Does your dog damage your furniture and attack your house guests?  Does it simply refuse to listen to any of your commands? Well, dogs don’t understand English, and it’s likely that your pet has no clue what you want it to do! Fortunately, an unruly dog can be trained. 

Dog training expert Constantine "Gus" Marnel of K-9 Communication in Milford, CT, has been training dogs for 35 years. He is a Master Trainer and a graduate of the K-9 Academy school. Gus knows all the best practices and techniques to make your dog more obedient and a joy to be with.

Here’s what Gus suggests for optimal dog training success:

• Don’t Be So Positive: Some dog owners use a “positive-only” dog training technique whereby their dog learns to repeat a desirable behavior by rewarding it with a treat. While this technique is positive reinforcement of good behavior, your dog will begin to expect the treat every time it obeys your command. The solution? Reward your dog intermittently. In other words, only give it the treat sometimes once you are sure it has learned your command.
• Poor Timing: When your dog performs a behavior that is desirable or one that isn’t, your reward (or lack of one) needs to be immediate. Waiting too long to respond will make it harder for your pet to make the connection between the behavior and the reward. Your response should be within a second if possible.
• Not Training Enough: After making the effort to teach your dog a few new behaviors and routines, don’t go on “auto-pilot.” Your dog will forget what it learned if dog training is inconsistent. Randomly work in routines on a daily basis to keep your dogs desired behavior sharp.

Constantine “ Gus”  Marnel is an accomplished dog psychologist, and his company offers a "Lifetime Training Advantage" that guarantees your dog’s training will last the length of its natural life. For a no-cost temperament evaluation of your canine companion, contact  K­9 Communication at (203) 874-7299 or visit their website for more information. You can also keep up on Facebook.