18 Brilliant Beginner Dog Training Tips from Experienced Pupper Pawrents

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Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jul 22, 2026 7:30 AM EDT

When bringing your first pup home it can be overwhelming approaching the topic of training. For many pawrents that overstimulation leads them to leave training behind, but your doggo needs their training and tricks more than you could ever know. So we made this list to make sure everyone has a safe and secure spot to start from.

Of course if we are talking about dog training you can imagine that we turned to Reddit's r/DogTraining subreddit to uncover the very best ways to begin your doggo training journey. For the world of pupper tricks is vast, and not all moves are appropriate for your first time. And that is why we enlisted the support of these pupper pawrents to make sure you have the knowledge and the start point to start training your doggo.

While each suggestion is unique there are some overarching themes that we would like to make you aware of. To begin with there is an emphasis on practice, which should be done in short but regular intervals using treats and with the aim of going through the motions in all different sorts of scenarios. If your dog is distracted by something in the outside world and does not pay attention to you, that can spell disaster. So take notes, and get stuck into the wonderful world of pupper training.

 

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  • 01
    "Don't listen to anything Caesar Millan puts out."
    via tcopple

    Brown and white dog sitting on road licking lips looking at ice cream cone

    Dog depicted by model

  • 02
    tcopple Dogs don't generalize well, whenever you train change the time and location of training to really cement the behavior you're teaching. It's very common to train specific behaviors and not be able to extrapolate them to unfamiliar environments.
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    Dawningfate Reward the good behaviors. When your dog is doing something you like- sitting, laying and chewing their bone quietly, going in their crate, etc, make sure to reward it with praise and treats. Often times people punish the bad behaviors but forget to reward when they're doing good. If all you do is punish, they will never know what you want from them and think everything they do is wrong. Showing them the behaviors we like will make them happen more often.
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  • Well, this is certainly interesting. It is something that also applies to our hooman kids and it is a construct that many of us millennials and Gen Xers will need to pay close attention to. We are so used to focusing on negative enforcement from our own lived experience that good behaviors can often feel like they are valueless, when in fact the opposite is true. So the next time you notice your pup being a good boy or girl make sure to go out of your way to praise them and keep them on the right track.
     

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    kippey Honestly just set time aside for training your dog. See a professional to teach you technique for a few lessons and get a treat pouch, reward behavior you want to train. My daily dog training consists of like 15 minutes of training/practicing new things and 30 minutes of working on regular things like recall and loose leash walking. We accomplish all of this (along with 15 minutes of play) within an hour walk to the park and back.
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    monique1397 The leash is the best training tool there is. Dog jumps on counter? He wouldn't if you had him tethered to you on a leash, let him earn his freedom in the house. Dog jumps on people? He can't if you have him on a leash to prevent him from getting too close. Also set your dog up for success. He can't steal food from the counter if food isn't left there to begin with.
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    greendazexx Be consistent and train often. Take 5-10 minutes a few times a day rather than trying to do an hour long training session. Don't let the dog get away with stuff 1/10 times because they won't know when is okay and when isn't and you won't get the behavior you want
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    fascinatedobserver Try really REALLY hard not to use the word 'no'. Once you start, you find yourself using it for every tiny behavior deviation and it becomes worthless. Concentrate on finding ways to either encourage desired behaviors when you see them or to create words/hand signs for commands that create the behavior you'd like to keep seeing.
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    Gimme PuddingPlz Don't listen to anything Caesar Millan puts out.
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    clumsy_giantsquid That socialization does not equal meeting other dogs. Socialization is to make the puppy/dog comfortable in our society and the environment he or she is going to live in. And if you greet dogs on walks your dog will start to expect that. One method is to only greet dogs that you are going to meet often, not just some random dog on a walk.
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    TheCatGuardian Go to a basic obedience class with a certified trainer.
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  • Honestly, yeah, this is a great idea. You do not have to stick with it, heck you do not have to do more than one class if it is not to your taste. But both the guided experience from an experienced pawfessional and the community spirit that classes can foster are a great way to get a foothold in your pupper’s training plan. It is one of those things that you never truly know until you try so go ahead and give it a go.
     

  • 15
    artgarfunkadelic Dog's gonna do what makes it happy, so make sure you're what makes dog happy and not destroying the carpet, etc.
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    KLTechNerd Remember dogs are living creatures. You can not make them do anything. You have to make them not want to do it. I would start with crate training.
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    FestivalofConfusion Two references that you should absolutely read: Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy and Easy Peasy Doggy Squeezy by Steve Mann. They are a lively, fun read so don't worry if you're not a keen reader! The first will set you up with the psychology of dog behaviour and exercises to nurture fundamental wanted behaviours; the second looks at case studies of unwanted behaviours and provides practical approaches you can use.
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    cantgaroo I didn't see if someone mentioned it, but management is half of training. You're going to keep reinforcing the unwanted behaviors if the dog keeps getting to rehearse them. So for example, keep food off the counter and put a gate to the kitchen if your house layout allows.
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    MoatEel When teaching a new trick, Catch the dog doing the correct behavior, and only then reward the pup and use the cue word. Don't use commands before the dog knows what it is they're supposed to be doing. What that looks like is seeing the dog sit, say something like yes! Good sit! (Where the yes/good part is used with any successful trick so they know that that's not a part of the command and means that they did something right).
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    Furberia When they alert bark at the door, go over and pet them and tell them you got this. Touch and eye contact is very important for growing the bond.
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    general_madness My most useful advice is that often managing the environment is the most effective way to address problem behaviors. Counter surfing is an inherently rewarding behavior for a scavenger animal, but keeping counters clear or disallowing access to the kitchen are absolutely foolproof plans for foiling the urge to take food off of counters.
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    EveFluff Teach patience like "wait" command
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    fryingpanranch Start like you want to finish. Don't want your dog to jump on people, guard food or bite. Don't let your puppy do it. You don't want a happy carefree puppy doing what it wants. You want a balanced dog.
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