Turning your pet from a headstrong, rambunctious puppy to a well-mannered dog takes a lot of time, energy and patience but it is a worthwhile endeavor. It isn’t enough to train your dog a couple of tricks and think he or she is well trained. If you want a calm, mild-mannered pet, spend time training him or her in the following five categories.

Barking

No one wants a dog that barks incessantly. If you live in a suburban area and your dog barks all night, you may even rack up multiple complaints from neighbors. It can be difficult to teach your dog not to bark at everything but using the right tools such as an ultrasonic dog trainer can help. You should also reward your pet every time he or she goes all night without barking.

Tricks

Most dog owners want their pets to perform fun tricks. To have a well-trained dog, he or she should be able to perform several tricks on command. Try teaching your canine companion to sit, shake, lay down and play dead.

Demeanor

You don’t want your dog to be hyper or aggressive around strangers, so you need to spend time working on his or her demeanor. Every time someone enters your home, your dog should be able to sit and sniff the newcomer calmly without bouncing around. A calm demeanor also allows you to take your dog to various parks and stores for socialization purposes. If your dog is too hyper to walk calmly among unfamiliar people, you can’t predict how he or she will act. During the training process, try giving your pet lots of exercise before introducing him or her to new people. This way, your dog may be too tired to bounce around and you can reward him or her for being calm.

Leash

Teaching your dog how to walk on a leash is an important part of his or her training. You need to be able to take your pet on walks, especially if you own a high-energy breed. A well-trained dog will walk or run calmly at your side without pulling on the leash or trying to get away.

Obedience

The final element of a well-trained dog is obedience. Your pet should respond to his or her name. The dog also needs to be responsive to basic verbal cues. If you want to take your pet places for socialization, you need to know he or she will come when called. Housetraining also falls into this category so you can expect a well-trained dog to let you know when he or she needs to go outside.

Training your dog takes a lot of time and you need to continuously reinforce good behavior. If you make sure all five of these elements are part of your training program, you can be confident that you have a well-trained dog that will behave appropriately in any situation. Knowing you have an obedient dog also strengthens the bond between the two of you so you know you have a lifelong companion.