I've been reading Cesar Millan's book, Cesar's Way, and have already learned so much. I can see where I haven't been training my dogs the right way so that they are content and happy.

I've been treating them as if they were people, like my babies. That's not what dogs want or need. They need to know that I am their pack leader and that they are safe and secure as the followers.

One thing I read last night explained the importance of letting the dog come to me instead of walking up to a dog and giving it a pat or a hug. As puppies the mother trained them to come to her for food. She was, perhaps unknowingly, teaching them that she was the boss.

Fast forward a few weeks and they are in their new homes. Their new families run to them, pick them up, hold them, all of which is basically telling the puppies "you are the boss, I am the submissive one." All wrong.

What we need to do when we meet a new dog is let him come to us. Wait for him to nudge us or rub up against us. That is the signal that he is the submissive one. Now we are free to pet him and still maintain the position of leader.

That's just one thing I have learned. I recommend Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems to anyone who has a dog or who is around dogs.

Training a puppy or dog is work. It's easier just to let them go with no training. But that is cruel to the dog and a hardship in you.

My family tends to take in adult dogs that would have a harder time finding a home than a puppy. Of all the dogs we have taken in, I can think of two dogs that had very different levels of training.

The Border Collie/Sheltie we took in had no dog training. He was not leash-trained and knew no commands such as Sit and Stay. He had just grown up running around on his family's two acres.

Soon after we got him we had to take him to the vet for his shots. My mom had to carry him into the vet because he was afraid of the leash. While she was paying the vet, Scout got out of his collar and ran around the room among the other dogs and their owners. It was embarrasing to have a dog that was not under control.

Scout also jumps on people. Sometimes, when we know people are coming over, we lock him up in another room for awhile so he doesn't greet them at the door with his paws in their face.

I have been training him to sit and to walk on a leash. He is much better now. He is also getting better about not jumping on people.

Scout is at one extreme: comletely untrained. Belle was just the opposite.

When my mom was younger she adopted a 2-year old Smooth Collie named Belle who needed a home. She had been trained by her previous owner to sit, stay, not jump on people, and to walk with a leash. She was incredibly obedient. It's amazing that the owner was having a hard time finding a home for Belle.

She was a great dog, and very pleasant to have around the house. My mom didn't have to worry about Belle getting out front because Belle would never think of running away. And she was no problem to take out in public, unlike Scout.

That's the difference between a trained dog and an untrained one. Scout is a great dog, but he will be much better with some training. On the other hand, Belle was the perfect dog. Her first owner had done his job and trained her very well. She was the dog everyone hopes for: obedient and trained.

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Training your dog to "sit" is probably the first thing you will train your puppy to do. I write puppy because you can start puppy training as soon as the puppy has settled in his new home. You might think this isn't that important, a dog knows how to sit. Well, I think it is very important. Read on and you will found out why and how to train your dog to sit.

1. This first one is easy. You just start by saying "sit" every time the puppy sits itself. He learns to associate the word sit with the action. This is a tip you can use in all training.

2. Take out his favorite treat and keep it in your hand. Sausage or hot dogs usually work well but remember to cut it in small pieces so the puppy can swallow it fast.

3. Sit down on the floor so you get to the same level as the dog. You are less threatening when you sit. More important is that you are close to the dog so you can reward him faster. More about this soon.

4. Slowly move the treat over your puppy's head. The intention is to get the puppy to smell the treat (he will) and follow it with his nose. He has two options. Either back still standing or sit down. It's easier to sit down.

5 Immediately as he sits you say "sit" and give him the piece of sausage. This is the key factor to all training. The reward has to be exact in the same moment as the dog does the right thing.

6. Praise the dog. Show your joy with your voice as well as with your body language.

7. Repeat these steps 3-5 times. Not more than that though, as it has to be fun! On the other hand you can repeat the steps several times during the day.

8. In the next step you should try these steps while standing up. You can try to see if the dog reacts only to the word "sit" without your hand and the treat. If he sits down you obviously should praise him and if he doesn't don't care. You should never show your disappointment to your dog when you are training.

This is pretty easy for the puppy. In a day or two you will get him to sit with your "sit" command. Now you can try to make him sit down beside you.

This is actually a preparation for the heel training. There you want him to sit as soon as you stop walking. If you have thoughts about obedience competitions with your dog you should consider the exact position where he sits and also how fast he sits. That is however off topic in this article.

