Can You Train Your Dog from a DVD?

Could you train your dog by following the steps on a DVD? Could you really begin with a darling little puppy who knows practically nothing of how you want him to behave in your home, yet end up with a puppy who is housetrained and knows how to sit, stay, come, and all the rest? Or could you start with an older dog who doesn’t know everything you want him to, and get him to be willingly doing all the basics?

The answer is evident: maybe.

It depends on you. The dog or puppy is willing to learn, and it’s not hard to get a really good DVD on dog training. Do you want to do this enough that you will really get around to it? If you will, you’ll find that a DVD can motivate as well as teach you what you need to do.

Here’s how to proceed: figure out when you can do short dog training sessions. Ideally you would do them three to five times a day, but even twice a day will be a good start, perhaps right before the dog’s morning and evening meals. You want to do short bits of training because the dogs learn more effectively than if you tried to do everything just once a day for a longer period.

If you like to make plans and carry them out, then you are a natural for training your dog with a DVD. If you aren’t a huge fan of planning but can do it when you see a good reason, you should do fine too.

DVDs or dog training classes?

Is it better to use a DVD or to take your dog to a class? This depends on the circumstances. How close is the nearest dog training class, and are its hours and price a good fit for you? Even more important is the approach that the trainer takes. New information has been making its way into the world of dog training over the past couple of decades, but not every trainer has yet crossed over to using the pain-free positive methods that are the most effective.

If a good dog or puppy training class is available, it can be useful for helping the dog to be at home with many dogs — something you will need to develop in any case — and for learning a lot. Once you and the dog see how much fun it can be to learn new things together, you may want some DVDs to help you continue your dog’s lifelong learning.

Selecting the Best Dog Training DVD

The best DVD that I have seen on the topic is Train Your Dog: The Positive, Gentle Method, featuring experienced trainers Nicole Wilde and Laura Bourhenne. It’s inexpensive yet has everything you need for a great start for your dog.