You don't need an expensive trainer for these everyday issues (though I do recommend a professional if you have a particularly aggressive dog that may require special understanding and handling). Nor do you need to attend the pet store "obedience classes" unless you'd just enjoy doing so. I'm going to show you here a couple of tricks to prove to you that you can train your dog to do anything you'd like, within his capability, and do it positively while both of you have fun. Just try them and you'll see for yourself how quick and easy this is.
First, it's important to understand that dogs live to please us. It may not appear so when your dog is ignoring your commands - that's because he doesn't understand your commands or perhaps your method for teaching him has backfired on you, which is the most common problem. What you think you're telling him and what he's thinking may be two very different things.
For example, you may want your dog to "come". Under what circumstances have you been giving that command? Are you yelling it at him for him to come to you only when you're unhappy with him and when he's to be punished somehow? Not exactly motivating. Certainly an unsuccessful approach.
It's well worth a few minutes of play every day to teach your dog to "come" immediately and every time you command it. And I do mean "play", not "work" - it's fun and a great bonding experience. Food is a terrific doggie motivator, so get some small one-bite treats (no big biscuits that take time to eat and thus distract from your goal). When you're sitting there watching TV or at your computer, most anywhere really, tell your dog to "come" with a calm, happy voice and give him a treat when he does.
Only one treat, we aren't trying to teach him to beg! A little later, tell him to "come" and give him "lovies", pet him, praise him. Another time, play with him with his favorite toy for a few minutes. Show him that "come" means something good will happen. Do this frequently throughout the day , rotating the rewards, and you'll see that he will soon be happily obeying your command every time. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It is!
Want your dog to be well-behaved on a leash? This, too, is quick and easy, usually just a matter of stopping the walk when pooch starts to pull. Your dog wants to GO, to explore and sniff - that's his motivation and fun. Stopping dead in your tracks keeps him from what he wants to do. Shorten the leash length to keep him at your side and in a calm voice (very important - if you yell or show emotion, you'll just excite him further), tell him to "calm" or "shhh", whatever comes naturally to you, and stand there until he calms down.
When he does, continue your walk, repeating this as often as necessary until he understands what you expect from him and learns to "walk nice" (my particular command for a rowdy dog). It can usually be accomplished very quickly, often in a single session with a quick reminder if he forgets it the next time you walk.
When it comes to walking, I believe this is one of the most important things you can do for your dog and for you. It not only gives you both healthy exercise, it allows for deeper bonding and understanding between you, the foundation of trust so important in further training. It also gives your dog that mental stimulation he needs to be well-behaved, socialized and happy. I don't do the "heel" thing when we walk - I have little interest in having a "Stepford" dog. Instead, I want our walks to be his time to stop and sniff (within reason) and to explore.
I just insist that he "walk nice" for both of our sakes, which is defined as a loose leash and not losing his mind when he sees other dogs. The training technique I described above usually accomplishes both of these goals.
Just these two techniques I've described can be used with variation to deal with most any issue. For example, want your dog to leave your shoes alone? Give him own chew toy and reward him with a treat at first for choosing that over the seductive shoe. Spend a few minutes each day with this exercise. If that isn't enough, or in addition to the above, you can use the "leave it" command technique. For this, place the shoe in front of him and when he reaches for it, say "leave it", giving him a treat and praising him when he does. Repeat as necessary, making him wait longer and longer for his reward.
Want your dog to be calm when the doorbell rings? Use a variation of the leash training technique and the "shhh" or "calm" command you used on your walks, which he now understands, working with a friend or neighbor who is willing to come over and ring your doorbell until your dog "gets it".
Establish the foundation of reward for the behavior you want and he'll start learning new behaviors very quickly. He'll snap to the reward thing and look forward to learning new things, knowing something good will happen when he does... and just because it's fun!
I've just given you a quick overview here, a place to start. There are many more proven techniques that I hope you'll want to learn now that you know you can train your dog and how rewarding it is for both of you!
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