Whether you realize it or not you start training your Doberman puppy the instant you bring him into your home. The way you interact and treat your puppy will teach him to behave in certain ways.

Many times new puppy owners unknowingly train their new Doberman to exhibit unacceptable behavior. Later they find themselves wondering why their pet is acting in such a manner. An example of such behavior is when your puppy is young and barks to get your attention. You think his barking is cute, and you immediately pet him and give him the attention he is seeking.

Without realizing it you are sending your puppy the message that in order to get your attention all he needs to do is bark. As he gets older this once cute behavior becomes annoying. Owners often find themselves wondering why their Doberman barks so much.

Training your puppy to exhibit acceptable behavior takes work on your part as well as on his part. Here are some things you need to do in order to successfully train your Doberman puppy.

• Be aware of the signals you are sending to your puppy. Eliminate signals that result in teaching the wrong behavior.
• Learn to ignore unacceptable behavior, and learn to reward acceptable behavior.
• Be consistent with your training.
• Have patience with your Doberman puppy. It will take time and repeated lessons for him to learn what is acceptable and what is not.
• Be understanding. Being able to understand why he does certain things will help to change his behavior more readily.

In order to be a well behaved member of the family, your Doberman has a lot to learn. You will have to go through many different types of training, building and reviewing each as you move on to the next.

Types of training your Doberman puppy will need are: potty training, obedience training, crate training, leash training and socialization. It may seem like you have bitten off more than you can chew, but in reality each success your puppy has the faster he will learn new things. The important thing is to start slowly, keep training sessions short and fun, and offer lots of rewards in both treats and positive feedback.

It's important to realize your puppy will make mistakes during training. Don't place undue emphasis on his mistakes. Focus on his successes. Always remember your puppy wants to please you and will do his best to behave in a manner that gains him the most attention and praise.

If you scold your puppy for having an accident in the house and you don't praise him when he lets you know he needs to go outdoors, you may find he decides that being scolded is better than no attention at all. He may have more accidents in order to get the attention he needs. If he is highly praised for performing his duties outside and gets lots of attention for doing so, he will soon learn that going outside is far more rewarding for him.

The upside of training your Doberman puppy with patience and understanding is you will have a well behaved dog, and you and he will have formed a unique bond of trust.