If you want to be the one to walk your dog instead of the other way around, you will have to take the leash by both hands and start training. You may think it is funny watching dogs in the park dragging their owners around, but allowing this to happen can be ultimately a danger to your dog. What if the collar or leash breaks and you and your dog are close to traffic? Plus, they could eventually hurt themselves when their collars cut into their neck.

Before determining your best course of training action, try to decide what the major cause of the leash pulling is. There could be a number of factors. Your dog may simply be so excited about the thought of walking with you that they cannot control their exuberance. Sometimes, your dog is trying to assert himself as the “alpha” in the relationship. If it is simple excitement, try and spend a few quiet moments with your dog, giving him lots of love before heading out for a walk. Sometimes, this is enough to calm them right down so both of you can enjoy the walk without the pulling and yanking of the leash.

If control is the primary issue however, you will have to learn about restraining techniques. This comes with investing some time with dog training. Your dog has to understand and respect that you are top dog, not him. Without this delineation of who is in control, you might as well hang up that leash. If it takes going back to basics, it is worth your time and your dog’s to learn some rudimentary steps in obedience training.

The first step of instructing your dog to be calm on a leash is teaching him to allow the collar and leash to be placed on him. If your dog is acting hyper and jumping around, leash walking will not work with him. You will have to calm him first before you can try putting the collar and leash on him. You may have to go through the basics of commanding your dog to sit and stay. This will be his cue to stay still while you install his collar and leash. If he tries to get up while you are doing this, get him to sit back down right away. Do not, under any circumstances, try to walk your dog if he is still excitable. He should be calm and show no qualms of wearing a collar and leash.

Once the leash is attached to the collar, be sure to proceed calmly to the door with your pooch. If he tries to trounce ahead of you, quietly correct him by tugging the leash and command him to sit again. Your dog should be able to follow the stay command before trying to move on again. Reiterate this process again until the dog is calm and able to walk by your side on the leash. All of these actions are while you are still indoors!

Repeat the same processes once you open the door to go outside. Do not allow your dog to push out the door. If he starts to do this, go back inside the house and make him sit calmly until you feel he is ready to walk outside. You should always gain the upper hand of control BEFORE leaving the house with your dog on a leash.

Just think - the above scenario with your dog just gets you out the door of your home. You are not even really outside yet! There are a while host of other behaviors you will have to deal with once you do like chasing joggers, kids or animals like cats and squirrels! Just dig deep for that patience and employ the dog obedience training you have learned to get your through.

Congratulations on the new member of your family! It doesn’t matter if that new member is a canine, is furry and has four feet. He (or she) is a part of the family unit in your household. And if you want to co-exist peacefully with your new pooch, there are probably a few ground rules you want to instill to ensure long-term harmony. There is just one little problem … dogs obviously will not know the ground rules. Therefore, it is up to you as a responsible dog owner to teach him those ground rules in the form of obedience dog training.

If you are like most people these days, you probably hop on your computer to research for particular bits of information. Hopefully, you did a little research into the dog that is now a part of your family. While all breeds are different and have a number of quirks, there are a few things that seemingly stay the same - the basic commands that are taught during training and the need for a reward and reprimanding system to reinforce that training.

You probably know the basic commands you want to teach your dog already. These could include come, sit, and stay, heel, off and down. But when it comes to rewarding your dog and scolding him during the training, there are probably some conflicting arguments, depending on your sources of information. It is important to know the “right” and “wrong” way of rewarding your dog for good behavior as well as the reprimanding portion of the training when your dog is not doing something correctly.

Rewarding Your Dog during Obedience Training

The only way to get your dog to do what you want him to do in obedience training is through a reward system. Whenever, your dog does something right, he should get a treat immediately. Rewarding on a consistent basis will teach him that the positive behavior he is engaging in is the appropriate one. One of the things you should do is ensure that you create scenarios where your dog can obtain enough practice in the correct doggie behavior. Also important is the fact that you should always reward your dog for positive behaviors, even if you are past the obedience training-treat giving stage. Lots of belly rubs and play time is heaven for your pooch.

What you do not want to do is take their positive behaviors for granted. By encouraging him daily for his obedience, you are not setting him up for failure when he does misbehave. Because everyone knows that misbehavior garners attention more often than not.

