Almost everyone who begins to train their dog will make five common mistakes. These mistakes are avoidable if you know what they are, so let's have a look at them and what you can do to avoid falling into the same traps.

1. Lack of commitment. We all have periods when we want to just give up if we don't see any signs of progress, and training your dog can be a big test of your commitment. The way to get around this is to do some research into the breed of your dog and find out what makes him tick.

If you know the common traits of the breed, you'll have a pattern of behaviors to work with when you start to train him.

The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book

2. Irregular routines. Starting with something simple, and building a consistent routine around it, is one of the easiest ways for your dog to learn any command you're trying to teach him. Your routine should consist of two or three short sessions per day on a particular command, when the command has been mastered then move on to the next one.

3. Negative reinforcement. Dogs are like humans. Taking a positive approach to teaching them leads to significant progress as opposed to using negative reinforcement like yelling or spanking. In building this strong relationship with him, you'll find that he'll become increasingly eager to please, which will make training far easier.

4. Closed-mindedness. Not all dogs will react in the same way to a given training method, so be prepared to change your tactics if you find things aren't working as planned. Once you know the traits of your dog, you'll be better able to find the training methods that are suited to its temperament - which is something that a book or DVD can't know.

5. Don't be monotonous. Although you should be sticking with a routine, there's no reason it has to be in the same place every time. Also, you can change the objects around if you're teaching your dog to fetch.

This should be a fun time for both you and your dog, so when the training's over, reward him by taking some time to play.

Do you have a burning ambition to see your dog become a competition winner, or would you just be happy to have him be more obedient around the home?

No matter where your ambitions ultimately lie, using a leash to train him when he's still a puppy is important when starting out. You may also find that leash training is necessary because of the temperament of his breed.

What Is The Right Age For Leash Training? Although experts are undecided on an age, it's widely accepted that training should definitely have started within a few weeks of him being weaned from his mother.

Also, the puppy should be on solid foods. Because the puppy will only be aged between six and eight weeks when you start, he'll still be curious, meaning you'll have your work cut out for you holding his attention and train him.

Train Your Dog
The Positive Gentle Method

Stage One Of Leash Training. You don't need the leash to start with. Head to an area that's safe for the puppy to run around and explore. While you're playing with him, or he's exploring, make sure he stays close to you and every so often call him over, rewarding and praising him when he comes to you.

You should always carry treats with you and reward him for positive behavior. Quite quickly, he'll start to come when called and follow you without having to be rewarded.

The Leash. The first collar you use only needs to be lightweight and nylon, unless the puppy has no interest in training, in which case a choker collar may be needed. If the puppy did well in stage one, you may find that progressing to a leash is easy.

Leash Walking. Now that the puppy has started to wear the leash, you'll want to take him out for walks, but be sure to stick to familiar surroundings the first few times.

Start by walking around the backyard, and then start going further when he becomes more relaxed wearing the leash. If you're heading to new areas, he may want to start exploring. This is to be expected, so don't let it worry you if he wants to pull away.

When your dog has become used to the leash, you can start to include basic dog training commands such as stay, sit, come and heel into your routine.

Using the leash is a great way to start training your puppy and also gives you more freedom to choose where you train!