The next level is to strengthen the word so you get the dog to sit in every situation no matter what's going on around him. This is an ongoing process and you should never stop training.

Use every new situation to train him. Make him sit with new people, new dogs and new surroundings.

It's quite easy to train your dog to sit.

If you consider not training your dog my advice is, think again. When you start training with your new puppy you get much more than the sitting part. The puppy loves to do things with you.

He learns to listen to his name. He gets used to training and doing things with you and on your initiative.

This all together strengthen your position as the leader, and the puppy feels secure. When the puppy falls asleep in the evening his last thoughts should be: "This is really a great pack!"

Technorati Tags: puppy training, train your dog to sit, heel training

Dogs are probably the only animals in the world who love unconditionally, with their whole heart and body and soul. There are many stories of dogs saving the lives of their humans, of warning people of danger or of seeming to know when an owner is sick or in pain.

If you've decided to get a puppy, or you've recently brought one home, congratulations! You will have a loyal friend and companion who will enjoy your company, never be too tired to go for a walk with you, and who will always be on your side, no matter what!

One note of caution though. A dog is only as well-trained as he has been taught to be by his owner. It is important that your puppy understands as quickly as possible what is considered acceptable behavior and what is not in your home.

You need to decide early if you will allow your puppy to get on your furniture, where he can sleep, and what he can chew on.

So housetraining your dog now, while your dog is still a puppy is the best way to assure that she/he is a welcome and happy member of your household.

The crate method is one of the fastest and most humane methods to housebreak your puppy.

But, first, here are some do's and don'ts for housebreaking your puppy:

DO'S:
Do be assessable to your puppy. If you're going to be gone for long periods of time during the training period, then do not give the puppy full access to your house. Put him in an area where you've prepared for accidents.

Do limit the amount of food and water your puppy has throughout the day. (If it's hot outside, make sure your puppy has plenty of water to drink, but remember that what goes in, will come out!)

Do praise your puppy every time he/she does what you expect him/her to do. Your puppy wants to please you, and he/she needs to learn what behaviors create praise from you.

Do be consistent. You will only confuse your puppy otherwise.

Do be realistic. Your puppy may not be capable of being completely housetrained until he is at least six months old.

DONT'S:
Don't reprimand your puppy when he has an accident. It's going to happen, and if it does, it means that you didn't get him outside in time. Just clean it up and move on.

Don't use the crate as a means of locking your puppy up for long periods of time, or as a punishment.

Don't let your puppy go to the bathroom anywhere except his/her designated area while you are training him/her.

Why the crate method works: Dogs are naturally fastidious animals and they don't like to eliminate where they sleep or eat. Therefore, if your puppy sleeps in the crate, he will not use the crate as a bathroom.

First things first:

Puppies need to urinate shortly after they eat, drink, play, chew, run or walk. Depending on the breed, size, temperament and age of your puppy, this can be within 15 to 30 minutes.

1. Learn his schedule

Keep a record of the times your puppy needs to go for a couple of days. This will help you to learn his natural schedule, and make the training process easier.

2. Plan your "walking" schedule around your puppy's needs

From the time your puppy is about 10 or 11 weeks to six months old, he/she should be walked between 5 and 10 times a day. Once your puppy is between six months and 11 months old, this will drop to around 4 to 6 times a day. And when he/she is an adult, walking your dog three to four times a day will be sufficient.

3. In the morning

Especially after your puppy has spent the night in his crate, do not return from your morning walk until he has eliminated. (If for some reason you do have to return, put your puppy in his crate, and then take him out every fifteen minutes or so, until he goes.) Make sure you give your puppy lots of praise and affection, once he has done what you wanted.

What the crate means for your puppy:

A crate is your puppy's home away from home, her sanctuary in times of stress and her "bedroom" at night.

Make sure that your puppy associates his crate with positive feelings. Put his favorite blanket, chew toys and treats inside the crate. When helping your puppy get used to the crate, leave the door open until your puppy shows no sign of fear of the crate.

The more comfortable your puppy is inside the crate, the less likely she will be of soiling it.

Never let your puppy out of the crate for bad behavior such as barking, whining or scratching.

How To Get Started:
1. Establish a regular schedule of feeding and going outdoors.

2. Put the puppy in the crate at night, but make sure you take him/her out first thing in the morning and don't go back in the house until the puppy has finished.

3. After the puppy has gone, bring him/her in, and let him play for an hour or so. (Remember not to give your puppy complete run of the house until he is completely housetrained.)

4. Feed the puppy.