Your puppy will only learn if you are consistent with the reward, which means you really have to pay attention during training sessions. If you’re distracted, you may miss something. This lapse will confuse the puppy, especially when he’s performing the behaviors he assumes that you want. He got rewarded before, what’s happening now? Don’t skimp on the treats and praise. Inconsistency results in a bored, unmotivated puppy. Make training sessions short and make them the focus of those few minutes. Don’t stop to answer the phone or do anything else that will take you away from your purpose. Remember, the more fun the training is, the more your dog will learn. Plan on doing one-minute training sessions ten times a day. That’s better than one ten-minute training session once a day. A training session can last thirty seconds if that’s what’s working for your pup. An older dog may be okay with ten to twenty minute training sessions. In reality, every waking moment spent with you is a training session. You will teach your pup manners fairly and consistently every time he interacts with you.

            If you are the only person training the puppy, he might only perform for you. He might believe that the only time he’s going to get treats is when you’re around. If you want the pup to behave for every person in the household, then everyone has to get involved in training. But, there’s a catch – you have to offer a united front. Everyone has to understand and apply the same training method. You will confuse the heck out of your puppy if he’s getting four different messages from four different people. He will give up trying to please anyone and his training will fall apart. Make sure that everyone in the household knows the do’s and don’ts of positive reinforcement training (listed later), even if some of the people in the household aren’t going to actively participate in training.