"Why can't my dog be like Lassie?!" --a common lament.  People forget that Lassie had years with professional trainers and their poor pup has had little or no training.  Training your dog to be a good canine citizen takes work, but the rewards are great!

I will not attempt to cover every aspect of training your dog here as there are hundreds (perhaps thousands!) of books devoted to the subject, but I will give a few valuable pointers that will help you on your way to making your dog a companion that is a reliable, polite friend. 

Do not underestimate the value of sound training.  Most dogs in shelters today are there because they have some bad habit.  It is not the fault of the dog, but of the irresponsible owner who did not take the time to train the dog.  Training is also a wonderful way to create a bond between you and your dog, especially if the dog is an adult!

Start Early If you adopted your dog as a pup you have the advantage of time.  It is never too early to start working with your little pal!   I highly recommend puppy kindergarten classes--they are offered in almost every community.  Even if you are a seasoned trainer, the interaction and socialization that the pup receives in these classes is hard to duplicate.  One of the most important things you can do at this stage in your dog's life is to socialize him.   Take him as many places as you can and introduce him to everyone you meet, including children.  Introduce new sights, sounds and smells into his environment.   Remember everything is new to him!  Walk him on grass, sand, sidewalks, wooden bridges and any thing else you can think of.  I lived in upstate NY for a time and used to take my two pups for a walk on a trail that included a ladder, a wooden bridge and a waterfall that we had to walk behind!  It was a great experience for them and they became calm dogs that could walk anywhere with me.  Dogs are creatures of habit and if not introduced to new things when they are young can have a difficult time adjusting when they are older.  Many a dog walked only in the yard is panic stricken if the need ever arises to walk on a busy street. 

Talk to Your Dog:  Dogs are always listening to us, whether they understand every word or not!  Some studies have suggested that they can learn several hundred words--do not underestimate them!  Try to use the same words each time you refer to something.  You will be surprised how quickly they can learn words such as "car", "cookie", "bedtime" or 'bath"!   

Remember, however, you are talking to a dog...if you want to make a point, do it concisely with words they know.   A clever "Far Side" cartoon shows a dog sitting looking at the master as the master is ranting --the first panel is titled "What You Say" --"Ginger, I told you a thousand times to stay out of the garbage!  Ginger you are really being bad!  Oh Ginger what am I going to do with you!!".  The second panel, titled "What Dogs Hear"--"Blah blah blah, Ginger blah blah blah, Ginger..."  This is so true!  Don't rant when a simple "No" will do!!

Be Consistent:  This is the golden rule of training!  There are many different methods of training, but without this one element none will work!  Ask for the same behavior the same way each time or you will confuse the dog.  Set the ground rules of your house and stick to them!  If you do not want Rover on the couch, make sure he stays off all the time.  You cannot allow him to curl up for a Sunday movie and shout at him Monday for doing it again--he will not understand.  If you do not want him to jump up on guests, do not allow him to jump up on anyone, anytime.   Consistency pays off. 

Praise, Praise, Praise:   Be generous with praise and stingy with corrections! 

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Some Useful Links

Thanks to these sites for the great dog graphics!: