Training your dog might seem like a difficult, intimidating task to take on. Many pet owners choose to send their dog to a professional trainer. This is a good option, but the following article has many tips that will help you train your dog on your own and in your home.

If you have gotten a dog or puppy and you have crate trained them you should always try not to keep them in there for more than four or five hours at a time unless it’s overnight or it’s just a once-in-awhile thing. If you have to have them in the crate for longer periods of time, a dog probably wasn’t the best option for you.

If you want a well-trained dog, you must be willing to offer generous and appropriate rewards. Unless you offer treats appropriately and frequently, it’s almost impossible to keep him motivated and interested. Dogs will not understand why you are rewarding them if you wait too long to do it.

Never reward negative behavior. Many dog owners have difficulty training their pet. When a long training session has ended and there has been no progress, they might find themselves tempted to reward their dog anyway. Even if you love your dog dearly, never reward their bad or undesirable behavior.

When you are working on commands with your dog, work only on one command at a time, and only say the command one time. Do not say the command word more than once. Your goal is for your dog to obey the command immediately. You don’t want to have to say the same thing over and over.

When you are training your dog, make sure you are very patient. Different dog breeds learn at different rates. One dog can learn quickly while another dog will take a long time. If you are impatient you will stress your dog and he will be resistant to your best training efforts.

Dogs usually respond well to physical rewards when being trained. Almost all dogs have an extremely large capacity for love. That makes them respond very well to rewards like belly scratching, back petting and brushing. Your dog wants to be loved and greatly appreciates you giving him affection. Show your happiness with his success this way.

Physical punishment does not work, and can hinder training. Never ever hit your dog, especially when training. While it may appear to work because the dog stops the behavior, in reality they have only learned to fear you and not do that behavior in your presence. So toss out that rolled up newspaper and break out some tasty treats instead.

To limit your dog’s barking, see if you can acclimate them to whatever triggers their barking. Everything from a sound to a particular person could be a trigger. The dog must learn that they do not need to start barking when these things occur.

Following the tips in this article will ensure you have a well-trained dog. There are many options for training, including using professionals or doing it yourself. Whatever path you choose, you need to know that your dog can understand your commands and be in control in any situation you are in.