No matter where I go, when people see my well-mannered dogs, they want to know my dog training secrets. I’m always happy to share with anyone who wants to know and I hope these tips on communicating with your dog are helpful to you.

As you must know by now, communicating with your dog is the foundational element of all training. Your dog has to be able to understand exactly what you’re saying so he’ll know which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. To help your dog get there, you’re going to have to learn what motivates your dog and what de-motivates him. Also, you must learn your dogs visual cues so that you understand him as well. Back and forth communication between you and your pet is the bedrock of all the training you’ll ever do. Your do can let you know when he’s ready to train and when he’s ready to stop. You have to learn his cues so you aren’t wasting your time and getting you and your pet frustrated.

Once you’ve learned some of your dog’s cues, you’ll also need to teach him to understand your cues as well. For the most part, four cues are all you need to properly train any dog.

The Reward Cue – This dog training secret is the key to everything else. When your dog understands that he’s going to get a reward for his behavior, more often than not, he’ll get in line really quickly.

The Keep Going Cue – Sometimes your dog is on the right track in his behavior but not completing the task you’re teaching. This cue lets him know that he’s headed in the right direction and just needs to finish out to get a reward at the end.

The Stop Cue – Your dog needs to know when he’s on the wrong path and needs to stop immediately for new instructions.

The Negative Cue – Generally, we don’t use this often, but your dog needs to know when he’s being unruly that if he continues, he’ll receive a negative consequence. Again, you won’t use this often, but it’s good to have in your bag of tricks.

Overall, if you’re consistent in your communication with your dog, he will quickly learn exactly what you want him to do in any situation and adjust correctly to new situations.

Paul Tucker has trained and worked with dogs for years. It’s his joy to pass on tips and tricks he’s learned to everyone who meets him and his wonderful canine friends. For more thorough training, he suggests that you check out his site online, Dog Toys and Training for more information on Dog Training Secrets