Having a pet is a fun responsibility. Training it is an interesting and equally great experience. It is during these training sessions, that a bond and a thorough relationship can be established between the master and the dog. Training dogs can make them more responsive and sensitive to your needs and you in turn learn to care and understand them even more. Many a times, the dog even tends to participate in decision making. When I ask my dog, Buddy, to pick a dress for me to wear, he wittingly picks one from the two lying before it. Moreover, it also tends to gauge my mood and gives me company when I am sad. It is not like it has been trained to do so. It is just that the more sensitive you are to your dog, the more sensitive it becomes to your needs as well.
Training dogs to do various things is not really difficult if it is a fresh learner. In case of older dogs needing to be retrained, they need to first unlearn the previous training and then relearn the new stuff. It can be stressful for the dog in question as it requires a great deal of concentration and effort on its part.
Many people believe that one should start training session after the puppy is about 6 months old or so. This is because it can grasp skills faster as it becomes older. This may be true. However, it is important to realize that 6 months is a long period. By this time the dog has already chosen certain spots as its own be it as simple as a place to defecate. Dogs tend to return to the same spot it has used previously. This spot could even be inside your house in the kitchen. Thus potty training needs to be given to it right in the beginning. Also, you need to make sure the dog is active at all times. Otherwise once it is habituated to a passive and indoor life, it will not socialize and be interesting in the presence of company. Certain other important things like not chewing or digging stuff, not barking in the middle of the night, not going farther away from the house when left loose are important to be given when it is very young so as to ensure its safety and care.
Training dogs can be a fun and fulfilling experience for both the trainer and the dog. Make the most of it.