Dog training can be difficult. It is especially difficult when our dog doesn't respond to our efforts, yet we see other dogs breezing through the class.

I have to admit, I've struggled with this myself, and there were times when I thought about throwing in the towel. That is when somebody showed me a different way of training, and I came to realize it wasn't the dog, it was the method.

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If you would like to see success with your dog training, here are some things to consider:

Is Your Dog Training Failing?

There are times when a dog training method is working, but it is just working slowly. At other times, you may need to switch what you are doing. Here are some signs to know when it's time to make the switch.

1. Making Progress: If your dog seems to be stagnant on one particular point, despite your best efforts, it might be time to move on.

2. Anxiety: The training process should be pleasant for both you and your dog. If your dog is acting fearful or anxious, it may be the method you are using.

3. Aggression: Some techniques can bring out the worst in your dog. If your dog snaps or growls at you while training, a change is best.

4. Trust: We trust our dogs, but that trust should be a two-way street. If your dog doesn't have faith in you, then it will not respond to your training efforts.

Avoid These Dog Training Techniques

Even though certain dog training techniques are common, they tend to be ineffective. In some cases, they can even take things in the wrong direction.

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Avoid the following when training your dog:

1. Punishment Techniques: Yelling at your dog is only going to increase their level of stress. Avoid any sort of negativity and never use physical force when training your dog.

2. Harsh Training: There are some techniques, including alpha rolling, in which you hold the dog down to supposedly assert your dominance. This could actually have a negative impact on your relationship with the animal.

3. Harsh Training Tools: Although tools such as choke chains and shock collars are available, they should not be a part of dog training. They could harm the animal and are not effective.

4. Inconsistent Training: The quickest way to success is to be consistent when training your dog. Otherwise, they may get confused and do some backsliding between training sessions.

Acceptable Dog Training Techniques

Now that we have the negative out of the way, let's consider some of the acceptable techniques that will work on most dogs.

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1. Be Understanding: Get to know your dog and what they respond to during the training process. Try to work along with their personality, and they will work with you.

2. Be Positive: Since we will be avoiding any negative training behaviors, we will fill them in with positive reinforcement. Not only does this help your dog to train effectively, but it also helps you to bond with them.

3. Build Trust: Make sure that you have trust as part of the dog training process. Trying to train a dog without trust is like trying to train a dog you've never met before.

4. Be Constant: We discussed the need to avoid inconsistency, so it stands to reason that being consistent in your dog training will be of benefit.

What If It Doesn't Work?

Even if you are doing everything right, there may be times when your dog just isn't responding as you would like. If that is the case, it may just be a matter of time until they do start responding.

Let's face it, dogs have personalities, just like we do. If your dog happens to be stubborn, you will have to work along with it to see the most success with your dog training efforts.

It may take time, but every dog will respond to a positive, kind hand with dog training.