All dogs have the same mindset, no matter what kind or size. If a person understands that mindset, one should not have any problem training whatever kind of dog they choose to get. This article contains some universal dog training techniques that clue humans in on canine thought. If you have gotten a dog or puppy and you have crate trained them you should always try not to keep them in there for more than four or five hours at a time unless it's overnight or it's just a once-in-awhile thing. If you have to have them in the crate for longer periods of time, a dog probably wasn't the best option for you. Dog owners can find great value in being affectionate toward their pets. Positive reinforcement has been proven to work better in a training situation than negativity. Dogs are social beings and love praise. Your efforts will go a long way toward improving future training sessions as well. Dog training should be viewed as a form of self control. If you're not able to control yourself, you'll never control your dog. Walk away from your dog, rather than letting him see an angry outburst, and remain calm even when his behavior is not stellar. Your dog will respond in a positive light if he watches you do the same. Listening to your dog is one of the most important steps of training your dog. If your dog is uncomfortable or scared, then you aren't going to get the result that you are looking for. Respect their needs and the process will go a lot smoother. When dog training, it is vital to have a lot of patience with your dog if you want to maximize the effectiveness of the overall process. Training takes a lot of time and conditioning to get your dog to act the way you want, as patience will yield the best results. Training sessions for your dog should be fun and stress-free. Your dog will learn better, and you will be able to teach better in a positive environment. Use your training session as a bonding time with your dog and have fun. This will help you and your dog have a life-long relationship. Start training your dog as early in its life as possible, but not younger than about seven weeks. This helps build an early bond between you as the owner and trainer and the dog. However, starting too early will simply overstress the dog; a very young puppy won't learn anything from training sessions. Avoid aggressive dog training techniques such as "rolling." Dogs are domesticated pets, not wild pack animals so it is ineffective to treat a dog like a wolf, despite the advice of certain television personalities. Aggressive training does not inspire trust and loyalty, both of which are essential for successful dog training. You have to know how to communicate with your dog in order to train him. A person who has this kind of insight can be a more effective trainer. Now that one knows a little more about their dog they can give him better training.