Every competent puppy or dog trainer follows clear principles to make their training effective. However, a number of people do not succeed in training their puppy. I will now discuss the most common errors they make when training their puppy.

1. They don’t put themselves into position as the leader of the pack.

One effective method of dog training is based on our knowledge of the instinctual way dogs behave within a pack. One of the principles the pack adheres to is dominance. The alpha pair are at the top of the hierachy within the pack.

They eat first, lead the hunt and sleep on higher ground than the rest of the pack.

To be successful in dog training, we need to position ourselves as the leader of the dog pack. We can do this by not allowing our puppy onto higher ground such as sofas and beds, making sure we eat a little token food before we give our puppy its own food: so that he sees us eat first clearly.

We need to have a calm and assertive manner. It is important not to be anxious or indecisive.

2. They don’t employ consistently the concept of positive reinforcement.

We must clearly understand that we must reinforce desired behaviors in our dog by giving treats or attention the instant our dog does the behavior. We can associate a verbal command with the behavior as it occurs and give a reward immediately after it.

Negative reinforcement such as shouting at a dog or punishing him in some way is nevertheless giving the dog attention and since he wants attention, the attention can act as a positive reinforcement rather than a negative one. It has been found to be ineffective. What is effective is to give no attention at all to the dog when it engages in an undesired behavior. We may need to physically intervene if we need to stop some destruction going on, but we should keep the same calm and assertive manner and not interact any more than we have to.

3. They make dog obedience training sessions too long.

Sessions should be kept brief so that your puppy’s energy and attention are good. Learning works best in short bouts. We should make the sessions only ten minutes for young puppies and up to twenty minutes for older ones.

4. They do not appreciate the amount of time and energy required to train a puppy.

Puppy training requires a commitment of time and energy in order to be successful. The owner will need to have great patience and to be persistent. He will also need to be very consistent.

5. They think that training only occurs during an organized training session.

Training actually occurs whenever the puppy is with its owner or with any other person. The owner needs to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the puppy always behave in a consistent manner i.e. always positively reinforcing desired behaviors and ignoring undesired behaviors.

It's best to keep your puppy training sessions enjoyable and fun. They should never become a chore.

For more complete information about training your puppy or dog, see my reviews of the best dog training guides.