Everyone envies the pet owners of perfectly trained dogs that walk so smoothly and cheerfully along their side while both of them are in a perfect harmony. If you have never owned a dog, but you are planning to get yourself a furry companion, you might have asked yourself whether you could manage to get a hold of the dog’s temperament, or, in the worst case scenario, would you end up shouting, twisting and turning while he messes around with your time and patience.

While you may never know how things will turn out in the end regardless of your efforts, there are several things you absolutely need to try before you call the quits on training your dog all by yourself.

Be a Pack Leader

This means – no baby talk, no kisses and hugs and no petting unless deserved. This rule does not imply you should not be nice and lovable to your dog whenever you feel like it, but keep in mind that you must not show affection or give treats when he is misbehaving because he will think that this is the behaviour you want to encourage and will continue doing it in the future. Believe it or not, dogs are in need of a pack leader, they like to know who is in charge of the situation and if you do not take that position soon enough, you will find yourself being led and controlled by your dog in a way that he will be able to embarrass you and still get what he wants.

Keep the Dog Lead Short

If given too much freedom at the very beginning, your dog will never learn how to stay by your side. Therefore, you need to keep the dog lead quite short until the dog gets the idea that you do not want him to walk in front or behind you.

Keep Distractions Away

If you notice that your dog gets too excited or pays too much attention to certain things, such as people on bikes or cats, make sure you avoid them as much as possible. But if you have to confront them, just hold the dog lead really tight and be prepared to firmly change direction. If the dog manages to quickly snap out of it, reward him with a treat. This is how you will show that you control the situation and the direction and if the dog wants to be able to keep up with you and be rewarded for that, he will have to pay attention to the situation as a whole, rather than get obsessed over certain people, animals or objects.

Dogs are very smart creatures and they learn very fast, therefore if you are consistent and determined with the above listed tips, there will be no reason why you should ever need any additional or professional help for proper dog training.