Dogs truly can be a man's best friend. They can be a fantastic addition to your life not only for yourself but also for your family. Dogs can interact with children and teach them some valuable social skills and develop their confidence levels. However knowing how to train a dog is a hugely important thing that you must know, this is even more important if you do have children.

Dogs can be very temperamental and need to be trained properly so that they can control their temper. If this is done correctly, then your dog will be a well behaved, caring dog who will be safe around your family.

A main part of training your dog is called positive reinforcement which involves using dog treats to reward your dog when they do what you ask them to. This is simple enough to do, but you must know how to react if your dog doesn't do what you ask.

Most people make the mistake of shouting at their dogs and getting angry if the dog misbehaves or is being disobedient. The problem with reacting like this is that your dog will pick up on these reactions and can mirror your emotions. The same principle applies when your dog is barking, if you react to this by shouting at your dog then you are not really helping the situation. Your dog may interpret this as you barking back in agreement with them which means they do not realise they are doing anything wrong.

Keep in mind that dogs will bark, it is their way of communicating. The only time that a dog barking should concern you is if they continue barking at people for a long time after first seeing them. Also if they appear to be barking at things for no reason. Dogs are usually barking for attention or if they sense a problem. If they are seeking attention then you are best to leave them alone and not pay them attention because if you give them what they want, it will stick in their mind that to get attention they bark.

You can introduce certain exercises and practices to train your dog. Exercises such as walking them around objects such as cones and markers and getting them to sit at certain points will help with their discipline.

A simple game of hide and seek with a dog treat can be good for your dog. Hide a treat somewhere and let them find it, not only is this good exercise but they will be developing them excellent sense of smell. They also receive a treat when they complete the task and get attention and love from you.

Overall dog training takes time and patience, but if you can stick with it then the rewards will speak for themselves as the dog grows older.