foster confidence. Let puppies explore from a distance at their own comfort level. Never force interactions on your puppy. Gradual exposure and positive experiences are the key to preventing behavioral issues in the future. 

Make training a game: Incorporate play into your training sessions to keep your dog engaged and motivated. Interactive games reinforce learning while adding an element of enjoyment for both you and your dog. This approach helps your dog grasp new skills more effectively while also ensuring they associate having fun with being with you.