Most people simply don’t have the time, energy or patience to devote to training their dog or puppy. For some, the answer is to outsource the effort to a professional trainer.

As with any profession, quality and costs vary. And, like many professions – especially those involving human-animal interactions – training philosophies vary considerably. So, you already have some parameters to guide your selection.
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Dogs have a natural tendency to seek and adhere to a hierarchy with an alpha (leader) at the top on down to an omega at the bottom. ‘Down’ is one effective technique for enforcing your alpha status.

It also has practical benefits. When a dog is in the ‘down’ position, it isn’t knocking over the furniture or small children. It also leads naturally to subsequent behaviors such as ‘rollover’, ‘crawl’ and other keen tricks.

Fortunately, the behavior is usually very easy to train. Take advantage of spontaneous behavior whenever possible, by observing the dog and waiting for a movement from standing or sitting to down.
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Every dog should receive annual vaccinations to keep him healthy and safe from diseases and viruses that can potentially harm him or worse. A vaccination is when you give your dog a shot that contains a tiny portion of the bacteria or virus and that works to build up his immune system. This allows the body to fight off such diseases should your dog come in contact with them.

The first round of vaccinations should be given to all puppies as soon as they are weaned from the mother. There is no need to vaccinate prior to weaning as the mother passes her vaccines along to her puppies through her milk. You should check with your Vet to be sure as some states and countries have different laws about the vaccines you should give your pet and when.
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If you own a dog, you likely know that they are complex creatures.

Some studies suggest that number of dog breeds reaches as high as 800 in Western countries alone. Taking into account that distinguishing one breed from another can be carried to ridiculous extremes.

Complicating the picture still further is the well-known fact that dogs have descended from wolves but began domestic interaction with humans over 10,000 years ago. As a consequence, there are behaviors that develop regardless of circumstances and some that are as unique as the human the dog is paired with. Still, some common traits stand out.
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Even the dumbest of dogs are clever animals. Just think of the many ways they get humans to do what they want. Few can resist the soulful eyes and the offered paw when eating something the dog also views as tasty.

One of the reasons for the association between humans and dogs is the latter’s great capacity for communicating in terms the former can understand. How often has your canine companion delivered a tennis ball with a look that you unerringly interpret as ‘time for fetch’?
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Most dogs display a tendency to jump on people that visit and this can quickly become bothersome for you and your guests. One theory about why dogs jump suggests that they are trying to get close to the person’s face – not to attack, but to interact. Other dogs, especially of the same breed, have faces close to their level and the dog will use its nose and eyes to explore.

So, one way to deal with jumping is to give them no need to reach. Kneel down and interact with the dog at his level. Let him explore your face in a safe way, while keeping an eye out for excessive assertiveness. Very rarely will a dog bite its owner this way, especially if the human has taken the trouble to become the ‘alpha’ (leader of the pack).
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