Here it is - the number 1 dog tip for training is for you to have the right attitude. Now before you

stop reading, consider that all dog training begins with you. If you do not have the right attitude, your dog training is going to be a bust from the start.

By "right attitude", I mean that you must be patient and keep several things in your mind as you train your dog. Dog training is a process. It can be easy, but it takes time. If you are not patient, you will probably get frustrated and may even give up.

Part of having the right attitude is to realize that your dog may not react the same as another dog. The method used to train one dog may not work for another dog. You must be flexible. You must

be willing to try a different method to correct or change your dog's behavior if the first method

that you used didn't work.

Another part of having the right attitude is to realize that you must be the leader or the "alpha"

dog. Dogs are social animals and follow a leader called the "alpha" dog. If you do not take control

and let your dog do what he/she wants, then your dog assumes the role of the "alpha" dog and your training will be a bust. For effective dog training, you must control your dog's behavior and

be the leader.

Yet another aspect of having the right attitude is to decide that you are going to reward your dog

for good behavior and doing the right thing. You are not going to hit or beat your dog and you are not going to punish your dog. Sociologists have found that giving rewards are more effective than punishment. And rewards create better attitudes. It is a lot easier for a dog to be affectionate

towards someone who gives it rewards versus someone who beats it.

A fourth aspect of having the right attitude is closely tied to patience. That is, realize that dogs learn from repetition - doing the same thing over and over. If you are not patient, you may feel that since you have done the same thing with your dog several times and you dog's behavior hasn't changed, your method does not work. It may be that the method works, but it just takes a little longer and more repetition than you expected.

At first, it seems strange to say that the number 1 dog tip for training is for you to have the right attitude. But as you can see, you must have the right attitude. It all starts with you, and you must be patient, flexible, and be the leader. You must use rewards and repetition.