Reprimanding Your Dog during Obedience Training

The key to reprimanding your dog is to not use negative words constantly. Because after a while, the dogs will tend to ignore it! How many times have you yelled at your dog “No?” How about stop, naughty boy or get off? By using the reward system for every positive behavior during obedience training, your dog will tend to take more notice for those times when reprimanding is necessary.

The key to reprimanding a dog is to straight away demonstrate to your dog the appropriate behavior and then reward him when he does it correctly. Part of the training process is catching your dog in the act of an inappropriate behavior whether it is chewing your shoes or jumping on furniture. This is when you use an authoritative voice and reprimand him with a “down” or “stop.” What you do NOT want to do is become physical with your dog. No kicking or hitting your dog. Patience is important. Eventually, your patience will be rewarded with a lovable obedient dog who integrates well with your family.

If your dog is playing in your yard or other room in your home, does he come to you when you call his name? Sometimes, the come command is instinctive - up to a point. Whether your dog knows his name or is responding to your voice, you may not know. But with proper training on the come command, you will know for sure.

It is best to start training your dog with the come command when he is still a puppy and has not developed any hard to break behaviors. Start off slow. Call your puppy’s name when you are inside your home. For example, if your dog’s name is Max, you would say, “Max, Come!” When he comes to you, give him a treat. Do this off and on throughout the day for a few weeks.

If you think he has mastered the come command indoors, it is time to try a different venue - the great outdoors. When you move the training outside, you want to leash your puppy. Give him a long lead, enough to feel that he is not on it and has a sense of freedom. Make sure you keep the treats handy! The next step after letting him wander outside for a few minutes is to issue the command, “Max, Come!” Because the great outdoors provides more distractions than inside, don’t be surprised if your pup doesn’t exactly accomplish this goal right away. You may have to give a tug or two on his leash to get him to come to you. When he does, lavish praise on him and give him treats.

Practicing the outdoor come command will likely take more time. You may even have to pitch your voice slightly different in order to attract your pup’s attention, at least initially. Be sure to keep your puppy leashed until he comes to you without fail or deviation of course. Once you are totally comfortable with his progress while on the leash, then you can contemplate adding distractions.

One distraction you can introduce is children running around laughing and playing. The sound of having fun could prove hard to resist for a puppy and therefore, can be a challenging task when mastering the come command. Another distraction to try is a friend stopping by for a visit or introducing a cat to the area. Another way to provide a distraction while your dog is learning the come command is to introduce him to a new area that he has never been before.

Once you are confident that he has mastered the come command on his leash and through a variety of distractions, it is time to try it without the leash. However, before you unhook him, make sure you are in an enclosed area where he can not wander off, just in case, of course! Part of the training process is providing a safe, secure area in which to learn. Because your dog is still a puppy, he will still be mischievous. He may have mastered the come command, but tasting that freedom from the leash may prove too hard to resist. If this happens, let him romp for a few minutes and then try to call him. Chances are that he will make his way back to you. If it takes him a little time because he is unencumbered by the leash, you may have to reinforce the commands.

You can often find a used dog training collar online if you keep your eyes open. But before you bid or buy, there are some things that you should know about electronic dog training collars.

The way that these collars work is quite simple. They fasten around the dog’s neck and can emit a small electric shock to the dog. The idea is that getting a shock each time he does something unwanted will teach the dog not to do that any more.

Strength Of Stimulation

The strength of the shock can vary and the first thing that you should do is consider whether you know what strength your dog will need.

Just about all professional dog trainers these days agree that the best way to train a dog is by rewards and reinforcing good behavior. Punishing a dog for bad behavior is not nearly so effective. Often it confuses the dog and just makes him scared of life, without changing his behavior at all. So it is very important that the training collar that you buy just gives the dog a slight buzz that he would prefer to avoid, not any kind of painful or frightening shock that could be considered a punishment.

Other things being equal, you would expect a large dog to require a stronger reminder than a small dog, but this is not necessarily the case. Some breeds and some individual dogs are more stubborn and harder to train than others. So it is a good idea if you are looking for one of these collars, to choose one that has a variable setting. Start with the lowest setting and see how your dog responds.

Owner-Controlled Collars

Collars vary in the type of control. Some collars are remote-operated by the owner and others are automatic.

With a remote-operated collar, you would only use the collar when you were actively training the dog. You would hold a small instrument like a pager and you would press a button on it when you wanted to control the dog.

