Dogs should ideally start training when they are young, as it becomes harder to modify some behaviors once they grow older. Therefore, training should be done while the dog is still a puppy!

　　Petting is the foundation and beginning of building a good relationship. The correct method is to gently press the puppy onto its back, with all four legs in the air, firmly restrain its throat, and say “lie down,” then slowly stroke its ears, tail, toes, mouth, and other parts. This imitates the way mother dogs educate their puppies. When a mother dog wants to control a puppy’s behavior, she makes it lie on its back and holds its throat. Additionally, feeding the dog while petting helps it understand that being touched means it can get food. When touched, good things happen, so the dog becomes more open to having areas touched that are usually off-limits.

　　2 Dogs use tone of voice, eye contact, and gestures to understand their owner’s intentions. Thus, the best training combines all three.

　　Tone of voice: If the whole family is involved in training the dog, they should agree in advance to use consistent disciplinary actions and commands, so the dog can fully memorize each task. To convey the same meaning, pay attention to changes in tone: a high and sharp voice is linked to happiness, nervousness, or anxiety; a strong, direct, and controlled tone is linked to commands; a low and deep tone is linked to warnings. For example, praise is given with a gentle, calm tone, and commands with a serious and brief tone. Different commands should not be used, or the puppy will be unable to distinguish them.

　　Eye contact: When a dog keeps barking, scolding may make it think you are encouraging it. The correct way is to ignore and withhold love—no talking or eye contact. Creating an unpleasant environment for the dog helps the owner regain leadership and establish proper dominance to ensure obedience.

　　Gestures: Each command should have a distinct hand signal, and each command’s execution should have a different praising gesture.

　　⑴ Let the dog remember a unified command so it reacts upon hearing it.

　　⑵ Use a gesture marker. For example, raise your right index finger and point to the ground while shouting the “sit” command, encouraging the dog to sit.

　　⑶ Or use stimulation. For example, gently tap the dog’s waist to get it to sit.

　　⑷ Keep sentences short and gestures simple. For example, say “wait” and block the dog’s mouth with your palm; or say “give it” and put your hand next to the dog’s mouth so it puts the object in your palm.

　　⑸ When a puppy bites your clothes or shoelaces, you should react appropriately. Don’t shout or flail your arms because the puppy might think it’s a reward. Instead, pretend to be hurt and stop moving, stop playing, and avoid looking at the dog. Let it calm down. After one minute, you can resume normal activities. Similarly, if your puppy climbs or jumps on you, don’t show affection. Why? Because the puppy will regard jumping on you as a reward. Only when it is on all fours should you show affection, preventing it from learning to jump on you.

　　1 Toilet training

　　Provide a doghouse and place the toilet a little farther from it. When the dog leaves the doghouse, first take it to the toilet to relieve itself. Keep the dog inside until it finishes. Dogs often need to go shortly after eating. After each meal, observe for signs like quiet whining or circling for about 5 to 20 minutes (time can vary based on dog’s habits), then immediately take it to the same spot to wait. Once it finishes, encourage the dog and then play a bit. Over time, it learns “after eating + at a specific spot to toilet = owner’s happiness,” which is praised and rewarded. Later, the dog will proactively go to the designated spot after meals.

　　2 Action training

　　Training the dog to “sit”

　　Place your hand on the dog’s waist and gently press downward while saying “sit, sit.” When the dog sits properly, step back some distance and command “sit” while simultaneously lowering your hand horizontally. Repeat several times. Once skilled, the dog will respond to the hand signal alone without verbal commands.

　　Teach the dog to “wave bye” and “turn around”

　　Hold a treat above the dog’s head to lure it into standing on its hind legs to “wave.” Then, build on that by training it to spin in circles, so that it learns to rotate upon hearing the command “turn around.”

　　Training to stretch out the paw and “shake hands”

　　At first, say the command “stretch paw,” then pick up its left front paw with one hand and the right front paw with the other, saying “good, good.” Then gently stroke its throat or chest and give it some food to speed learning.

　　Training “bite,” “release,” and “fetch”

　　This training requires coercion and pressure. Usually a short wooden stick is used. First, command “bite,” while pinching the dog’s ear with one hand and holding the wooden stick for the dog to bite with the other, practicing repeatedly. To train carrying, slowly open the dog’s mouth and issue the “bite” command, placing a newspaper or other item into its mouth, gently supporting its chin until it understands to bite the object. Then, use a leash to lead the dog to walk with the object in its mouth. Once successful, be sure to reward the dog. Repeat until proficient. Finally, try loosening the leash and have the dog retrieve the item from a distance. If the stick falls, the owner must pick it up and encourage the dog to carry it back, then praise and pet it. Once skilled, training can involve walking while holding the object. (Source: PetsZone)