The Dog Training Bible – How to Train Your Dog to be the Angel You’ve Always Dreamed About

the chewing continues, discourage your puppy by putting bad-tasting but non-toxic substances on items he chews, but shouldn’t – tabasco sauce,

desensitization approaches. Get a recording of the sound of thunder, if he fears thunder. Play it back at a low volume when he’s relaxed. Gradually increase the volume; ignore it if he responds negatively, but reward him for remaining calm

when he acts shy, fearful or unsure; but that is reinforcing his fearful behavior. Remember, the approach to training is to ignore behavior that is unwanted, and reward obedient behavior.

Try leaving for short periods of time, and then returning, several times a day; that gets him used to the idea that, if he’s uncomfortable with you leaving, it won’t be for long, and you’re certainly not leaving him forever

Try to schedule it so that it ends at least thirty minutes before you leave, so the dog will have a chance to settle down and be more likely to lay down for a nap, as soon as you leave

For your relationship with your dog to be a healthy and enjoyable one, your dog needs to be able to handle being separated from you for extended periods of time

As with house training, crate training works so well because it is based on your dog’s instinctual desire to keep his living area clean

come when called” command. It is the basis for most advanced training.

As always, your praise of your puppy will have much more impact if you get down onto eye level with him. Eye-level praise, attention and affection go a long way toward reinforcing the lesson.

When trying to understand your dog’s behavior, don’t confuse his motivations with those of a human. Sure, he may seem almost human at times, particularly if he’s especially intelligent. But even if he understands things in the way a human would, his motivations are different, as are his responses to situations and challenges