Some people choose to train the dog this way because it seems like an easy option. Instead of spending hours playing and speaking to the dog, you can just press a button. However, people who use training collars this way do not find they work very well! Reinforcement is vital in dog training and even if you use a collar method, you should reward the dog for correct behavior at the same time.

Automatic Collars

Other collars are worn by the dog all of the time and will automatically give the electric shock reminder when the dog does a certain thing. These are most commonly used for 2 purposes:

1. Keep the dog within a certain area

These collars will activate when the dog crosses a perimeter boundary that you set up on your land. They work a little like an electric fence, but instead of a physical fence there is a sensor system.

This can be useful if you have an unfenced yard or if you want to restrict the dog to certain areas of your property. However, it is not effective on every individual dog and will work best on a dog who is new to your property.

If the dog has been allowed to go all over the property in the past and suddenly you try to restrict him with a collar, the reminder may not be enough to make him drop his habit of wandering. If he braves it once, he will find that after he is through the barrier, he is free. So an older dog may blast his way through - not every time perhaps, but enough to make the barrier unreliable.

2. Stop unwanted barking

The collar senses when the dog barks, and administers a shock. These collars are mostly used by people who have to leave their dog alone a lot and have neighbors complaining about the barking. They can be very effective in this situation.

Sensors can work either on sound, or on the vibration of the vocal chords, or both. The most reliable ones use both. An anti-barking collar that works on both sound and vocal chord vibration is probably the best use of an electronic dog training collar, because there is no other effective way to train a dog not to bark when you are not home to do it yourself.

For this to work as a training system it is vital that the sensor is accurate. If the dog receives random shocks when he didn’t bark (e.g. because another dog barked on the street) he will not associate the shock with his own barking and will not learn to stop.

It is also important not to have this type of collar controlling the dog all of the time. You must allow the dog times when he can bark, because it is a natural function to him. So you can have him bark when you are home. But if you only put the collar on him when you are about to go out, he will associate it with you leaving, which could cause a problem in itself. So it is better if you can disable the sensor, or put the collar on him well ahead of time.

Electronic dog collars can cause lesions around the dog’s neck because they are often heavy and need to be close-fitting for the electrodes to contact the skin. So if you do go ahead and buy a used dog training collar, check your dog regularly for sore spots.

Crate training for your puppy is perhaps one of the first things you should do once he is weaned from his mom, especially if you plan for your puppy to be indoors with you, at least part of the time. In addition, crate training provides a sound basis for future obedience training. By conducting his crate training early, you are also establishing who is boss in your household. Because if you are not careful, your puppy could end up ruling the roost!

Puppies need a sense of security and a crate provides that for them. Knowing what they can and cannot do in the crate, establishes parameters that will serve them in good stead in the future. While the crate is primarily a means to contain your dog and prevent it from piddling in your home, it also gives them their own place that no one else has. It is that alone that provides the feeling of security for them.

Before starting the crate training, be sure you are a good, strong one of high quality. There are a number of models to choose from. A crate made from wire is a safe bet; choose one with a lock on it and is large enough for your puppy to maneuver. However, do not choose a crate too large for your pup. This gives your dog too much room to pace around and in turn does not lend itself to a place of sanctuary. This crate should be just big enough that your puppy can turn around and still be small enough to be intimated as his own little hidey-hole.

You can bet that your pup will not make toilet in his own “room.” This is how puppies learn to hold their poop and pee inside the home. For short periods of time, get your dog acclimated to the crate. Place a special treat or toy inside and once your dog is in the crate, close the door and quietly praise him for being good. Leave him for just a short period and work your way up to an hour over time. Don’t allow the puppy’s whimpering to break down and let him out. This will just teach him that he can whimper and make noises to get what he wants.

Eventually, your dog will also come to recognize his crate as a sanctuary and may even seek it out for those times when he needs a quiet moment to himself. If you live in a household with children, sometimes even the most rambunctious puppy needs some quiet time. If you have been consistent with the crate training, your dog will go to his crate willingly.

Do not do anything to make the puppy think the crate is a punishment. It is not a jail. Make sure that your dog is not in the crate for too long of a period of time. You want to ensure that each session in the crate ends positively. One way to do that is to not leave him in there for too long. If your puppy is whimpering when you go to let him out, talk to him before you do it. If you let him out of the crate while he is crying, he will soon learn to expect that crying is a power to wield. You have to be strong and speak softly and encouragingly to him. Once he is calmer, then you can take him out of the crate.

