There are a number of ways to train your dog, including attending obedience classes, hiring a personal dog trainer, or doing it yourself. Of the three, training the dog yourself should always be your first choice. Dog training is about much more than teaching the dog to obey your commands or do a few cool tricks. It plays a vital role in developing the relationship between you and your dog. It builds a bond, shows your dominance, and provides your dog with both mental and physical exercise. And if that’s not enough, it’s also a good opportunity to hang out with your best buddy.In this article we provide tips and advice on making dog training an integral part of your relationship with your dog. Use every interaction as a training opportunity.Although it’s important to have a scheduled training session daily, you should not confine your training efforts just to this session. In truth, every interaction with your dog is a training session. For example, if you’re taking your dog for a walk, get him to sit before you attach the leash. This reinforces the sit command. Use your puppy’s name regularly.One of the first things you’ll teach your dog is his name. In the first few weeks, use it all the time, but only in positive interactions. And if you’re having a hard time trying to come up with good dog names, visit puppy names-hq.com, where you’ll find 1000s of excellent male dog names names and female dog names.Practice the skills he’s learned.Dogs learn by repetition, so practice new skills whenever you can. It’s also important to practice skills in different places, or your dog may assume they only apply in the location he was taught them. Communicate with your dog using body language.In the canine world, things like posture and facial expressions are more important that vocalized signals. You’ll find your dog learns quicker if you add hand signals to your voice commands. But also be aware of your posture and tone of voice, as these are important.Reinforce good behavior. This is one of the cornerstones of effective dog training. If you praise and reward your dog for good behavior, he’ll repeat those behaviors all the time.Make your dog earn his treats.We all like to spoil our dogs, but a treat should always be earned, not just given. They can be a reward for good behavior or obeying a command. At the very least, get your dog to sit before giving him the treat.Training should be fun.No matter how important dog training is, you’re not going to stick to it if it becomes a difficult, boring chore. Even if you do, you’ll probably be irritable and short, and this is not the way to get the best out of your dog. On the other hand, if training is a fun experience, you’ll look forward to it every day, your dog will pick up on your enthusiasm, and your results will soar.Some of the things you can do to make training enjoyable are to set yourself goals (and celebrate your successes), keep sessions quite short, break up the session into smaller “mini-sessions”, and punctuate the training with lots of fun games and activities. Exercise your dog: All dogs need exercise and a dog that is bored and frustrated will be very difficult to train. For starters, be may have developed behavioral problems, like aggression, but he’ll also be hyped up at finally having something to do.Your dog needs a walk and other activities every day. This way he’ll approach the training session calm and balanced, and be much easier to train. Take these tips and apply them to your daily interactions with your dog. Before you know it you’ll have the well-trained canine companion you always wanted.