Are you the kind of person who stands in awe at parties and family reunions, watching other's people pets sit and heel when there are told to do so? If you answered yes, then it wouldn't hurt to spend some quality training time with your dog. The most influential stage in a dog's development are the first years that he spends as a puppy. This is the best time, if any, to train your dog. As your dog ages he will grow accustomed to his lazy ways and become very stubborn. He will be less receptive and inclined not to listen or accept any "new" ways of doing things. Furthermore, keep in mind that in order to figure out the real age of your dog you must use the seven principle. Take your dogs age and multiply it by seven to get the human equivalent. Hence a dog that is five years old, in human terms he is really thirty five. A thirty five year old is far less likely to listen to anyone than a five year old.

Getting down to basics, the most rudimentary lesson to teach your pet would be to answer your call, and to heel. Imparting these lessons will put you on the right track for more to come. Pet owners often use these instructions to grab their dog's attention towards them, causing them to release whatever they are doing. A walk around the neighborhood, for example, can become a nightmare if your dog is constantly running off and getting himself in trouble. You could do away with all that with a single word instruction: come.

Teaching your pet to answer when beckoned, is not at all complicated, but a bit monotonous. An easy way to perform this lesson is to hold a snack on one hand and toy of some kind on the other. Then, beckon him using a word of your choice, and when he answers and approaches you; proceed by letting him have the treat. Remember always to use the same words when you perform this task. This lesson needs to be repeated quite a few times. Thus, do not attempt to teach it in one afternoon, and give your dog some time to relax, or he will lose interest.

Teaching your dog to heel is a little bit harder. Once your dog has learned to answer when called, once he does, put the snack behind your back and ask him to sit while giving him a few taps on his lower back. When he sits, give him the snack and remember to show how pleased you are that he obeyed. After some practice, try withholding the snack longer in order for him to remain seated.

Training your dog can be a fun exercise for both. Don"t overdo it, a few minutes a day is enough. Use savory snacks and lots of praise, since motivation is the clue to success. The training activity need not be a gruesome chore, keep it light and both you and your dog can end up having a wonderful time.