Just because your dog cannot hear does not mean that he cannot be trained. He is still a smart dog; he can process the commands; he just cannot hear them. That means you just have to use different training techniques with him. He will reap the same benefits as a dog who hears … he will enjoy a better relationship with you and his quality of life will improve.

The key to working with your deaf dog is to start off with a simple command. Usually the sit command is the first one to master. With your arm bent, about ninety degrees at the elbow hold your hand open with the palm in the upward position. Now, raise your hand slowly toward the height of your shoulder, keeping your palm facing up. That will be the sit command.

Next, place a yummy smelling treat near your dog’s mouth and nose, using your other hand, so he knows it’s there. In tandem, give the sit command. Be sure that the dog continues to smell the treat. Then, place the treat in the hand that will give the sit command and slowly raise the treat up over his head out of reach. This maneuver typically causes him to instinctively sit.

Praise him when he sits. You can allow him to eat the treat, but be sure to hold him in the sitting position. You will likely have to repeat the process several times for a number of days until he gets it right. When he starts to sit when you give the signal, praise him through petting and the food treat. With both positive reinforcements, he will want to please you and master this command.

The down command works in a similar fashion. First, you start with your dog already in a sitting position. Bend your arm at a ninety degree angle again, at the elbow. Make sure your hand is open, but this time, face your palm down toward the ground. With your other hand, hold a treat under your dog’s nose as an incentive. Again, like with the sit command, you want to slowly lower your hand, palm side down, until it is fully extended. With the treat hand, slowly lower it to the floor. Your dog should change position and get down on all fours. When he accomplishes this task, reward him with the food treat and plenty of praise and love.

Just like with the sit command, you will have to practice the down command a number of times before it is second nature. Remember, praise and his treat is a mighty motivator since he cannot hear the tone of your voice when you are pleased with him.

Having an obedient dog is beneficial to your home life and to the dog himself. While it can be frustrating having a dog that cannot hear, he cannot help it. You will have to adapt your ways in order to make a loving home for him. Most other commands like come and heel can also be taught to your deaf dog. You will have to take extra time with him and dig into that well of patience inside you.

What’s a bird dog you might ask? Well, if you are a sportsman, specifically in hunting, a bird dog could help you find that elusive animal in a bush hiding from you. A bird dog uses its heightened olfactory senses to track birds via the scent they leave both on the ground and even in the air. Pointing using their nose and body is the most common method that these bird dogs employ to call attention to their prey. Many bird dogs, if they are properly trained, seem totally focused on the pointing part of their job. In actuality, they are in tune with you waiting for a cue of action.

Training a bird dog is started when they are still in the puppy stage. Beginning when dogs are young seems to improve the results of the training rather than starting with a dog that is a little older. In addition to training your pup into bird dog status, it is important to start with some basic commands through obedience training. This obedience training provides a solid foundation and gives you a good indication of how well your dog will do for the bird dog training.

Long and time consuming could be used to describe the course of bird dog training. However, most hunters feel it is worth the efforts. One of the first things you have to do when you start training is get your dog acclimatized to the outdoors and nature. Secondly, you will have to rustle yourself up a few dead birds and use them as the items the dogs have to retrieve.

Once the dogs become accustomed to retrieving dead birds, you can start practicing with live birds like pigeons. The dead bird retrieval acclimatizes you or anyone else to the thrill the hunt dogs get when on a hunting trip with their owners. Once this process is over, you will realize why the obedience training beforehand is helpful. The come, heel and a variation of the stay command is used most often.

The come command is important out in the hunting arena. It helps keep your dog from wandering around on its own in the brush scaring all the animals away. Reinforce the good behavior of your dog each and every time he comes back to you after the come command. This could be in the form of a small dog treat or a chew toy.

The heel command ensures that your dog will stay by your side unless instructed to otherwise. You have to enforce the fact that the most secure place is beside you, its master. Constant positive reinforcement works like a charm each and every time your dog performs correctly. And when he makes a misstep, do not punish him via spanking or yelling. This makes all your previous efforts counterproductive.

