Why Train Your Dog?
With proper training and guidance, you and your dog will be happier. A well trained pet is less likely to behave inappropriately or be confused, stressed, destructive, or insecure. What you do (or don’t do) early on, will determine what kind of dog you will have in the future. In concept, this is not unlike raising children. A dog with structure and clear, fair rules is less likely to get into trouble. Without guidance, a dog will seek to figure out who is in charge. If there isn’t anyone in charge, they will take that position. When you take that position, this alleviates the pressure from the dog. Many inappropriate behaviors such as excessive barking, "on-patrol" behavior and housebreaking accidents are a result of a nervous and insecure dog.

When Should You Start Training?
No matter what age or breed, patterns of undesirable behaviors may develop once your dog becomes comfortable in their new home. This can happen whether it’s a pure breed or not, or from a breeder, shelter, or rescue group. Starting off training right away can head off many behavioral issues.

Puppies are worth special mention. Most puppies are welcomed into a new home at around 8-12 weeks old. This is an important time in your puppy's life and in the dog training world it's referred to as the "critical period of development". Introduction to new people of all ages, male or female, will permanently affect your dog's sociability and emotional outlook towards humans. It's also important that your dog gets exposure to sounds, smells, different environments, and safe exposure to other dogs and animals. He will never be as pliable as he is during this time period. Starting early is going to make training more ingrained.

A common mistake people make with their puppy is to wait too long to start housebreaking. For example, many people who adopt a puppy for Christmas will wait until the warmer weather to start taking the dog outside to eliminate. By that time, the dog has developed a preference for newspaper, wee-wee pads, or the kitchen floor. Dogs are not born knowing that outdoors is the best place to eliminate and need to be taught this preference. The earlier you start, the better!

Training is for Life
A fully trained dog is not on "cruise control". Training is something you practice every day with your dog, in order to have a safe and happy relationship together.