The fact is that most of us lead pretty busy lives. It's hard to fit in dog training with work, family obligations, kids sports, and running errands. Week after week my clients admit to "cramming" right before class. They haven't found the time to put into training their dogs all week and then practice like crazy the day before coming to their lesson.

But it takes consistency to fix dog behavioral problems. Practicing one day a week isn't going to cut it.

The good news is that it's really quite easy to fit some dog training into your daily activities.

Most people have taught their dog to sit before meals. That's always a great way to practice (be sure to have a towel nearby to catch the drool!) But here are a few ways to squeeze in some training that you maybe you hadn't thought about.

1. Coming and going is a very important time to practice with your dog. Be sure to have your dog wait for permission to come in or out of the house, the car, out of his kennel, and through fence gates. This simple practice could literally save your dog's life. The key is to insist that he wait until you tell him it's OK every time; use your Release command for this. This rule does not just apply to your home either. Waiting to go in or out of friend's houses, the vets, and the groomers will teach him impulse control and prevent him from running into the street.

2. Waiting for the school bus with your kids is an excellent time to practice training your dog. And the plus is that kids seem to follow instructions better than some adults! Command your dog to sit and then let the kids pet him. If your dog gets up or starts jumping ask all of the kids to back off and turn into a "tree" (arms flat at their sides standing straight and tall). The trick is to teach the kids not to pet your dog if he isn't sitting. That way your dog learns that sitting calmly gets him the attention he wants and jumping up does not. When he's sitting they can come back over. He's up? Quick! Tree! It's a fun exercise and a way to get the whole neighborhood involved with your dog's training.

3. How about having your dog help with your morning routine? One way to do that is to have your dog lie down in the bathroom with you while you are blow drying your hair. Use the leash to help; you can even step on it if you have to. This will teach your dog to hold still for long periods and get him used to the unusual noise of the dryer.

4. Teach your dog to stay on his "place" while your family is having dinner. His place can be a dog bed, area rug, or his open crate. If you insist on feeding your dog table scraps be sure to wait until you are done eating and then go over and give them to him while he's on his place or out of his dog bowl. This will help prevent him from embarrassing you and begging from your mother-in-law.

5. I feel very lucky to have a large property and lots of land for my dogs. Because of the size and length of my driveway my mailbox is all the way down and on the other side of the street. It's great for training my dog! Each day she walks down the driveway right by my side. We stop and she sits before crossing the street. She sits while I sort through my mail and then we walk back. This is a matter of looking at the glass half full. Sure, I could hate that long walk to get my mail. But I look at it as a great opportunity to squeeze in some dog training.

6. Wednesday is trash day around here. On the way back from getting the mail we bring up the trash barrels. At first the loud noise and bulky barrels might scare your dog. But, if you stay silly and laugh with your dog, keep walking matter-of-factly, and hold on tightly to the leash your dog will soon be walking happily with you while you complete this chore.

7. Stop skipping through the commercials on your TiVo! Use that time for dog training! Start by having your dog sit or lie down or stay on a "place" for the commercial break. Pretty soon he will graduate to lying down for the program and take a break on the commercials!

8. Loading the dishwasher is also a great time for your dog to stay in a down command or on his place. And what a great distraction! All that food left on the dishes. But who knows....maybe you do want a "pre-rinse" cycle?

Dog training and solving dog behavioral problems does take practice time. But by being creative it can be fun and easy to fit some of that practice into your day-to-day routine.