What are the most common behavior problems people have with their adolescent dogs?  The list more often than not includes:  mouthing and biting, jumping up, pulling on leash, not coming when called, lack of attention and in general “out of control” behavior. Often these problems could have been avoided if the dog’s owners had attended puppy class and had intervened with appropriate management and training before undesirable behaviors were learned.  That means if your dog is still a puppy this is the perfect time to mold him into the dog you want.  If your dog is now too old for puppy class or has already learned bad behavior, it’s not too late.  Preventing or modifying common behavior problems both require understanding the essentials of dog behavior and training.

1. Either you are training your dog or your dog is training you! Your dog will learn from every interaction with you.  He has nothing to do except watch you and decide what works, so think carefully about what you are teaching and what is being learned.

2. The keys to a well-behaved dog are:  impulse control, self-control and frustration tolerance.  Nearly everything that gets our dogs in trouble comes from lack of impulse control and self-control and an inability to tolerate frustration.  Teach your dog to wait patiently for what he wants and that life is full of frustrations that he will be asked to tolerate.

3. If he ain’t lookin’, he ain’t listenin’.  Teach your dog that good stuff comes from you and that his job is to keep his eyes on you.

4. Teach him to "say please”.  Nothing good happens to your dog unless he says "Please", which means sit and look at you and wait for whatever he wants.  Your dog  should "say please" before he receives anything he wants.

5. Provide a variety of positive life experiences through socialization. Take your dog out and about with you as often and to as many different places as possible.  Keep plenty of tasty treats handy to make these experiences positive.

6. Learn to speak dog.  Learn as much as you can about dog behavior, developmental stages and your dog’s breed so you will know what to expect and what things are normal.

7. Dogs do what works.  If something pays off, your dog will do it again.  The more frequently your dog gets to do undesirable behaviors, the better he learns them.  Don’t allow your dog to practice bad behaviors!

8. There are no quick fixes or magic wands.  Consistency and practice are the keys to a well-mannered, well-trained dog.  Focus on rewarding good behavior and ignore or manage bad behavior.

9. Timing is everything. You have only one-half to one second to reward or click a behavior you want. The same is true of punishing behavior you do not want.  Good timing is your most important training tool.

10. Build a winning relationship.  Be a good leader to your dog.  Be consistent with what you expect and reward him when he does well.  Protect your dog and pay attention to his needs and concerns so that he knows you will look out for him.  A winning relationship ensures he will trust you and will look to you for guidance in all situations.