Dog Training Checklist

General Rules

Establish good habits early.

Understand your dog's capabilities and be realistic.

Develop a food and water schedule.

Never use your crate as a tool for punishment.

Be realistic, flexible, patient and always fair.

Don't worry about mistakes, move on and do your best to prevent them in the future.

Environment

Start training the quiet and comfort of your home.

Choose place to aviod people and animal distractions.

Choose plece with limited or no vehicular traffic.

If outside, make sure there are good weather conditions.

Equipment

Make sure you have equipment that is appropriate to the level and scope of your training plan.

Have appropriate and correctly sized and fitted training collar.

Have a leash in top condition.

Include a sufficient supply of readily accessible and appropriate reward.

Preparation

Before every training session, evaluate your dog.

Feed, water, and potty your dog as appropriate.

Know the special characteristics relevant to your unique dog's breed, type and temperament.

Know your dog's limitations and behavioral issues.

Training Strategies

Have a well-defined training plan.

Visualize how you will set up each exercise.

Decide which consistent verbal and body commands you will be using.

Use lots of encouragement, praise and rewards.

Concentrate on developing desirable habits and preventing undesirable behavior.

Keep your training sessions short, consistent and always have fun.

Start out with very easy commands.

Base your training sessions around trust and mutual respect.