Training:
Training to your dog's personality

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You'll have more success training your dog if you tailor your approach to his personality. Some dogs are so sensitive they need little more than a disapproving look to get the message. Others fall into the happy-go-lucky, thicker-skinned camp, and may need a more insistent delivery to get down all the rules.

A third group might generously be called creative thinkers, as they can sometimes give their people a hard time. "These independent-minded dogs might wonder, for instance, whether it's only in this house that they can't sleep on the couch," says trainer, behaviorist, and contributing editor Kelly Dunbar. "Or whether they can't chew on shoes only when you're not home. These are also the dogs who can occasionally push back when you push them."

Basic training

Different dogs, different training styles

Some dogs fall cleanly into different personality categories. Others are harder to identify and may straddle categories. If you can't figure out where your dog fits in, maybe our behavior assessment test can help.

Highly sensitive

They learn quickly, are very tuned into their environment, read their owners like a book--and can be positively flattened by forceful behavior. Even praise, if too exuberant, can rattle them. They need a quiet, calm style of teaching.

Training strategy: A gentle, light touch works with these dogs. Because they're so attuned to you, they can be quick studies and easy to train.
Bear in mind: Their sensitivity means it's easy to do damage to these dogs.  [Continued]