The “whoa” command is similar to the stop command. However, instead of stopping a certain activity, the “whoa” is a signal for your dog to assume the pointing stance so that you know where the bird you are hunting is. Total obedience in other areas is a must before your dog can handle bird dog duties. The reasoning behind it is that when hunting, there may be other bird dogs around. The distractions can cause your dog to go off on a tangent, effectively negating any precious efforts.

It takes a lot more effort than you probably realize to train an actual bird dog. Just know that your training efforts will have been rewarded when you bring home some prized birds to eat. A good bird dog is all about teamwork and the relationship you have.

This online dog training school review will be very useful for you if you are not able to access a physical class for you and your dog. Online training schools are also great if you just have a few questions about training your dog that you need answered without going to the trouble and cost of signing up with a qualified dog trainer in your local area.

All dog owners long to have a pet who eagerly responds to our every command, and who knows how behave both in the home and out in public places. Or do they? Sometimes, although we think we want an obedient dog, we are in fact constantly rewarding the dog with laughter, attention and affection when he is mischievous. We may even love our dog for those particular qualities.

So if there is a behavior pattern that you really do want to alter in your dog, first be sure that you will not unconsciously undermine the training by rewarding him for being ‘bad’ in this respect. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop loving him whenever he is naughty, but only in respect of this particular behavior pattern. For example, if you want to train your dog to stop chewing your shoes, you must act very cold with him when he does it.

In a physical class the instructor would watch your actions as well as the dog’s, to check that you are not rewarding (or ‘reinforcing’) the dog for the exact behavior that you say you do not want. However, if you sign up with an online dog training school you will either need to do this for yourself or make the whole family aware of the issue and remind each other.

What You Can Expect

Internet dog training schools often offer different levels of membership. First there is free membership which will allow you access to certain areas of the site. For example, you may be able to read articles or receive information by email that is not available to a casual website surfer. Of course you will need to give your email address for this and the site provides this service so that they can stay in touch with you and hope that sooner or later you will register for their paid service.

Be cautious sites that require anything more than your name and email address at this stage. For free services they should not need a phone number, address etc unless they plan to call you or sell your details to somebody else - which you probably would not welcome.

Many membership sites offer a forum where you can interact with other dog owners who are interested in training. Some of them will be experienced and you are likely to find some professional dog trainers in these forums, so you can often get all of your questions answered. You may have to pay a small monthly fee for access to a good internet dog training forum, but it will be very reasonable compared with the cost of a personal dog trainer or group class.

In these forums you will also be able to ask any other questions about your dog that are bothering you, even if they are not related to training. For example you may have questions about health issues like vaccination or dog health insurance or legal questions as in many jurisdictions there are laws about dog owning that it is good to understand.

What To Watch Out For

When you are visiting these sites, look out for these signs. You may want to write them down and check off each one against each site that you find. They will be a great help to you in deciding which dog training website is the best one for you.

1. There are many great dog trainers out there who do not have top web design skills so do not judge a site solely on its looks. However, it is worth keeping in mind that a successful trainer who is focusing on his or her online service - which is what you want - should be spending some money on the website. If the website looks cheap or outdated, the owner is likely to be using the site to attract customers for a ‘real-life’ class and may not have much to offer you.

2. Can you trust the information that you are given? It is easy for people online (and in print) to gather testimonials from satisfied customers. Every business, even the most unsuccessful, has one or two satisfied customers! Look for people recommending the service on other websites, not only on the training school’s own website.

3. Find the ‘contact us’ email address and ask them a specific question about your dog. A good training school will answer promptly and give you the information that you need. If there is no reply after several days, you should be suspicious about what you will get for your money.

The Bottom Line

Our advice is to find as many online dog training websites as you can and sign up for any free services that they offer. This will give you the opportunity to judge for yourself and select the best online dog training school for you and your dog.

You probably have children who have been begging, “Please can we have a dog?” Owning a dog is a big responsibility and it can be a perfect venue in which to teach your children. However, there are a few things to consider before adopting a dog into your family. You and your family will have to come up with a game plan in advance and agree to what your new furry family member can and cannot do in your home.

One of the first things you want to consider is dog or puppy-proofing your home. A great hint in doing this is to get on your hands and knees and look for hazards like dangling electrical cords that would be great for chewing; pick toys and other small objects off the floor that could be harmful if swallowed; remove chemicals, paper sacks, plastic items and even plants away from the prying jaws of a pooch. And if you are planning to house train your new pet, remove area rugs temporarily until he is trained. You don’t want him to accidentally think it is a great elimination spot!

