1. Begin by looking for desired behavior and "marking" the behavior with a verbal command coupled with a hand signal (see #3).  Follow your dog closely and when he or she does anything you want to be able to tell him or her to do, "mark" the behavior with a simple word ("sit", "down", "off", "leave", "release", "take", "bring" and even "stay"). Innumerable commands can all be taught simply by watching your dog and marking behavior.

2. Be Consistent!  Use One Word for One Behavior!  Decide to use "down" to mean LAY DOWN and "off" to mean GET DOWN...otherwise you may say "Down" and the dog thinks, "I'm already laying down"...on the couch!

3.  Use hand signals.  Dogs, like children, are very receptive to sign language before they are receptive to verbal cues.  When marking behavior, using hand signals will make it much easier to give your dog commands sooner.  Many dogs will naturally sit when you make the hand symbol for "one" (index finger pointed up) and wait for a response from them.  It is always best to "mark" desired behavior consistently before you ever begin trying to elicit the behavior with a hand signal or a command.  Hand signal commands will work better than voice commands, and can be used across distance and when you want to be quiet.

4.  Set a Training Time.  With a set training time, your dog's brain will become more receptive.  Every dog owner knows they have unbelievably accurate biological clocks.  Dusty used to let herself out the sliding glass door, play outside all day, but be back home waiting with the door closed when I got home.  Unless it is within a set training time, do not work on any unfamiliar or new commands.  Outside of training time, stick to hand signals that your dog already knows, and reinforcing verbal and non-verbal "markers".

5.  Be aware of your dog's attention span.  Dogs younger than 4 months can usually only focus for 5-15 min. out of every hour, separated into 5 min. blocks of training with playtime in between.  In general, 8 week old dogs can focus for 5-10 min. out of every hour.  8-16 week old dogs can focus 10-15 min out of each hour, and dogs 4-6 months can do 20 min. out of each hour.  Once they are older than 6 months, they can usually handle 20 min. of solid training, then 10 min. of training, for one hour.

6.  This Should Be Number One - Never Let Your Puppy Do Anything You Would Not Want Your Full Grown Dog to Do.  Think of every situation before you allow your puppy to do anything.  A puppy who you let play bite you will grow into a dog who thinks biting is playing, and will not distinguish between children and adults.  A puppy who you let jump up in your lap will always want to jump in everyone's lap.  This does not mean that you can never play tug of war with your dog, but do not encourage your puppy to pull on anything unless it is inside of a set training time, and only after your puppy has learned to "release" on command.  Then and only then can you teach your dog to "tug" or "pull" - which is great for advanced tricks.  Also, i know it hurts, but do not feed your puppy directly from your hand.  All it does is teach them to beg.  Only treats are given from your hand and only during set training times.

7.  Use praise as a reward as much as possible.  You do not always have to use treats to train your dog.  Many dogs will learn very complicated sequences without ever tasting a treat just to get their ears massaged.  Dogs will learn to perform behaviors to get what they want, be it a treat, a belly rub, or an open door.  Any time you are letting your dog out, or in, wait until he or she sits (they will do it naturally as they try different behaviors to elicit a response from you), then say "good sit" and then slowly open the door.  If they try to rush through, close it again until they sit.  When they don't move when you slightly open the door, say "good wait" or "good stay" and open it a bit more.  If they take one slight step, close it all the way and start over.  Only when you can open the door all the way, and they don't move until you say "through", "in" or "okay", do you have a trained dog.  Just getting to go in or out will be reward enough for your dog to learn this trick very quickly, and it makes for a much nicer pet-sitting experience.

8.  Remember that if you are not training your dog, your dog is training you.  In reality, you are constantly training each other as you develop a lifelong relationship.  If you are not careful, you will train your puppy to run barking to the door whenever someone knocks and to jumpp all over whoever comes in.  If you are careful and diligent, you can teach your puppy to go to a specific spot and wait until the company comes in, puts down their luggage or groceries, and then to greet them appropriately.

9.  Teach complicated tricks in reverse order.  For example, teach your puppy to "lay" or "down" before teaching "go lay down".  Teach "release" or "drop", then "bring/fetch"-"release/drop", then to "get" (the paper), "bring" and "drop".  Or in the above example, you would first teach your dog to "lay/down", then to "go" and "lay" in a certain place, then you would "mark" that behavior by having someone else ring the doorbell or knock while you give your pet treats at that location.  Then teach them to "stay" while you go open the door.

10.  Never continue to walk forward when your dog is at the end of his or her leash.  Whenever they use the full leash, stop abruptly.  Wait until they come back closer to you and sit before you move at all.  I mean it...wait for it...they will do it as they try everything they can think of to get you to start walking again.  For a dog who walks really really nice on a leash, do not move forward at all unless they are directly at your side, then walk slow, stopping abruptly if one paw goes in front of you.  Then wait until all four paws are behind you, and they are sitting to start moving slow again.  Only increase your speed gradually once your dog demonstrates that he knows the name of the game is "heel", which means - you stay behind me.