First, commit to positive reinforcement:

• Pay the dog! Training sessions should always be positive: Identify the behavior you want and reward your dog for displaying it. If you are enthusiastic for each training session, you will create the same in your dog. This is a special time to strengthen your connection to your dog, and help them become happier and healthier. Training is fun!  Allow yourself to enjoy it!
• Never punish: Punishment-based techniques utilize pain and fear as motivation. The use of aversive techniques damages the human-animal bond and often has fallout including increased fear, aggression and stress. The fastest, most effective way toward good behavior is positive reinforcement.

Next, identify your dog’s rewards:

• What does your dog love? Some dogs love treats. Others love praise or a game of fetch or a favorite toy. Or maybe it’s the chance to swim in the pool.
• Be spontaneous! If you’re on a walk and your dog wants to follow a scent, first have him sit or any other action you’re training on, and then let him track the scent as a reward.
• Tricks can be rewards too. Does your dog love to spin in circles? Jump up high? Encourage those behaviors as a reward for good behavior too.
• Switch it up! One training session may utilize treats and another one may end in a game of fetch — and some should end in a jackpot of rewards. By surprising your dog sometimes, you keep them engaged much longer.

Then, use that reward to motivate your dog to learn new behaviors:

• Go, dog, go! Demonstrate enthusiasm during all training opportunities. You will make your dog more engaged and willing to learn!
• Remember, pay the dog! Identify the behavior you want and reward the dog every time they perform the behavior. The more repetitions they do and the more you pay them, the better!
• Sit to say, “Please.” Use everyday interactions to train. For example, if your dog knows sit, ask him to sit every time at the door before going outside, before petting, before eating, before throwing a ball, etc.

Remember to break complex behaviors into steps for training:

Teaching your dog to sit may seem like one command, but teaching him not to bolt out the front door at the mention of a car ride is a process. Train on and reward each step:

• A sit with eye contact can make you touch/turn the doorknob.
• Holding that sit can make you open the door (bolting makes it close).
• Waiting for the release can get you through the door.
• Sitting at the top of the steps earns permission to come down the steps.
• Walking nicely without pulling may get him to the car (pulling causes you to go backward).
• Sitting at the car door will open the door.
• Waiting for the cue to "get in" gains him access to the ultimate jackpot — a ride!

Keep up the momentum and motivation:

• Keep up your enthusiasm! When you’re training and reinforcing positive behaviors for your dog, you have to be more interesting than whatever might stop him from following a command. So be excited, be loving and use a high, expressive voice to keep him engaged and listening.
• Switch things up to keep it challenging. In the beginning, one behavior might equal one treat. But if this gets boring, your dog will lose motivation. So switch between different behaviors and different rewards. Maybe today sitting and staying means a treat, but tomorrow sitting, staying and shaking could mean running around the backyard.
• Be consistent: If you regularly pair command + behavior = reward, then your dog learns to be excited for the training itself. This cycle creates even more positive reinforcement and outcomes.

And finally, watch out for these common pitfalls:

• Quit while you’re ahead. Don’t train your dog until they are bored or can’t concentrate anymore. Their performance will decline, and you’ll begin to associate training with boredom.
• Don’t make rewards readily available without being earned. For example, if your dog has constant access to his favorite toy, then they won’t have any reason to follow a command to earn it during your training session.
• Know that some dogs are just more difficult to motivate. You’ll have to be patient and creative, and train in shorter sessions. If food is a reward for your dog, train while they are hungry. And consider high-value treats: A slice of hot dog is better than a dog biscuit, for example.

The time you take to train your dog is invaluable: It’s an investment in your bond to each other, and it keeps your dog mentally stimulated. An engaged, trained dog is happier, healthier and less destructive. Find your dog’s motivations and get started!