Invest in a baby gate for those areas in your home where you do not want your new pooch to wander. It also could also be used to cordon off a special place just for him. This is especially helpful in the house training front. Also, dogs, especially puppies are curious and love to explore. If you don’t want your clothing and shoes plowed and chewed through, ensure that your pooch does not have access to them. Close your bedroom door or closet door.

Because dogs like to chew, buy some appropriate chew toys and rawhide bones for that gnawing instinct. Puppies teethe and having something safe to chew on will keep them from chewing on things in your home. Also purchase plenty of toys to keep him occupied. A bored dog can be a destructive dog! Rubber balls, tug ropes, push dog toys, and even squeaker toys are favorites of many canines. And just like with human children, you want to buy pet toys that are age-appropriate for them. Also, buy enough toys so that you can rotate them periodically so that your dog doesn’t become bored.

Lay some ground rules in advance of bringing your puppy home. Can he get on the furniture? Will you allow him in your bedroom? Where do you plan for him to sleep? You will want to know that in advance so that you can put his dog bed there. Are you prepared to be flexible and shuffle your game plan around a bit? Sometimes, dogs will latch on to a favorite spot in the house and if it is your bedroom, you will either have to train him to sleep elsewhere, or allow him to sleep on his dog bed in there. Dogs come with a unique personality and also a number of quirks, just like humans. You will have to learn to adapt.

You should also have a game plan in place for obedience training. A well-behaved dog is a great member of the family. Plus, you will get so much more out of the doggie-human relationship if you invest in obedience training. Do your research and decide if you can tackle the job yourself or if you want to find a training school to help.

Other things to think about are what plans do you have for your dog while you are away from home? What about a veterinarian? Would you hire a dog sitter or board him in a kennel if you had to travel? Do you have a decent yard for him to roam in? What about exercise? Do you plan to walk him and let him socialize with other dogs? All of these are important matters to think about BEFORE adopting a family pooch.

Did you know that dog obedience is a sport? While many pet owners do it to get a handle on their dog, some take it further and actually compete against other handler-dog teams. Typically in dog obedience competition there are a series of pre-determined exercises dogs must go through.

Basically, there are three levels when it comes to obedience competition. At each level, the handler-dog team must perform at a specific level three times. When a team first starts, they are award a certain number of points. Points are deducted for each error that is made during the level of competition. The gravity of the mistake dictates the number of points that are deducted. A team must get a qualifying score from each judge in order to earn a title for obedience.

The first level of obedience competition is the novice level. It is the beginning level. When a dog earns scores that qualify at this level, they earn the “companion dog” title. During this novice level, the handler-dog team must perform a heeling pattern while on a leash lead. Then they have to do a figure eight heeling pattern. They must also stand at attention while judges examine them and then perform various heeling patterns while off the leash. From there, a group of dogs enter the ring to perform exercises together. Dogs are judged by how they perform and act in the midst of the other dogs.

The second level of obedience competition is the open level. If your dog garners three additional qualifying scores in this round, he will earn the “companion dog excellent” title or CDX. The handler-dog team must start with a heeling pattern while unleashed. Then they must perform, again unleashed, a figure eight pattern, perform a series of tasks called a recall and also retrieve an object over a series of obstacles like a high jump. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has rules in obedience competitions that dogs must jump one and a quarter times the height of their own shoulders. There are also group exercises with other dogs again, with handlers on the sidelines out of eyesight, but they are more involved.

The final level in obedience competition is called the utility level. The title earned at this level is that of “utility dog” or UD. The difficulty is more pronounced and handlers must direct the dogs through various commands and procedures entirely by hand signals. No vocalization is allowed. At this level, the competition has a scent test that dogs must pass as well in addition to demonstrating retrieval skills. Then, one of the judges will instruct the handler to lead the dog through a series of tasks - something they won’t know ahead of time to prepare for. Finally, a sequence of jumps must be executed to pass the level.

There are higher levels of obedience competition. The overall purpose of obedience training itself is to co-exist peacefully with your dog. Not only will he be happier, but you will too. Dogs are faithful companions; they deserve to investment of your time and effort into obedience training.