Learning to speak the same language as your dog—or at least understanding why your dog is acting the way he is acting—is essential in forming a strong bond with your dog.

Rewarding appropriate dog behavior, as opposed to punishing negative behaviors, is one of the most powerful tools you can use to shape or change your dog’s actions. It also makes that behavior more likely to occur in the future.

This type of training is called positive reinforcement. It’s a humane method of teaching your dog to perform behaviors using a reward such as treats, attention and verbal praise. It also creates stronger bonds between you and your dog.

Remember that behavior is linked to health. Keeping your pet properly nourished, can help with behavior training.  Dogs that eat too many carbs can be more difficult to train because their blood sugar may not regulate well.