The success of your dog obedience training and how you get on with your dog depends on the measure to which you are consistent. You can socialize your dog perfectly, but without consistency the effect of your efforts will be minimal. If you are inconsistent, your dog will be confused. If inconsistency slips into your dog obedience training plans, it is totally unclear to the dog why it may snuggle up closely to you on the sofa today and tomorrow it is not allowed, and the fact that yesterday you did not mind it barking while today you punish it for the same behavior.

Maintaining flexible rules in the house is confusing for a dog - ideally there should be only firm and strict rules in your dog obedience training, because for a dominant dog such a changeable method constitutes a reason to try to snatch power. Other dogs become unsure or ignore your commands more often.

However, I realize it is extremely difficult to be consistent. Nearly always, being consistent means that in the end you are not consistent. Being consistent is continuous and implies that anything you permit the dog to do, you must always permit, and any thing you forbid, you must always forbid. To keep this up requires not only effort from you, but also from the rest of the family and everyone must keep to it. It means that, even before the pup arrives, you and your family must agree together about what you do and do not allow - you must draw up your dog obedience training plan together. Is the dog allowed to lie on the sofa, sleep on the bed, jump up at people? You must discuss these things beforehand.

Use Dinnertime As Recall Practice